Firstly I would like to say a big thank you to those individual people and also clubs who have been so supportive and encouraging. It has certainly made a difference during a difficult year.

I knew a year ago that I could reasonably expect to be in a no win situation from time to time, but underestimated quite how often that might occur.

Something I would ask players to think about is what they have got to offer and what are they prepared to do to improve their skills.  I believe it is up to the individual to put in the training after deciding what level of commitment they are prepared to make.

I would also suggest that rather than throwing the possibility of selection away after not being selected for one event, a reality check could be in order to determine when one might expect to have reached a level where selection for a team may be possible.

I know we live in a ‘now’ society where people have an attitude of ‘I want it and I want it now’, so possibly the concept of working towards selection may be difficult for those used to instant gratification.

This is, however, a more realistic pathway towards selection.  Set some goals or targets, put in the training, start getting some decent results, by which I mean consistently being a top player in your region, winning regional events and finishing in at least the top eight in National tournaments.

At that level there could then be the possibility of selection into an entry level tournament.

The makeup of a team will depend upon the number and calibre of available players.  There has been some mention made of the selectors recommending who should play with whom.  Equally, there are players who would not wish to see this happen.  The geographical distribution of players makes it unrealistic.  I also know that what looks good on paper or in theory, often does not work out in practice.

In my experience, if a player has difficulty finding a partner or partners, maybe they should take a look at themselves and ask why that might be.  Skilled team players have no difficulty in this area and are usually in demand.

Maybe a good place to start would be to look at what you have to offer Petanque in New Zealand, rather than what you think Petanque New Zealand should be doing for you.

As Mike Walsh, the coach of the White Sox team stated recently after what was described as a fruitless trip to the World Championships in Beijing  “the onus is on the players to improve their skills”.  Walsh said there was a lot of work to be done to raise standards.  “We just don’t have the depth’.  He also added that the players needed to consider their positions regarding the amount of work they were prepared to put in, the level of commitment and the sacrifice they were prepared to make to reach a higher standard,  much the same as my thoughts regarding Petanque players.

There have been some rumblings of hidden agendas and cover ups in recent months, so I am saying to you all, that now, after a year in this position and perhaps trying too hard not to upset people’s feelings, I will be a lot more upfront about selection and individual selection prospects.

I have taken on board some of the comments in the Selection Policy review and will endeavour to implement some changes to the way I communicate with players.

At this point I would like to thank the only person, Myles Cowper, to approach me directly to ask for an explanation of the Singapore selection, something I was happy to provide.

In spite of the many and varied situations, and the highs and lows that occurred during the year, I am looking forward to the challenges in 2007.

I must make special mention of Jan McHardy for her beautiful and thoughtfully written cards, especially the ones for the World Champship team. The encouragement and practical advice from Graeme Morris, leading up to the World Championships, was invaluable.

Finally, I would ask that Petanque New Zealand gave some thought to exactly what they want to achieve by sending teams overseas and where their focus lies.  I feel there needs to be clear direction coupled with strong support for the selectors from the PNZ.

Liz Rocks

Convenor of Selectors

1 December 2006