Mail polo[at]shrewsburycanoeclub.org or let Al Black know if you would like to come along & play.

All competent paddlers welcome. If you haven’t played polo before, competent means you should be happy paddling forwards and backwards, doing sweep-stroke turns, and removing your spray-deck underwater. But we promise not to push you in if you can’t roll

Postcode SY4 2EZ or mail polo[at]shrewsburycanoeclub.org for more information.

Four teams of four paddlers will be playing four games each to try to reach the final to decide who is Shropshire’s best new team (& of course it’ll only cost £4 each).

Team Line-up

* Shrewsbury B-Team – A mixed ability group of newer players who are hoping to use this as a launch pad for their entry into the NW Regional league

* Shropshire Paddlesport – A youth B-team of more experienced players, though most have not yet played against another club

* Explorer Scouts – A return visit from members of the Bayston Hill scout group, although sadly missing their star player – Rob Howie – who scored half of Shrewsbury A-team’s goals in the last tournament!

* Llangollen (not strictly Shropshire, but we’ll make an exception) – A team of white-water paddlers new to polo, but captained by the very capable Dr.David Southern.

League Format
The games will be at 8 minute intervals which will allow for a full mini-league format where each team plays all of the others; the top two teams then play the bottom two; and the respective winners going through to a final to play for the newly-minted Shropshire Canoe Polo trophies:

Logistics

Shrewsbury’s Quarry Centre, Priory Road, SY1 1RU, is on a one-way street with Pay & Display parking both on the road & in the small 15-space car park (though tickets for the latter are refundable on reception). There are also free spaces in the Sixth Form College car park opposite.

Please arrive as soon after 7:15pm as possible, as there will be briefing for the teams at 7:30pm sharp in the upstairs cafe. After kitting up from 7:45pm we are on the water 8pm for a short warm-up and will then be playing back-to-back games through to a specially extended finish time of 9:15pm. Referees, timekeepers & pool-side support will be provided.

All SCC club members are welcome to come along to see what polo looks like & support the teams. Any more help with the pool setup & clear-down, so that we can make the pool’s desired closing time of 9:30pm, would be appreciated.

Any updates or further information will be provided via the SCC mailshot & any questions can be addressed to me, the SCC polo rep, via polo[at]shrewsburycanoeclub[dot]org

See you Monday,
Dylan

There will be the brief formalities of the AGM followed by a “show and tell” paddling pictures session.

In addition to the formalities of the AGM this is an ideal opportunity to meet the club committee and other members and find out more about what is happening in the club. Adults and Juniors are welcome to attend.

There will be slide shows and videos from trips the club has been on, if you would like to show anything please bring them along in electronic format on a CD or pen drive or send them to Tom Hyde so he can confirm running times. (chair@shrewsburycanoeclub.org )

Nibbles will be available but please bring your own drinks.

See You There,

Directions ***((( if you type SY3 7BJ into google maps it shows the point just opposite the gates to the car park for Shrewsbury United Reformed Church at St Nicholas Hall. It is the church and car park in the middle of the gyratory system by English bridge, parking is fine there, turn right through the double gates off the roundabout just opposite Manseres (antiques shop on left )))***

START TIME: If you require kit and/or coaching at the sessions please arrive at 6.30pm, when the container will be opened and kit issued. It has been agreed that the container will be closed at 6.45pm to ensure coaching groups can be formed and everyone will be ready to get onto the water together (something which is often hard work for our volunteer coaches, so we hope you can understand the need for tightening up on the times and issuing of kit).

FEES: Those without their own kit can hire full kit (Boat, Paddle, Spraydeck, Buoyancy Aid etc.) from the club for £4 for Club Sessions.

BORROWING KIT: If you borrow kit for use at other session such as the Wednesday night sessions at Llangollen then please ensure you are either using the kit the following Monday or return it so that others may. Kit hire is always in high demand on a Monday and those failing to allow its use on a Monday night will be charged the usual fee.

CLUB MEMBERSHIP: Everyone is is welcome  to come along for one taster session. After that everyone is required to become a member to attend further sessions and be covered by our insurance.

CHILDREN: We are often asked about minimum age – it is difficult to give an age, because it also depends on their size and the kit available, but the committee agreed that 10 years old would be used as a guide and please note:
A parent/guardian must be present (on the bank or river) throughout the session.

PERSONAL KIT: Each individual is responsible for turning up with appropriate personal kit including:

• Suitable footwear that provides protection and is secure
  - not flip flops! – or bare feet! – Shrewsbury Marine sell Beachwalker shoes
• Warm layers - multiple thin layers of wool or man-made fibre are best
  - not one thick woolly jumper!
• No denim or other cotton clothes – you’ll actually end up colder than without!
• Towel and change of clothes.

Depending on the weather

• Lightweight waterproof/windproof jacket.
• Hat (and sunglasses if you want to look cool)
• Sunscreen
• Sugary Snacks/Energy Bars
• Hot drink or stuff to make one in the pavilion

FACILITIES: We have the use of the Cricket Pavillion again this year which provides:

• Toilets (Regular & Disabled)
• Hot Showers
• Changing room (items left at your own risk during the session)
• Heating
• Small kitchen with Fridge and Water Boiler.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS/MEDICATION: Although you will have included any conditions or medication on your membership form please also ensure any new coach you are working is also aware as we do not always have to opportunity to pass on the information.

