In the AGM notice ​sent out on the 27th July it was announced that the Board was looking at appointing a seconded person to assist NZAFF with the growth of women’s participation in American Football.

The AGM notice can be found here.

The Board would like to see this seconded role help make a positive impact for Women's American Football this season, so would like to get started as soon as possible.

Given that the formal process outlined, which we use for appointing full Board Members, would take us past the start of the season the Board has reconsidered the appointment process and will accept any applications for consideration immediately. 

The aim is to make a decision on the appointment in the next few weeks so that we can start building initiatives as the season gets under way.  The person appointed would not be required to attend all board meetings but to attend as needed and to work with the GM on any specific Women's Football related initiatives for delivery, as well as give broader feedback and insights to the Board as appropriate. This will cover driving the contact version of the game, as well as non-contact Flag Football and related activities such as "NFL style" combines.

No formal Board or Governance experience is required, but experience in Sports Management of any kind (in particular Women's Sport) would be very beneficial. It is an unpaid role and should not require more than a few hours a month, but we are looking for someone committed and passionate about making a difference to Women's involvement in American Football. The initial term would be for involvement through to the end of the 2020/21 American Football season, but with the potential to extend this into future seasons.
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Anyone interested should contact Russell McConnochie (NZAFF GM) to discuss the position and why they would be good in the role.  We would also require a brief CV in writing to present to the Board to assist with the appointment decision. 

2020 sees the relaunch of the NZAFF Coach Development Program.

As mentioned in the announcement of the 2020 Club Grant Program we will be continuing to encourage Coaches to gain a base level of qualification through the on-line USA Football courses.  Clubs can qualify for a grant for each Team playing in competition where the Coach has passed their coaching qualification and has lodged the certificate with NZAFF through the Update Form.

We will not be requiring Coaches to create a video to qualify for level 1 CDP because we believe the initial focus should be on player safety and basics around coaching safe contact football.

Coaches who are keen to continue to develop can use the courses available on the USA Football site to continue their learning.

The courses that contact and Flag coaches need to pass as part of the Club Grant Program are:
•             Flag - Youth Certification for Non-Contact Coaches.
•             Contact - Heads Up Football High School Coach.
Optional courses are:
•             Recommended for parents and others - Youth Football Parents 101 which is free.

Concussion Courses
There are modules within the Coaching courses that cover concussion.  If clubs have members or parents that want to know more about concussion, then the CDC concussion course is free.  The information is in the NZAFF Concussion Course Information document.

​Details and links to information can be found on the Coach Development page of the NZAFF web site (here).

The Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand American Football Federation will be held on:
Date:    Sunday, 4th October, 2020 
Time:    12.00 pm
Venue:  Via Zoom Video conference.
 
All members are invited to the AGM.
Only Delegates representing fully affiliated clubs and who are Members registered with NZAFF may speak or vote at the AGM. 
 
In accordance with the New Zealand American Football Federation Constitution we are calling for Nominations and submissions for:

1. Board Members Applications are invited for the two positions available.  One for an elected position and one for an appointed position. 

• Elected Position – Brendan McGurk is retiring by rotation and will not be standing for re-election.
• Appointed Position – Andrew Fraser is retiring by rotation and is standing for re-appointment.  

 
Both positions will be advertised.
The roles require a corporate governance focus, with responsibility for monitoring the strategic direction and management policies of the organisation while taking into account the interests of relevant stakeholders.
The Board Selection Panel will review the applications for the appointed position available on the Board (timetable below).
The applications for elected members will be forwarded to the eligible Associations for their consideration prior to the AGM (timetable below).
The Board recognizes that diversity is important and getting the right mix around the table is critical for the on-going health of NZAFF.  We would like to encourage applications from women, tangata whenua, tangata pacifica, a broad range of ethnicities, individuals with a disability and the LGBTIQ community.

Applications for Positions
Applications for positions should include:

1. Which positions they are applying for – elected or appointed.
2. Name and any other details that the applicant feels are relevant.
3. Experience in Governance
4. Any relevant experience including management or other senior positions.

