30.03.2020
Dear members, supporters, and friends,
So much has changed in the last 12 days.
When we agreed to suspend club activities on Wednesday 18th March, that was an extraordinary decision for the Executive Committee. Now, that decision seems a formality made an age ago, and we are all of us trying to get used to a new “normal” – one that may go on for some time – where social distancing and staying at home are our way of life.
I mentioned before that more than ever, we should be trying to embrace the MCC ethos of Mateship, Courage, and Commitment, and with stricter measures and increasing time apart this is even truer now than it was last week.
That goes for us as a Club just as much as for you as members, and so I wanted to let you know of a few actions we as an Exec have committed to in order to try and assist our members at this time:
- We continue to liaise with Hockey Victoria, whose priority remains offering grassroots and community hockey competitions this year. When the time comes, we will be ready to go. We remain absolutely committed to getting you all on the pitch as soon as we can.
- If you have already paid your MCC Hockey registration fee(s) and now face immediate and urgent financial hardship, we would like to help. If this is the case for you, please reach out to your relevant section Chair.
- If you have a business still operating and in need of promotion, please contact social@mcchockey.org.au with information, and we will aim to get this out to as many as we can. This will be free of standard promotional obligations.
- Your respective sub-section Chairs will be checking-in with leadership groups, parents, team managers, etc on a regular basis.
- Our Social Rep, Yan Adams, will also be reaching out to teams/squads over the coming days with the intention to spearhead a few remote social initiatives. Watch this space, or feel free to contact him yourself either through Facebook, whatsapp, or at social@mcchockey.org.au.
In a time of such uncertainty, where what we are and how we operate as a club is being challenged like never before, we must all look to support each other – that is what I would like MCC Hockey to stand for right now.
I have been heartened already to see and hear of excellent displays of Mateship within the club, with members staying connected with everything from work-out recommendations to simply checking in and asking “how are you going?”. There have been back-yard hockey drills from our junior coaches, a goggle-wearing round-the-house challenge courtesy of Director of Hockey Andrew Smith, and toilet paper keepy-uppies, to name just a few. That is all fantastic.
But I have no doubt there are still many of our members – especially those new to the club or those with limited involvement – struggling with the social isolation and lack of group time on the pitch we are all currently required to endure. They may be quiet about this; they may not have the support networks that those of us who are managing more comfortably are able to access.
And so first, I would ask you all now, for yourselves and your fellow Dees, to please: share more, talk more, connect more. Be more engaged than you have ever been, even if that is out of your comfort zone; ask your teammate you haven’t spoken to recently how they are – it may be more valuable than you realise.
Please take care of yourselves, your loved ones, and your communities. See you all soon.
Sincerely,
Craig Gration
Chair, Executive Committee
MCC Hockey Section