Also ensure that you have on your person any emergency medication needed (Inhalers, Epipens, GTN etc) and don’t just leave them in a bag on the bank as you may be some distance from Frankwell during the course of the evening.

COACHING: For those who would like to work towards particular skills and/or star tests, there will be a more structured group(s) and it will help you and the coaches and other group members if you are able to commit to turning up each week, or let your coach know if you can’t.

This year we intend to run it a bit differently instead of the free for all , we intend to have three separate groups
1 Star group – Beginners that want to learn basic skills
2 Star group – If you have some paddling experience and want to develop your skills
3rd group will be for people that want nothing more than to play and splash about and are only there to learn “how do I splash my mate better” – so are ideal candidates for SCC’s Canoe Polo team.

COACHES: All sessions rely on the presence of volunteer coaches and helpers. Tom is drawing up a rota – please contact him through the Mailshot with your availability if you would be willing to help with any duties, including dry ones on the bank!  Each week there will be one nominated Coach-in-charge who will be responsible for making decisions
regarding river conditions & suitability of kit, and whether a person should get on the water.

* Saturday 17 March – Div3 South West/Central – final tournament of 2011-2012

* Monday 19 March – Restricted Session – Bayston Hill Explorer Scouts are coming down for a taster session. Three of them are already doing polo with us for their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze/Silver awards – so the rest wanted to come along and see what it’s all about.

* Monday 26 March – Restricted Session – Shropshire Paddlesports are coming down with their new crop of youth polo players. They’ll be able to provide their own team captains so there will be a couple/three spaces for any other novice or intermediate paddlers.

* Monday 2 April – Extra open session booked for anyone who wants to try polo. Llangollen are going to bring 5/6 paddlers down to see what’s what, so we could run an inter-club beginners mini-tournament if SPS & the Scouts want to play against an SCC new-comers team .

* Weekday evenings from the end of April – We are negotiating for a second season of outdoor sessions at PGL Baschurch. These are *likely* to be fortnightly on Wednesday’s running from ~6:15pm for about 2 hours (depending on daylight). Please let polo[at]shrewsburycanoeclub.org know if you’re interested, more information will be provided nearer the time.

* Monday evenings from start of May – The Frankwell general canoe & kayaks sessions will be resuming (see main page for dates). We may run taster sessions for people interested in polo if people send requests to the polo address above.

– by Dylan Tomlinson

With our regular squad of 8 reduced to 2 fit players (& myself) Shrewsbury looked to their youth group to bolster numbers. With a special dispensation from the Leagues Organiser to extend the squad, we managed to field a full team of 5 players and a substitute. This may have been because were going to finish either 2nd or 3rd from bottom and it wasn’t going to affect anything much, especially as they are expanding next years league by not relegating anyone this year.

That three of the team were under 17 & had never paddled in any of the national leagues before was to be decisive … in that they were our only goal scorers of the evening…in their first match on the water!

Though we were robbed of a 2-2 draw against middle-ranked Bridgend by them scoring a third goal shortly before full time:

From there it went further against us with a 2-0 defeat by bottom-placed Cherwell-B. The team felt this was a fair result as we lacked attacking strength due to this seasons top four scorers being ill, injured, or absent. Hence the very-fresh-faced line-up:

After an hour & half’s break, it was obvious the rest didn’t do us any good as we went 7-0 down to a strong Cardiff side. Then it got serious…

In the final game of the final tournament of the season, Blackwater A, looking to take top place on goal difference from Cardiff’s recently enhanced score-line, played a full 5-out attack against a tiring Shrewsbury side. Despite multiple heroic saves, and several desperate breaks at an unguarded opposition’s goal, the brave Salopians went down 9-0. We only avoided a double-digit defeat by the final whistle going between the ball been thrown and actually landing in our net…again. So Blackwater won the game, finished top of the league, & avoided the play-offs by gaining certain promotion to Div 2 – which at least means we won’t have to play them next year.

Looking even further to the bright side, three new players gained valuable league experience and I got my Grade 3 referee qualification re-confirmed. Although everyone was completely cream-crackered, there were no injuries & everyone throughly enjoyed themselves – especially the two new players who, as they put it, each scored 50% of our goals – well done!

Trip Report

The trip went very well  with all who went enjoying themselves and wanting to come again next year. Shame that the water levels were at the lowest level that I have ever seen (for those who know it was around a foot below the slab at Newbridge) so it was very scrapey especially the upper (no one fancied it on the Sunday).

We ran the Loop a couple of times and then continued down to Buckfastleigh leaving a large amount of plastic on the Weir there , which was more like a cheese grater than a weir.

Video

Chappers’ Pictures

New players get their first session free and then the cost is £6 thereafter. Be there from 7:30pm if you’d like a briefing on the rules.

All competent paddlers are welcome. If you haven’t played polo before, competent means you should be happy paddling forwards and backwards, doing sweep-stroke turns, and removing your spray-deck underwater. We are again splitting the session into polo paddling & playing skills, followed by back-to-back 3 or 4-a-side games.

If you can’t yet roll we won’t push you in until we’ve taught you how!