Junior Selection Policy

[Michael Flatt]

I note that an updated Junior Selection Policy (endorsed by the ECF Board on 30th Nov 2014) is available on the ECF website: http://englishchess.org.uk/Juniors/play ... on-policy/

Apparently, parents of Juniors wishing to represent England in certain International competitions are now required to submit an expression of interest form.

The following sentence, appearing under eligibility conditions, caught my eye:

"5) Players and parents are essential to the smooth operation and outcomes of delegations sent to international chess events, and must have demonstrated a positive and harmonious commitment to ECF policies and activities to the satisfaction of the Director of Junior Chess and Education."

Does this mean that anyone in dispute with the ECF or Director of Junior Chess will automatically be excluded?

[Roger de Coverly]

Does this mean that anyone in dispute with the ECF or Director of Junior Chess will automatically be excluded?

That would seem to be the intention.

On another note, I thought there was a policy decision relatively recently that the U-16 "olympiad" was to be treated as a priority competition. This is now taking place in Hungary with Scottish and Irish participation but no English team. Admittedly it clashes with the London Chess Classic, so it's a pragmatic decision not to attempt to put a team together.

http://www.chess-results.com/tnr153962.aspx?lan=0

The junior selection paper is an outcome of an ECF director's meeting. No doubt they have made other decisions since October. Would it not be an idea to share these with interested parties?

[Michael Flatt]

It is the phrase "positive and harmonious commitment" which concerns me.

I have come across a similar device in the meetings of a registered charity that is run entirely by volunteers when the then chairman used this form of justification to exclude another committee member purely for expressing views contrary to his own. It is not a healthy state of affairs where contrary views are censured and remain unacknowledged and undebated.

Also, is the Director of Junior Chess and Education in a position to influence Junior Policies or is she merely appointed to carry out the Policy determined by the ECF Board?

Have there been any opportunities for parents and other interested parties to contribute to the debate on Junior Policy?

[Roger de Coverly]

Also, is the Director of Junior Chess and Education in a position to influence Junior Policies or is she merely appointed to carry out the Policy determined by the ECF Board?

It's an elected position and this year was a contested election. The election addresses will still be on the ECF website. Over the years, incumbents have varied as to whether to intended to maintain existing policies or introduce new ones. Phil Ehr, when he stood, introduced the broad current policy.

Have there been any opportunities for parents and other interested parties to contribute to the debate on Junior Policy?

There was a lot of shouting a few years ago about abandoning the previous policy of one entrant per age group. More recently there has been relative quiet. There is an official ECF Forum, not that anyone uses it.

There was a threat of legal action that's something to do with Junior Selection, so there's at least one family unhappy with current policy.

[Coral Bennett]

It is not a healthy state of affairs where contrary views are censured and remain unacknowledged and undebated.

It is not unheard of for a chess federation / union to introduce new rules (sometimes retrospectively) in order to exclude a specific family who disagree with the actions of officers.
This is not healthy - or moral.
In the wrong hands (and I have no reason to believe this to be the case in the ECF) this sort of power is certainly open to abuse!

[Kevin Thurlow]

"5) Players and parents are essential to the smooth operation and outcomes of delegations sent to international chess events, and must have demonstrated a positive and harmonious commitment to ECF policies and activities to the satisfaction of the Director of Junior Chess and Education."

That always has applied - at least it has now been stated openly.

[Michael Flatt]

There is a similarly strongly worded item under Code of Conduct.

Code of Conduct. Participation in any event is subject to the player, parent and any other accompanying person agreeing to the applicable ECF code of conduct for international junior events, which covers teamwork and other behavioural requirements. The Junior Director may withdraw a player’s tournament registration at any time and decline to invite players or parents to future championships whom the Head of Delegation reports for behaviour detrimental to good teamwork or other material breaches.

Given that such strong sanctions can be imposed against parents and players, shouldn't there be some mention of a Dispute Resolution Process and Appeals Procedure?

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Given that such strong sanctions can be imposed against parents and players, shouldn't there be some mention of a Dispute Resolution Process and Appeals Procedure?"

Yes!

[Peter D Williams]

There is a similarly strongly worded item under Code of Conduct.

Code of Conduct. Participation in any event is subject to the player, parent and any other accompanying person agreeing to the applicable ECF code of conduct for international junior events, which covers teamwork and other behavioural requirements. The Junior Director may withdraw a player’s tournament registration at any time and decline to invite players or parents to future championships whom the Head of Delegation reports for behaviour detrimental to good teamwork or other material breaches.

Given that such strong sanctions can be imposed against parents and players, shouldn't there be some mention of a Dispute Resolution Process and Appeals Procedure?

This is an attempt to stop parents/child asking questions about various decisions the new Junior chess director will make.Thank goodness Peter does not play chess any more as I would be banned at once

Enjoyed my two days in Cambridge yesterday with Peter/Carol its a wonderful city.

[Roger de Coverly]

This is an attempt to stop parents/child asking questions about various decisions the new Junior chess director will make.

That might be behind it, but there's also a risk not present a few years ago. The manager of a squad at an International event used only to have concerns as to whether the players got on. Now they have to worry about the parents as well.

[Paul Sanders]

An alternative to this rather authoritarian approach might be just to sign the entry forms to FIDE tournaments for qualified juniors, and let the parents organise the transport and coaching independently. As the ECF does not subsidise representative players it seems less than justifiable to set conditions and controls around participation beyond the qualification criteria.