Applicants should read the relevant sections of the Constitution (on the NZAFF web site under About Us/Federation Documents) especially section 16.
Please note the Federation is not providing a form for applications.

2. Patron
This position is not required by the Constitution.
The Constitution states that the Federation “may” appoint a Patron.  A patron is a person that the Sport gains a benefit (higher profile in the community or advice from time to time) from the association.
If there is a person that an Association feels would provide such a benefit then the process of appointment is through an election at the AGM and then an invitation to hold office.  The person should have agreed to the nomination prior to the AGM.

3. Seconded Board Member
The Board has agreed that it would be beneficial to have a person seconded to the Board to assist with decisions pertaining to the growth of all forms of American Football for Women.
The purpose of the role is:

• To offer different/alternative viewpoints to the Board focusing on inclusivity and effective communications & sport delivery across diverse groups.
• To offer advice on new initiatives and deliveries.

The process for the selection of the Seconded Board Member will be the same as an Appointed Board Member through the Selection Panel.
The Seconded Board Member will not be a voting member of the Board but will have full speaking rights and will be expected to attend all Board Meetings.

4. Other items
At this time, the following items are also called for:

1. Any notices of motion re Constitutional amendments,
2. Any other business for consideration or discussion at the AGM.

 

The Timetable leading up to the AGM is:
4 September
By this date, the GM must have been received:

• Applications for Patron, Appointed Board Members and Elected Board Members.
• Any proposed motions.

18 September
By this date, the AGM Agenda will be sent out.

23 September
By this date, the GM will notify Member Associations/Clubs of the decision of the Appointments Panel.

Please note that all Applications, Notices of Motion and Nominations must be received by 5pm, Friday, 4 September, 2018
 
If you have any questions regarding the process etc please contact me.
 
Regards
Russell McConnochie
GM NZAFF
09 973 4058

​Last year NZAFF initiated a Grant system focused on Player Safety.  This year we are continuing the program as outlined below, in an effort to help distribute funds to NZAFF Clubs whilst also developing Coaches and creating safe environments for our members to play.
The total grant allocation for the 2020/21 season is up to $30,000 which can be distributed to Clubs, with max amounts varying from $600 to over $4,000 depending on Club size and overall participation.
The amount that is available to clubs who complete the program 100% is, in most cases, more than last year and is designed to encourage teams to enter competitions and for clubs to encourage coaches to gain a recognized coaching qualification.
The more teams entered and playing in competition with qualified coaches the greater the grant amount available to the club.
There are three parts to the Grant for the 2020/21 season:

1. Coach Qualifications
2. Using the Registration System
3. Player Safety Management & Incident reporting

Each club participating in the program will sign an agreement with NZAFF regarding the terms so there are no misunderstandings about requirements and responsibilities.  The same as last year.

This year we will be using the Sporty Database to record all members for all clubs, as having a formal record of all Players will have advantages for both NZAFF and our Clubs.
The Sporty Database will be free for all clubs and regions to use and will bring with it several benefits for clubs that will help into the future.  There will be more on this in the next few weeks including how to load up your existing registration lists.
If a club does not use it then the club will not be eligible for any part of the grant program.
If a club does use the registration system then they will receive the following one-off payment:
Up to 75 members            $100
75 to 100 members           $200
Over 100 members            $300

There will be some oversight on making sure that there is a significant number of registered members being playing members.

This is a continuation of the system put in place last year to ensure NZAFF Clubs are committed to Player Safety and implementing proper Health & Safety programs and reporting on games.
NZAFF is committed to providing training and material to help Regions and Clubs deliver a safe environment for Players and Club Members, so this Grant aims to help encourage Clubs to carry this commitment through.
And, like last year, there is an allocation per team.  To get the maximum Grant the reporting must include all games played by that team.  If games are not reported on, or are defaulted, a portion of the Grant will be withheld.
The amount available per team will be different for Flag and contact as follows:
Flag (any grade)            $200
Contact (any grade)     $400