At the start of September, England Hockey sent out a mass email to clubs, with tips and advice to help committees get their clubs ready for the new season. I took one look and the subject box and skipped past, because, is anyone ever ready? When we finally got round to reading it, it was full of information that should be covered behind the scenes, and as luck would have it, GHC had it all in hand, thanks to the leadership from our Club Chairman and Board of Trustees.

So what should I be doing as a member/supporter?

GHC Membership Form
Please ensure that all your details are up to date, and you have changed your form to the 24/25 season. If you aren't sure, open up the app, click onto your profile, select account details and scroll through to make sure everything is up to date (including emergency contact details, any medical conditions, and that you agree to the EH RESPECT code of conduct).

New Rules & Regulations
New on and off the field disciplinary regulations have come into effect that now governs the game of hockey across England. The new Disciplinary Regulations replace both the existing Red Card & Matchday Misconduct Offence Regulations and Disrepute Offence Regulations. Read more about them here. As part of these regulations, clubs are required to have clear processes in place and this year we are delighted to be supported by Paul Whiteside who will be this years Disciplinary Officer. Paul has been a supporter of GHC for many years, and whilst we hope there is no need to call him into action this season, we are looking forward to working with him this season.

If you want to familiarise yourself with the rules and regulations, you can visit both England Hockey and North West Hockey websites. GHC expects all members and supporters to abide by the England Hockey's Spirit of Hockey - code of conduct (replacing the previous RESPECT document). So if you see something that doesn't fit with this; call it out if you can, or speak to one of the committee in confidence. GHC takes pride in our member and supporter behaviour, so thank you to all of you for your commitment to this.

GMS
We hear you, but GMS has undergone several updates since its introduction a few seasons ago, and its functionality gets better every year (you can log in and see how many performances you have had in the league, or how many goals you have scored). Please ensure you only have one account, and that your details are up to date and visible if you are a team/club contact. Captains - please familiarise yourself with the website and where you record goal scorers, any cards and match day information. The regulations stipulate this has to be done by certain deadlines, depending on your grade/tier. Umpires - please make sure you are associated with GHC as an umpire (and any other clubs you umpire for) - this doesn't affect you as a player. If you are turning 18, to create your own adult account, first register your own account. Then email GMS Support to ask for your child account to be merged, and detached from your parent/guardian. The parent account can then be deleted if necessary.

Social Media
Are you following us on social media? Help spread the word by following us, and tagging us in any photos around the club. We love to share our community, but if you'd rather not appear in any social media/website photos, please let Katie Adamson-Benz know.

Pitchero
Don't forget to download the Pitchero Club App (and Manager if you are a team admin/Captain/Coach). If you have any issues with the app and/or its functionality, please delete it from your phone and re-install. If there are any parts of the app you would like help with, please let Katie know, or your Captain and we will do our best to help. You should be able to get everything you need from the app this season.

We can't wait to cheer you all on this season, so let's go out there together and have a good one!

Team GHC

#getseasonready #newseason #weready #hockey #letsgo #garstang