hi all,

i am still working on the individual policy. but I decided to start with
this one, since it is easier. You can read my previous message at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/upc-international/message/15

from that, you will know that I think we should encourage the winning clubs
from the tour to send teams to world clubs (note that this only applies once
every four years; there is a wucc this year. the next is in 2006). the
rationale to me is that doing this will boost the level of domestic ultimate
considerably more than if the teams are handpicked players from around the
country.

competition for places on a world's team boosts people's training efforts
off the field and achievement on the field directly. this is the same as the
effect from picking a 'national' team.

awarding the places to clubs adds some things. it encourages clubs to
invest in finding promising new players, and developing both experienced and
new players, so as to share in the prize of a world clubs spot. teams will
be more cohesive, better organised, and have more continuity. the
competition between clubs (rather than between players) encourages
high-skilled players to make an additional effort to keep their fellow team
members in line; not only is it enough that they play their best to get
selected - they also need to be in a club with other high-quality players.

i also believe that club development is the single best way to continue to
expand NZ ulti. and awarding the WUCC spots to the clubs that win the tour
is a natural way to extend upon it.

some details:

which tour?
----------------
the wucc is only every 4 years. we won't get to test this policy for a
while. but far sighted clubs will start thinking about it for the next
summer season (i.e., 2002/03). we need to figure out timing. my
understanding is that preliminary rosters need to be sent to wucc 4 months
before the wucc, with final rosters due just a couple of weeks out. if this
is so, then the results of the tour ending march 2006 will be the ones that
matter (there is just four months between the end of our tour and early
august when wucc usually is). there may be an issue around team names (since
we might have to advise these sooner than four months out). it is not the
winners of the last event that count, but the winners of the tour overall.

how many places?
-------------------------
this depends on how many we get offered by the organising committee and
wfdf. last time we got offered 1 open and 1 womens space. this time 2 mixed,
1 open, 1 womens and 1 masters.

which divisions?
-----------------------
our tour is mixed ultimate. so this system only determines which clubs can
send teams to the mixed division. if we change to mens and womens (or
develop a masters tour), then we can use this system to determine those
places as well.

which players?
--------------------
there is a high likelihood that not everyone on the club team that wins the
tour in 2005 or 2006 will be able to go to world clubs 2006.

for wucc 2002 there is a minimum of 12 on the final roster. teams that can
not field 10 players at the beginning of any game risk disqualification. 51%
of the players must be regular players on the team. with the rest being not
closer geographically to any other team than the team they are going to play
for. players can not have played for any other team at wucc in the four
months before the tourney. players also have to be members of the nzfda or
some other wfdf affiliated body. we can expect similar rules for wucc 2006.

from this, if the club cannot field enough players (at least 12), it will
have to use some selection process to decide who to take from the rest of
the country. our strong preference would be that they use some criteria very
similar to our criteria for individual selection.

for wucc 2002 (and presumably future wuccs), the nzfda (read nzupc) has to
approve the final player rosters. this gives the nzupc the power to insist
on particular methods of selection, or even particular players. we should be
cautious with this power though. we are not as well placed as the clubs to
determine who is best to represent them. and pressure from other players
within the club (particularly as numbers grow) should ensure that clubs do
not just pick their friends if they manage to qualify for a spot at wucc and
can not field 12 players.

the best way to run this might be a little regulatory threat; i.e., say in
the rules that clubs should take into account the individual selection
criteria when making their picks for spare spots. and that they will need to
explain their selection criteria to the upc before the team roster can be
finalised.

if there is no tour
-------------------------
(seems unlikely, but you never know) - selection is as for the individual
selection policy for all other international teams.

thoughts? things i have not covered? things you hate? things you mildly
disagree with? things that are not clear? things that you wholeheartedly
support? there are 20 of us, after all.


h