Selection Criteria

Winter Training Squads

This selection policy applies to the selection of Middlesex Golf Squads. Performance Squads will benefit from away days during the winter and other experiences that the County will provide. These away days should occur about twice during the winter, depending on the coaching budget. The Academy Squads will receive group coaching about three times during the winter season from the County, depending on budget.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish a clear, transparent and accountable system of selection for all Middlesex Golf Squads, to ensure so far as possible that criteria is objective and fully understood by players, parents/guardians, coaches, team managers and all interested parties.

The policy also aims to:

Set out the conditions of selection
Identify the objectives of the Middlesex Golf Teams & Coaching Committee
Identify the selection process, criteria and key timescales for selection for Middlesex Golf Squads
Identify the appeals process should an individual(s) believe this policy has not been implemented

Conditions of Selection

For players to be selected on a Middlesex Golf Squad (Academy or Performance) they must meet the following conditions:

be eligible to play golf for Middlesex
be a home member of an affiliated club of Middlesex
not be subject to any disciplinary process or sanction by Middlesex Golf
Signed the Middlesex Golf Code of Conduct prior to the first coaching session

Availability

Upon selection to a Squad, the player must confirm their availability for all Squad Sessions.

Middlesex Golf Teams & Coaching Committee Objectives

The objectives of the Middlesex Golf Teams & Coaching Committee are to:

Select Middlesex Golf Squads at all levels using the criteria set out
Middlesex Golf Teams & Coaching committee pledge that whatever your reason for playing the game, we will foster that passion and encourage you to play and love the game in your own unique way. If you aspire to be one of the greatest that has ever played the game, we want to facilitate your path to the top. If playing County golf is your goal, we want to help you taste success along the way. Regardless of what your goals in the game are, we want every golfer that has been selected by the County to be able to say that they have learned lessons that are not only applicable to golf, but also to life.

To ensure that future playing potential as well as current achievement remains a key factor in the selection process of Middlesex Golf Squads.
Ensure players that are unsuccessful in Squad or team selection are provided with feedback by Middlesex Golf

Overall Selection for Middlesex Golf Squads

Overall, selections will be made based on three primary areas. The Middlesex Golf Teams & Coaching Committee will require players to achieve strong ratings in at least two of the following criteria to be considered for selection:

Tournament Results outside of the player’s home club
Coaching Report from Middlesex County Coaches
Manager’s report
Handicap Index

Additionally, a players’ selection to a Squad will also be dependent on whether they possess the below characteristics to varying degrees:

Commitment
Ownership
Time-Management
Resilience
Physical Fitness
Mental Strength
Technical Skills

Those players selected for Squads may enter be selected at any time and do not need to have been on an Academy Squad before progressing to a Performance Squad.

Middlesex Golf Championships

It is acknowledged that Academy Squad player selection will have a greater emphasis on Talent ID structures but for the Performance Squad, strong weighting will be placed on performances in Championships, therefore players wishing to be considered for selection are expected to compete in Middlesex Golf Championships throughout the season.

Performance Squads

Performance squads include:

Girls’ U18’s Performance Team
Boys’ U18’s Performance Team A
Boys’ U18’s Performance Team B
Women’s Performance Team
Men’s 1^st & Colts’ Performance Team
Men’s Senior Performance Team
Women’s Senior League Performance Team

As part of the decision-making process the Teams & Coaching Committee will also consider a players’ tournament statistics outside of England.

Overall Aim

To improve upon the already considerable abilities of the high-performance players and assist them towards excelling in national amateur golf while representing Middlesex.

Overall Objectives

Create an environment which exposes players to experiences, conditions, surroundings, and ideas that they are not exposed to at club level
Supports players to focus on the controllables as they strive to achieve excellence
Supply players with access to a highly responsive coaching system, delivered by experienced and professional coaching staff, with an excellent track record of success and innovation
Design training plans that meet the individual needs of the player and complementary competition schedules

Girls U18 Criteria for consideration:

Home Club in Middlesex
WAGR Ranking
Performances in National Championships (i.e. English Girls closed, English Girls Open, etc.)
County performances (U26, U18, U16, U14 Championships, etc.)
Club Open performances (Muswell Hill Junior Open, etc.)
Typically, Handicap Index of 13.4 or better

Boys U18 Criteria for consideration:

Team A

Home Club in Middlesex
WAGR Ranking
National performances (Boys Amateur Championship, etc.)
County performances (U26, U18, U16, U14 Championships, etc.)
Club Open performances (Muswell Hill Junior Open, etc.)
Typically, Handicap Index of 7.0 or better

