Taringa Rovers Soccer FC

TRSFC Presidents Report Season 2021 

I begin today by acknowledging the Turrbal People, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today and pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

It is my pleasure to deliver this president's report for the 2021 Season to the body of the club membership, patrons, and sponsors.

Introduction and Background

The tone of the season 2021 continued from 2020 under the cloud COVID 19 and its impact. TRSFC continued to be affected, as did many of the plans the committee held for the year. However, I can state that we coped well and managed to thrive despite the setbacks (the club's COVID outbreak and subsequent quarantine of members and community) that were thrown at us.

The club recognised the importance of continuity in the lives of its members and, in particular, its juniors, and this laid the foundation for providing an uninterrupted service during these difficult times. 

Like all other clubs in this state, the positive outcome is that we managed to deliver a full season, which is more than can be stated for NSW or VIC.

We now look to 2022 with the knowledge and confidence that the effects of the pandemic may now be behind the club. 

Membership 

Our membership number is at an all-time high, and we have grown in areas where we felt it most important, namely the women's side of the game and the juniors

Looking at what we have been trying to achieve, there is plenty of evidence to demonstrate that we have surpassed many of the aims for the year, and we can now look ahead, having put in some practical groundwork on all fronts of the club's development and stature in the community 

One thing we can be confident in is that while continuity was a challenge, there was lots of activity going on within the committee and governance of the club to merit several lists, and so to what we did in the year gone by

For clarity, I have broken down what's been happening at TRSFC into three major categories 

What's been happening off the pitch, our new football structure and hierarchy and what's been happening on the pitch.

To conclude, there is a category that represents a forward-looking list of priorities and issues facing the club and offers an idea of where the committee needs to spend its time and energy on Issues to be addressed /Threats to our future

Off the pitch 

• The Canteen Fix. The Canteen building was deemed unsafe by the Council in mid-season, and so we had to organise its repair for both the short term and long term. A grant was organised to pay half the fix, with BCC paying the other half, and this should allow us time to deliver what we are obliged to during the next season until something more permanent can be arranged.

• The Running of the Club Bar; The new committee saw the introduction of new processes to make the running of our club bar effective, efficient and of benefit to the membership. Repricing of some items and incurring value on the rental of the facility has ensured a more efficient outcome for the club.

• Solar Power. The potential for AC or fans; to make the place usable for events. After several seasons, we completed the installation of solar panels on the roof, which offers the club the chance to reduce/eliminate electricity bills and potentially assist in offsetting AC costs or for the club. This may help us gain further commercial advantages when renting out the club facilities as the room will be a far more usable space when the sun is shining.

• The Sprinkler System. The club now uses its own water, being pumped by our pumps using solar power. After a season-long period of a broken pump system, we managed to get the repair finished and our pumps, pumping the water collected in our tanks, reducing the cost of use of BCC water.

• The birth of a new dressing rooms project. Work and planning for the future continue by ordering a set of reports to allow the club to plan the best fix for the dressing rooms. The output helps us focus on the future capital asset-building program for the club, prioritising dressing rooms. 

• The pitch maintenance. The mid-season covid break was a help. Probably one of the only upside effects of COVID is that it gave out main pitches a mid-season rest. During this time, aeration, weeding, and general maintenance helped us to get the pitches usable and in great shape for the remainder of the season. They will now have an excellent chance of being optimal for 2022, which is great news considering the pitches had no break between seasons last year.

• The search for new pitches This has intensified and is ongoing against the backdrop of the threat of the new school affecting the availability of either Indooroopilly High School Fields or Jack Cook Park. As the club membership continues to grow year on year, the lack of field availability for training and games remains a concern for the club. The leasing of Jack Cook Park and the use of ISHS pitches remains ongoing to supplement Jack Speare Park.

• The fixing of the lights; New lights installed as part of fix on field 2. 

• The retaining wall installation at the pitch-side in front of the club (over Christmas Holidays) will be paid for in full by Brisbane City Council.

• BCC paid for the installation of bollards to stop hooning on pitches.

• Large install of security cameras around the club to counter goring anti-social behaviour and break-ins around the club during the daytime.

• The ongoing upkeep arrangement for the club facilities and pitches Contract grounds person (Des Canman) undertakes grass cutting and line marking with two attendances per week. These arrangements are to be workable, supplemented by paying Tiago / Owen for additional mowing of the pitches and other tasks as required.

• The offseason plans for pitch refurbishments are underway, already ensuring the fields will be ready to go for next season. Council will be paying for some of these costs as part of their annual club assistance program; however, the bulk of the field renovation costs remain a club expense.

• Leasing our playing surfaces and associated income to local high schools has meant increased revenue this year. Along with the shared use of facilities with other local schools, Taringa Rovers plays an active role in asset sharing within the local community. 

• Increased Sponsorship revenue and making sure our patrons and sponsors receive value for their investment, clear delineation between packages. 

• Online shop and rebate ($18k this year) extra revenue. Thanks to Cindy. 

