2010 President's Report

Introduction
Welcome to the Annual General Meeting of Matamata Swifts Association Football Club for 2010, the 80th year of our existence.

I believe 2010 has been a year of solid progress for our club. We have achieved much and yet there is still much to do. We have had a busy season, taking on the challenge of fielding a team in the Northern Region Football League (NRFL), the first time we have played Northern League football since 1998. We also dealt with many other things, which I have detailed below.

Achievements
Much of our focus was on fielding a first team that competed well in the NRFL. On this front it was mission accomplished as Duncan and the team ended the season with a place in the 2011 NRFL 1st Division. The work involved in getting our club to this level has been immense, as will be the work required to keep us there. Next season promises to be both exciting and very scary as we compete in a twelve team league that contains eleven other teams from no further south than Papatoetoe.

In June we were named the Waikato Bay of Plenty Football Federation’s Club of the Year. This award recognised our performance at all levels and both on and off the field.

We added another senior team this season with the return of the Sunday Team. From memory this is the first time we have run five senior teams since the mid-1980’s. The Sunday Team finished the season as WSSL division 2 winners and Scottish Cup runners-up. We also saw a host of new young players make their debuts for the club in our 3rd team. The 3rds are now vital to this club as they represent the first step in senior football for our youth.

The junior section of our club continues to be run with the efficiency we’ve come to expect over the last few seasons. Playing numbers were steady and we had a sprinkling of players named to Waikato and Federation age group rep teams.

As you will see at this AGM, we have done much work in our organisational development and role descriptions. Earlier in the year we identified that most of this type of information resided only in people’s heads. That’s not good practice. Now that we’re starting to get it all down on paper I am hopeful that more people will be able to appreciate what is required to run our club and may also decide to become involved in an administrative or coaching position.

Work in progress
And yet there is still much to do. In recent seasons we have struggled to achieve consistency with the coaching and management of our reserve and ladies team. We can’t allow this to continue. Both of these teams are vital to the future success and culture of our club and the support around them must be strengthened. We have already made a start at trying to rectify this situation, but will need help to complete the job.

The performance of our management committee is hampered by a simple lack of numbers. We don’t have enough people putting their hand up with an offer of help. In an amateur club run by volunteers it is currently impossible for us to do everything we’d like as we simply don’t have enough hours available to us. This is, of course, not a situation unique to Matamata Swifts AFC, but it is frustrating nonetheless. It means we’ve had to focus on certain things, while other areas have suffered.

I would encourage everyone at this AGM, along with all our club members, to consider what they can do to help advance their club and, more specifically, their particular area of interest. You may feel you can contribute in an administrative capacity, in which case a management committee position may be suitable. You may want your team to be run more successfully, in which case you should talk to your coach or manager. You may know a billionaire who wants to invest in football…in which case I need to speak with you right away!

Swap Park
Many of you will be aware that we have been in discussions with the Matamata Piako District Council about a possible move to Swap Park. I feel the prospect of a new venue designed specifically for our growing football club is an exciting thing. To achieve this, however, we’ll need the full backing of everyone associated with the club.

Where do we currently stand? After sporadic discussions lasting the best part of two years we have just signed off on a Memorandum of Understanding with the council which is a formal agreement between our two groups that allows us to take this project forward. What this document does is show that we officially have council backing, which was needed before we could even consider approaching external funders for assistance.

During the last twelve months we have produced some basic concept plans for the new clubrooms, from which a budget estimate has been prepared. The council has also allocated $100,000 in their 2011/2012 annual budget specifically to assist in the relocation of football in Matamata to Swap Park. Now the real work must begin.

Strategy
Most of you will hopefully have read, or at least glanced at, our strategy document. This document has been named after our club’s Vision which is to be The Beating Heart of Our Community. This is important as it defines what we ultimately want this club to be.

Our club’s Values, which you will find in this document, are important as they should guide what we do and influence the decisions we make. For the record, our Values are:
• The best teams have the best people.
• We play hard.
• We play smart.
• We play together.

We have also done much work on our goal setting over the last twelve months. Our BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) is to be the best country football club in New Zealand. This does not just focus on our first team. We want to be the best at all we do.

I feel that our Vision, Values and BHAG have probably not been promoted as well as they could have through the club so we must rectify this in 2011.

Supporting our BHAG are three 3-5 year strategic moves which we think will get us there. If we get them right then we will, indeed, be the beating heart of our community and the best country football club in New Zealand. Our 3-5 strategic moves are:
• To create a first class football facility in Matamata.
• To ensure the long-term financial security of Matamata Swifts AFC.
• To have a fully functioning talent development programme for all club members.

Off the back of these longer term goals, we’ve been working to achieve three things in 2010. These are:
• Facilities: a) To know where Matamata AFC is going to be based. b) To have acceptable playing & training surfaces.
• Finances: $10,000 in reserve by January 1, 2011.
• Talent: a) A talent development plan signed-off and running. b) All positions filled.

To achieve these goals we have been operating under successive 90 Day Goals with associated action priorities. This is the type of strategic thinking and action that will help us focus and get the right things done.

The Future
Twelve months ago I succeeded Pete Challis as President of this club. I took this role on in the hope that I would be able to do less operational stuff and focus more on the strategic work that is so necessary to form a solid platform for the future success of our club. Things haven’t quite worked out as I would have liked as there has been so much to do and not enough people available to do it. Hopefully this will change over the next twelve months.

We have a recent history of stability in the role of Matamata Swifts AFC President and I offer my services in the hope this can continue into 2011. Please accept this not so brief report as a summary of the season just completed.


Dwayne Barlow
President, Matamata Swifts AFC