Team B

Home Club in Middlesex
County performances (U26, U18, U16, U14 Championships, etc.)
Club Open performances (Muswell Hill Junior Open, etc.)
Typically, Handicap Index of 9.4 or better

Women's Team Criteria for consideration:

Home Club in Middlesex
WAGR Ranking
National performances (English Women’s amateur Championship, etc.)
County performances (Women’s County Championship, etc)
Typically, Handicap Index of 12.4 or better

Men's Team Criteria for consideration:

Home Club in Middlesex
WAGR Ranking
National performances (English Amateur Championship, etc.)
County performances (Men’s County Championship, etc)
Club Open performances (Sudbury Salver, etc.)
Typically, Handicap Index of 2.4 or better

Men's Senior Team Criteria for consideration:

Home Club in Middlesex
National performances (English Amateur Championship, etc.)
County performances (Senior County Championship, etc)
Club Open performances (Sudbury Salver, etc.)
Typically, Handicap Index of 5.4 or better

Women's Senior Team Criteria for consideration:

Home Club in Middlesex
National performances (English Senior Women’s Open, etc)
County performances (Senior County Championship)
Typically, Handicap Index of 9.4 or better

Academy Squads

Academy squads include:

Girls’ U18’s Academy Team
Boys’ U18’s Academy Team
Women’s Academy Team
Men’s Senior Academy Team
Women’s Senior Friendlies Academy Team

Aim

To bring skilful players together in a social and creative environment where they can thrive and further develop their talents.

Objectives

To create an environment where players can socialise and develop their skills with players of similar standards
Coaching sessions with a nominated PGA professional to develop short game skills, on course skills and technique
To continue to advance players’ skill development and independent learning
To prepare players for the playing season in 2021
To increase players’ awareness on playing opportunities available to them at Regional & National events

Girls U18 - Academy Squad

Domestic performances (U18, U16 & U14 Championships)
Typically, Handicap Index of 21.4 or better

Boys U18 - Academy Squad

County performances (U18, U16 & U14 Championships)
Typically, Handicap Index of 12.4 or better

Women’s Team - Academy Squad

Domestic performances (Middlesex Championships)
Typically, Handicap Index of 15.4 or better

Women’s Senior Friendlies Team - Academy Squad

Domestic performances (Middlesex Championships)

Men’s Senior Team - Academy Squad

Domestic performances (Middlesex Championships)
Typically, Handicap Index of 6.4 or better

Selection Date, Notification & Announcement

The selection of County Performance and Academy Development Squads for the 2020/21 coaching season will be announced and published by the end of 2020.

Transition

A player may be moved onto or off a squad during a season and may also move up and down the pathway between Academy and Performance Squads. These decisions will be based on but not limited to; personal development/progress across all levels of support (golfing coaching, strength & conditioning, mental skills and lifestyle management), levels of commitment to coaching sessions and designated tournaments listed by Middlesex Golf coaches, attendance and behaviour of players and performances in tournaments.

Appeals Process

If an individual believes that this policy has not been implemented correctly during the selection of a Squad, the individual concerned has the right to appeal against any such decision.

An appeal must be submitted in writing by the player (or parent) making the appeal which should contain details of the decision against which the appeal is being lodged and the full grounds of grievance (Notice of Appeal). The appeal must be addressed to the Director of Teams & Coaching, Middlesex Golf Ltd, Sudbury Golf Club, Bridgewater Road, Wembley, HA0 1AL and submitted within 5 working days following announcement of the Squad for which the appeal is being made.

Middlesex Golf will then endeavour to have any appeal heard within 10 working days of receipt of said appeal. The Middlesex Golf Director of Teams and Coaching will first determine whether there are legitimate grounds for appeal. These grounds may include but are not necessarily limited to;

The decision taken was explicitly unreasonable based on the evidence before the Teams & Coaching Committee
Significant, relevant new evidence has become available which was not available to the Teams & Coaching Committee but which could have been available at the time of the decision, and, had it been available, may have caused the Teams & Coaching Committee to reach a fundamentally different decision
There were serious procedural or other irregularity in the selection proceedings

Should there be legitimate grounds for an appeal, an Appeal Committee will then be formed to manage the appeal. For Academy or Performance Squad Appeals, this Committee will be comprised of:

Director of Teams and Coaching
Team Manager
County Coach

No member of an Appeals Committee shall have been involved directly in the selection decision being appealed.

This Appeals Committee will then follow an appeals process and it will decide whether to reject the appeal, or fully uphold the appeal, which will then be immediately communicated to the Appellant. It will also specify what action should then take place.