South University Trials for BNC's 14th Feb 2010 Birmingham!

[LJ_lboro]

The South Universities team will be holding trials for the British National Championships which is being held this year at Wilmslow LC on Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd May 2010.

These trials are to be held at Birmingham University on 14th February and will run from 1pm - 3pm on one of their 3G pitches. see link for directions http://www.southlacrosse.org.uk/clubs/b ... bulls.html. We are currently in the process of organising a coach for the Nationals and for overseeing the trials.

To qualify you must be a current student and attend University South of Nottingham. All are welcome but I also advise that you have been playing for longer than 6 months.

If you are wanting to trial please send your info including, name, university/previous clubs, position and amount of playing experience to my email at southunislax@hotmail.co.uk.

South Universities team has progress each year for the last four years and is hoping to improve on last year..one of the biggest highlights was drawing against Scotland.

£5 trial fees

T-shirts will hopefully be for sale at the event!!!

Hope to see you there

Luke Johnstone

[tea leaf]

Is the only trial to get into this team @ birmingham? or is there more than one trial, because last year it was at reading if my memory serves me well...

[LJ_lboro]

yeh this is the only trial and it is in Birmingham this year because it has been Reading the last two years!

[Raptor_attack]

What with Reading being more central and all...

[nabster]

With Birminhham been more in the south than reading?? sorry ??

[Ketts19]

Loving the enthusiasm and levels of commitment you boys are showing here.

[Mort rotu]

Any limit on the number of places?

obviously i wouldn't want to send the whole club but...

[LJ_lboro]

With Birminhham been more in the south than reading?? sorry ??

I do know where Birmingham and Reading are thanks....just decided for a change this year, since for the last two years the midlands players have been the majority at the trials. This will show the commitment of the more southern university players.

[LJ_lboro]

Any limit on the number of places?

obviously i wouldn't want to send the whole club but...

No limit but I would prefer players who have been playing longer than 6 months!!!

[nabster]

i know majority are from the midland with still baffels me why they play for the south team, i can understand it making more sense to have it at birmingham just would mean the few south players who go for experience knowing they probably wont get in wont even bother to travel now, not so much commitment as travelling from the south coast to not get selected, surely be better for the sport as a whole to have it in the south but just my opinion
from last year i know myself and several of my team mates went with the intention of experience and to see the standard, no really intention of being able to make the cut, but i personally wont be able to make the said date and travel to birmingham

[tea leaf]

if the majority of the players are from the midlands shouldnt a midlands uni team being erected? .... im sure that there would be no shortage of capable players on either regions(midlands and south) to have two full teams of commited players.

...and would just mean more players gaining experience at a higher level. Surely hte intention should be to bring souths standard up to par with the midlands and nothern regions by giving their players the opportunity to compete at that level.

...no disrespect intended i just think that currently the more southern uni players arent given a chance to play and gain experience from competition and trainings that is on offer from playing with these regional teams (south unis).

Kev

[Jonesy09]

i just think that currently the more southern uni players arent given a chance to play and gain experience from competition and trainings that is on offer from playing with these regional teams (south unis).

On the contrary, southern players are given just as much chance to gain experience with regional teams as anyone else. Members of SEMLA clubs are given the opportunity to play for South of England, South Development and South Unis. NEMLA clubs are given the opportunity to play for Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cheshire. Imagine if you were Welsh or Scottish, then you'd be making a fuss.

You've also got to take into consideration that the point of these trials is to take a team to Manchester. If players lack the commitment to make it from Brighton to Birmingham, how can we count on them making the extra 100 miles to come to the event itself?

[nath]

I'd say there may well be a case for a Midlands team, but places are limited at the BNC's. So currently we have to fit into the current system. I also think the attitude of not traveling is a bit silly. Probably why we seem to get so many cancellations/walk overs in Flags games!!

As for the going with the view of "not getting in", surely this is completely the wrong attitude, and if you don't bother because of this, well you will never know will you?

