Is Women's Lacrosse in Decline in the UK?

[gazmanofhull]

As it has been mentioned on this thread and its a general lacrosse topic I wouldnt know where to place this as a new topic so...

Why do the ELA employ two seperate Elite Performance Directors? Is there enough work for them both 40hours per week?

British Cycling, arguably the most successful NGB in-terms of returns in Championships, have just one Elite Performance Director - Dave Brailsford. Now cycling is just cycling whether you are a man or woman and obviously we have two different forms of lacrosse. But the role of the Elite Performance Director is not the role of Head Coach. The job is to ensure that the sport at the highest level is grown and developed to the best of all abilities - this covers every aspect of competitive sport - Preperation of Squads, Fitness & Conditioning, Development of the Elite Level (Coaches & Players), Sports Psychology.

The needs of both sides of the sport should be exactly the same. There should be no differences

[rpowell]

7) rpowell: have you read the competitive review....?? do you know why the new system is being introduced to replace territorials?

Yep, read it. And the Whole Sport Plan, And the WPC meeting minutes. But just beacause it's written down, doesn't mean that replacing a long established and successful competition will improve things...

[chippie]

successful competition ...

really??
a few training sessions....2 weekends of games....what is so successful about that....even the BNC's over 1 weekend is a better, and growing competition!

[rpowell]

successful competition ...

really??
a few training sessions....2 weekends of games....what is so successful about that....even the BNC's over 1 weekend is a better, and growing competition!

Well, yes... a few training sessions is a few more than Cheshire and Lancashire men normally get, and two weekends is one more than they currently seem to play

Funnily enough there's a parallel discussion going on in one of the men's forum - some feel that the BNCs aren't as good as the old Men's Regional Trophy (Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Southern Counties). The argument goes that the multiple shortened length games aren't as good as the real thing.

Personally I'm with you on the BNC's being great: people want to play in them, referees are happy to officiate at them, and many of the squads put great effort into trials, selection, training and preparation. Teams actually turn up with one or more people coaching them. It's provides opportunities for new coaches to try their skills, players to move outside their club safety zone and get a taste of representative lacrosse, and the referees use it to assess and coach officials.

Back to the womens game - perhaps another approach the ELA could have taken would be to retain the old territorial structure, but arrange a womens equivalent of the BNCs. Shorten the games a bit, play when it's warm & sunny, and have the best of both worlds... I even know a place in Cheshire we could hold it, if they don't mind shortened pitches