This year I would like to say something different. The Area committee has always tried to find ways to keep Judo young and vibrant. I also see this as being the want of many coaches and officials in the Area. Now that we have younger people on the committee, communication has become more readily available and open via the Internet, iPhones, Twitter and Facebook etc. Within the Area we have one of the best referees (and refereeing educators) in the country who is always trying to encourage young people to take up refereeing. We have one of the best competition control teams in the country also trying to encourage younger people and parents to take part.

    Unfortunately, taking up these rolls does now cost more money than it did previously, especially when you look at the current coach education system. The Area committee has tried to offset some of these costs by running free first aid courses and trying to get funding through the Governing Body. Seth Birch has been extremely successful in keeping Goole approved for the revalidation of coaches, reducing the extra time and travel, which may otherwise be encountered. With the help of local coaches he has managed to keep a certain amount of top-level judo training within the Area, reducing the travel that player would otherwise encounter.

Being an official i.e. a coach, referee, Examiner or competition official does bring its own rewards. Often it is in a different way to that expected when they first start.

    Businesses use benchmarks and targets with charts showing who has met them and who has not, awarding without any consideration for extenuating circumstances. In competitions medals are given out. These systems result in total focus on the awards to the detriment of other intrinsic benefits. Someone said, 'Do not always praise the best!'.

      Recently, I was given informed about someone I coached years ago. Who, by the way, had loads of natural talent and as a result did quite well. Family and external influences meant he had to consider Rugby Union as his first sport. He eventually went to play Rugby Union.

I was informed that he is now a coach at a successful R.U. club.

Wouldn’t it be nice if it were as a result of something he’d seen in my coaching? What I am trying to show is that being an official at any level within the Area can give its own rewards.

    For those that have been active this year in keeping the Area successful, I would like to extend my thanks. They should congratulate themselves on a job well done and I hope they will continue with their valuable contribution next year.

   Up to now I have discussed officials, but really, we are here to grow the practise of Judo skills. For this reason, I would like to congratulate all players who have taken part in club judo, squad sessions and competitions at Club, Area, National and International levels and on their continuing improvement. They are what Judo is all about. 

YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE CHAIRMAN. 

COLIN CLEAVIN