• The clean-up of our media presence and further emphasis on social media and its ability to push pout message into the community, LinkedIn, FB, Instagram, and Twitter 

• Ongoing updates and message broadcasting of announcements and club occasions. 

New football structure and hierarchy 

• New TD (Marco Ahlrichs), new approach and philosophy, Building the base of accredited coaches, Talent ID, Pathway for players, and Aim for Gold Academy status within FQ.

• Progression towards equal provision for girls and boys, women, and men.

• Equitable provision of coaching resources club-wide (Those who don't directly benefit won’t pay).

• New Physio and strength and conditioning coaching available club wide 

• VEO 2 Technology ordered and waiting for delivery (December and ready for new season) 

• Club wide improvements in football philosophy and pathways for all players.

• New coaching structure 

1. Technical Director 
1. FQPL 2 men - B License Coach
2. FQPL 2 Women - B License Coach 
3. FQPL Development u13 - u18 - Qualified Paid Coaches
4. Girls Football Technical Director to oversee volunteer coaches for girls’ teams.
5. Technical Director for Metro (divisional) juniors, Miniroos and in-house to oversee volunteer coaches.  

• Community football and FQPL are catered fairly, and there is now a pathway to travel between them should a player wish. 

• A new policy to stop outside coaching from being employed by parents' groups will strengthen the club's football philosophy and ensure that the club controls the quality and football direction. 

On the pitch 

Capital 1 Women are double champions, with an undefeatable season, topped off with a grand final win.

Capital 1 reserves champions with an undefeated season but fell at the semi-final.

Great showing by FQPL 2 Men with a 2nd place finish and u23's finishing 3rd. Both fell in the semi-final.

Other notable teams' achievements:

• Taringa Rovers fielded all girls’ teams in u9 (no table), u11 (no table), u12 Div. 1 (4th), U14 Div. 1 (5th) u15 Div. (2nd)
  

• Taringa Rovers fielded Brisbane Youth Premier League teams in u12(3rd), u13(2nd), u14(6th) and u15 (8th) and an u16 Div. 1 team (1st).

• Our Junior Divisionals competed strongly, with standout performances from u13 Div. 2 (3rd), u13 Div. 4 (3rd), u14 Div. 2 (3rd).
  

• Our City Leagues battled consistently, with City 3 (2nd) and City 4 (3rd) making finals.

• Our Mini Roos and Squirts all played with energy, enthusiasm, and enjoyment all year.

• Our Masters fought off the years with our over 35 Div. 1 losing the semi-final on penalties and over 45 Div. 2 losing in the Grand Final.

Taringa Rovers Academy remains popular both in afternoon sessions and school holiday camps.

New Taringa Rovers, Girls Only Academy attracted over 50 participants to its first term.

Issues to be addressed /Threats to our future 

• Growth: We are currently at capacity with our field availability for training and games. The Women's World Cup in 2023 will result in a greater demand for girls and women's participation in football.  How do we grow? Do we grow? And if so, what part of the clubs playing body benefits and what declines; up for debate.
  

• Increasing Volunteer Base: Expectations on what a club delivers are growing from our federations and our members. To be affordable, there must be a balance between volunteers and paid positions. We need more help, so we ask members to step up to the committee even if it is a small role or jump on our new helper list. 

• Playing surfaces: we just don't have enough! Perennial issues but trying to address through liaising with Council and partnerships with schools / other clubs. In the meantime, we need to protect what we have by managing field use and pitch management.

• Greater Need to focus on our sponsors and their benefit to the club and how we serve them through promotions to provide value for money.

• The ongoing need to balance our books to make the club sustainable year on year. Focus on being able to provide a reasonable user-pays system, where those who benefit most contribute more. 

• Club infrastructure. Our club infrastructure is ageing and often in need of significant investment to maintain/replace and repair. We need to be better positioned to make the most out of election promises, funding grants and pressure groups.

Before I hand you over to the Treasurer for his report, I would like to take this opportunity to thank every one of our very hard-working committee for the stellar jobs that they have done this year. They have kept things going and helped us position the club to where we believe it is in a great position to thrive next year and beyond.

I would also like to thank the volunteers, parents, coaches, managers, and mentors who made it all possible. Without you, the show stops!

Several committee members will be stepping down this year, most of them after several years of service, and I would like to recognise and thank them in this report.

I would also like to thank the Club referees who have allowed us to continue to play and offered us an outstanding level of oversight right through the season. 

I would like to thank the ground people, operations, and bar staff for keeping this moving and ensuring this club is a better place for all of us 

I would also like to thank our current Patron, Julian Simmons MP, and our local State Member for Maiwar Michael Berkman and Cllr James Mackay, Cllr for Indooroopilly for all their support during the year in highlighting our issues and supporting us through the facilitation of grants and general guidance.

I would like to thank our generous sponsors. Without your contributions, we cannot operate as we have done all year long. 

I look forward to doing it again in 2022.

Brian McGlennon

President