Nath

[nabster]

i like the ideal of a midlands and a southern team but understand fitting in another team means more matchs to fit in the BNCs

im not saying that players wouldn't be committed or that southern players have less of a fair chance
just that southern players arent going to be as good or as experience as the northern players
and some who dont believe they are good enough would still come to trials just to play at a higher standard and see what they have to get to
i went as a fresher so south uni trials and was a great day and eye opener, and if honestly playing alongside much better players forced me to try and play better

if a southern laxer felt they had a chance or wanted to see im 100% confident they'd travel from further places than brighton, just saying the few extra might have got to enjoy the experience had it been closer, like myself last year

ive been/going to South trials this year and i have no problem with travelling to any trials this year, even in Birmingham or manchester, were as last year i had just started to play and would in my widest dream think id be selected but i still went, i wouldnt have gone birmingham last year knowing full well i wouldnt be selected

As for the going with the view of "not getting in", surely this is completely the wrong attitude, and if you don't bother because of this, well you will never know will you?

yes Nath i know not the best attitude, not saying i have it, but there are some that do, many freshers have talent but can be unsure of themselves to start with, and lacrosse isnt a large sport like football, so surely we should be making thinks a slightly more convenient to aid in development??

i just think we need to do some more stuff in the south to help with developing more laxers and not just trials picking the best
we have alot of freshers and its hard to put them into a side sometime when you want to win, maybe some sort of open days or clinics with the south/south uni or even england team (lik they had up at birmingham in Dec) would be great ways for freshers to play alongside experience plays and learn at a good standard.......just some food for thought, but i fully understand having the trials in the midlands and believe 100% that southern laxers would travel to play in the BNC, personally id be honored

[P.Pexton]

I think it's a hard one to judge. As anyone who plays in the south knows there is rarely such a thing as a short travel to a game (with the exception perhaps of the Premiership but now with Bath in the mix...), so wherever the trial is held is going to be a long journey for a lot of potential players, especially if we're talking about extremities such as Brighton, or Exeter or Swansea for example. I think the organisers have thought it out well, having seen the past representation from various university's they have made a decision based on the larger majority of who plays in the team. It's always going to be hard to please everybody, but what would you prefer; to go with the majority who make up the team year after year or go out on a limb and risk losing/being caught in the predicament to pick players that don't turn up to trials but will make training? I dunno that's just my opinion, and I know there are several other views I could've taken.

i just think we need to do some more stuff in the south to help with developing more laxers and not just trials picking the best
we have alot of freshers and its hard to put them into a side sometime when you want to win, maybe some sort of open days or clinics with the south/south uni or even england team (lik they had up at birmingham in Dec) would be great ways for freshers to play alongside experience plays and learn at a good standard...

If you feel you could have done a better job/made better decisions then why not volunteer to organise the sessions yourself? Or at least maybe think of getting a committee together to discuss it. It wouldn't be a bad idea. One from each qualifying university to be part of the committee, you can have a separate section on the forums to discuss things to avoid the hassle of having to meet up together? Maybe then it would be perceived as fairer.

Imagine if you were Welsh or Scottish, then you'd be making a fuss.

Wales University students have the opportunity to play for Wales, Wales Development or South Uni's at this years BNC's.

Just my thoughts on the matter anyhow.

[whopead]

BNC's isn't really the place for novices. Fresherfests and uni tourneys deffinatley are.

some people feel that the Dev sides/weakest teams shouldnt be at the nationals. I dont agree with this however the dilution of "elite" british lascrosse must stop somewhere.

If you want to trial luke and his team will be 100% fair. if your not good enough or dont have the commitment you wont get in. simple. If you think you may be good enough then get stuck in!


And good luck. wish i was a student again

[cdock4]

Nabster, don't include half the brighton team in your comments. As the other people have said... If you are committed, go to the trials, no matter where they are!! If anything Birmingham could be quite a road trip.
You have only been playing this fine sport for a short time so you are in no position to share you thoughts on how anything is run in life.

In future keep your comments to yourself, or under a word in length.

[Mort rotu]

At least at Birmingham they have a 3G astro, so unless the surface freezes the trials will be on whatever the weather.

What's the chance of us getting turfed off onto a grass pitch for a full field game, like we did at Lboro a few years back? or phrased another way, what footwear are we going to need (other than the obvious)?

[webby]

At least at Birmingham they have a 3G astro, so unless the surface freezes the trials will be on whatever the weather.

What's the chance of us getting turfed off onto a grass pitch for a full field game, like we did at Lboro a few years back? or phrased another way, what footwear are we going to need (other than the obvious)?

Why not just pack all the options?

If people are dedicated enough to try out for such a team, they will make the journey no matter where the trials are.

[Tommy_Tank]

In future keep your comments to yourself, or under a word in length.

Zing?

Doesnt matter about venue, lacrosse players who are committed have always enjoyed the roadtrip as much as any game/trial. Birmingham isnt the other side of the world, a train from brighton takes 3 hours, not an impossible feat for a 1pm start. Admittedly there are probably some epic journeys to be had, but its all part of the fun so teach the beginners that from the start!

p.s. im not even at uni anymore, does it show that im bored at work and have that friday feeling?