JERSEY PETANQUE ASSOCIATION
www.thejpa.org.je Sponsored
by Magic Touch
To all JPA affiliated clubs and independent members of the Association
The Jersey Pétanque Association’s Coaches & Umpires committee has recently met and has concluded that if
Jersey is to continue to send players to Europe and to compete in the Home Nations we must do more to
develop those players who aspire to that level of play.
With the continuing economic problems besetting the Island and the U.K. we must, as an Association, do more
to get value for our hard earned money. Sending teams to Europe is a fine ideal and to be seen to compete or
have a presence is all very well but we should have greater ambition. We should be looking now to win or at
least give a good account of ourselves. To this end the Association needs to identify those with aspirations to
play in all levels of European competition - Male, Female and Youth; these players should then be formed into
an Island squad and teams to represent the Island only be chosen from that squad.
To give these players the best chance of success, coaching and development programmes will be agreed with
each individual and regular goals and attainments set (and achieved).
To encourage teamwork, professionalism and positive attitudes to the game, regular coaching and training
sessions will be established at which all players should make every effort to attend. Coaches will be brought
over from the UK to help structure training but we have people in the Island who can provide such training at
no cost.
It is important that players have a commitment to the game and to the Association who are, after all,
contributing to their financial support and offering them the chance to represent their Island. They must
contribute by their commitment.
Without a positive change in our approach we will only continue to send poorly prepared and ill supported
players to compete in major competitions and they will continue to fail to impress. Jersey players deserve
better.
However, the Association realises that probably a majority of its membership does not wish to compete at a
high level and is content to play locally, in one or more of the leagues and/or Club and Association
competitions or even just on a social or “friendly” basis. These members are just as important to the
Association as those who would wish to play at a higher level and their continued involvement with and
support of, the Association is vital for the JPA’s future. The Association is committed to and will continue to
ensure that for all players, local and UK coaches will be available if players wish. (There may however, be a
charge made for coaching by UK coaches.)
Regards,
Derek Hart
Chairman, Jersey Pétanque Association – January 2017
The first stage in this process will be the formation of an “Island Squad”, from which any member wishing to
play competitively outside the Island will be chosen. For 2017, the competitions for which teams will be
chosen from the squad will be:
1. The Inter-Insular against Guernsey, in Guernsey, date to be arranged. As members may know, it has proved
difficult to find a date when a team can travel to Guernsey without an overnight stay at a reasonable price. The
Jersey Sports Council are still working with Condor to try to set some dates in 2017 for day trips and we await
news of their progress. It is unlikely that the JPA will provide any subsidy toward travel or accommodation
costs. Format is Doubles, teams can be mixed.
2. The Home Nations, to be held at Mill Rythe Holiday Village on Hayling Island. Details so far are:
Friday 11th August – Monday 14th August 2017, 4 days @ £185 per person, including 3 Night Dinner Bed &
Breakfast. Coach transfers will be laid on from Southampton for Jersey competitors (a shuttle will run
throughout the day). As part of this arrangement, all participants must stay on site. It is unlikely that the JPA
will provide any subsidy toward travel or accommodation costs. Format is Triples, teams can be mixed.
3. The Tournoi, to be held in 2017 in Valognes, Normandy over the weekend of 23/24 September. Teams can
be doubles or triples, mixed and the format tends to be informal.
4. The European Men’s Triples to be held in St Pierre Les Elbeuf, France from the 21st to 24th September. A
subsidy will be given by the JPA but the level of such payment is to be determined.
5. The European Veterans - no date or venue set yet and if no Federation comes forward to host, the event will
be cancelled. Teams can be mixed but must be 55 or over in 2017.
Players who wish to sign up for the Island Squad and play in one or more of these events should register their
interest on the form below and return it to the Secretary by the 18th February 2017 at the latest, either by
email to [email protected] or by post to: 9 Le Pre Cadoret, La Rue de Haut, St Lawrence JE3 1JQ
Name____________________________________________________________________
Address____________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Email____________________________________________________________________
Phone No._______________________________________________________________
I wish to be considered for the Inter-Insular (Doubles)
I wish to be considered for the Home Nations (Triples)
I wish to be considered for the Tournoi
I wish to be considered for the European Men’s Triples
I wish to be considered for the European Veterans Triples
Date
TBA
11-14AUG17
23-24SEP17
21-24SEP17
TBA
Please Tick