1. Powered by The ABSC 2015 Annual Survey Results February 2015 Compiled by Di Dale, ABSC Secretary, for the ABSC Executive and for publication to all members of billiards and snooker affiliates

2. Powered by Date Survey Created: Friday, December 05, 2014 Date Survey Launched: Saturday, January 17, 2015 Date Survey Closed: February 20, 2015 The survey attracted 125 total responses with 77 ‘complete’ responses

3. Powered by Q2: What is your age? Answered: 125 Skipped: 0 Q1: Are you male or female?

4. Powered by Q4: Describe your participation in billiards and snooker. Answered: 125 Skipped: 0 Q3: In what post code is your home located? Answered: 58 Skipped: 67

5. Powered by Q5: Please rate the ABSC's current responsibilities in terms of HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO YOU. Answered: 101 Skipped: 24 Range of responses = 3.81 – 4.64 Conclusion: All the ABSC’s responsibilities are considered relatively important by member’s – little variation in importance. More details of each item are on the next page.

6. Powered by Q5: Please rate the ABSC's current responsibilities in terms of HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO YOU. Answered: 101 Skipped: 24 Highest Lowest

7. Powered by Q6: Please rate the ABSC's current responsibilities in terms of HOW WELL THEY ARE PERFORMED. Answered: 101 Skipped: 24 Range of responses = 2.01 – 3.94 Conclusion: There is a variation in the views of members regarding the ABSC’s performance. The next page shows the Highest Performing items and the Lowest Performing items.

8. Powered by Q6: Please rate the ABSC's current responsibilities in terms of HOW WELL THEY ARE PERFORMED. Answered: 101 Skipped: 24 Highest Lowest

9. Powered by The GAP SCORE between IMPORTANCE and PERFORMANCE GAP SCORES - IMPORTANCE VS. PERFORMANCE The higher the gap, the higher the priority for action IMPORTANCEPERFORMANCEGAP Promote billiards and snooker through the media 4.652.012.64 Coordinate and promote a Junior Development Program 4.642.572.07 Undertake disciplinary action when required 4.422.751.67 Negotiate multi-year relationships with Clubs, Venues and Sponsors to support major events 4.663.121.54 Promote multiple Australian Billiards and Snooker Championships (Open, Age-related, Women) 4.693.211.48 Provide an accredited coaching system 4.272.881.39 Raise funds for prize money and expenses through fees, the 200 club and sponsorships 4.363.121.24 Gain accreditation from ASADA and the Aust. Sports Commission as the national sporting body for billiards and snooker in Australia 4.213.131.08 Provide a drug testing program to promote integrity in our sport 3.812.771.04 Oversee the Aust. Billiards & Snooker Referees (ABSR) and support the provision of qualified referees to all major events 4.333.360.97 Publish results and news on the ABSC website 4.673.720.95 Set the By Laws and Championship Conditions 4.293.40.89 Subsidise players to represent Australia in international events 4.153.310.84 Provide tournament draws and seedings 4.523.940.58 Publish a national rankings list 4.453.950.5

10. Powered by Q7: As a PLAYER, overall, are you satisfied, dissatisfied, or neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with our business? Answered: 90 Skipped: 35 50% of Players are “satisfied”. 19% of Players are “dissatisfied”.

11. Powered by Q8: As a PLAYER, what would you like to see the ABSC...... ? Answered: 58 Skipped: 67 “Start to” common themes: 1. “Continue to” common themes: 1.Continue to run lots of events 2.Continue to publish as much as you can, provide live score feeds and use Facebook 3.Continue to financially support Aust. Representatives to world events 4.Continue to seek player feedback 5.Continue the national ranking system “Stop doing” common themes: 1.Stop communicating badly and infrequently – use multimedia to keep us informed 2.Stop using bad venues, timing events that clash, charging high entry fees 3.Stop inconsistent refereeing and disciplining of players “Start to” common themes: 1.Promote the game more in the media 2.Strengthen Junior development 3.Run events that encourage the average player 4.Provide coaching support 5.Communicate more with members 6.Raise more prize money 7.Encourage more women players 8.Train more referees

12. Powered by Q9: As a REFEREE, overall, are you satisfied, dissatisfied, or neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the ABSC's work? Answered: 32 Skipped: 93 50% of Players are “satisfied”. 50% of Referees are “satisfied”. 22% of Referees are “dissatisfied”.

13. Powered by Q10: As a REFEREE, what would you like to see the ABSC...... ? Answered: 7 Skipped: 51 “Start to” common themes: 1.Educate referees better 2.Give more formal feedback to referees to support their development 3.Encourage referees to go interstate to broaden their experience 4.Acknowledge and recognise referees better 5.Promote the sport “Continue to” common themes: 1.Sending IBSF Reps for U18, U21, Mens, Womens, Masters 2.Supporting coaching clinics 3.Promoting the sport “Stop doing” common themes: 1.Stop promoting bad referees 2.Stop the lack of communication 3.Stop tolerating inconsistencies with the Foul & Miss rule

14. Powered by Q11: As neither a Player nor a Referee, overall, are you satisfied, dissatisfied, or neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the ABSC's work? Answered: 36 Skipped: 89 58% of non-playing, non- refereeing members are “satisfied”. 14% of non-playing, non- refereeing members are “satisfied”.

15. Powered by Q12: As neither a PLAYER nor a REFEREE, what would you like to see the ABSC...... Answered: 7 Skipped: 51 “Start to” common themes: 1.Promoting snooker & billiards in the media more 2.Promoting Junior development and running coaching clinics 3.Encouraging new players into the game “Continue to” common themes: 1.Sending IBSF Reps for U18, U21, Mens, Womens, Masters 2.Supporting coaching clinics 3.Promoting the sport “Stop doing” common themes: 1.Stop promoting ourselves (the ABSC) 2.Stop sending so many Delegates to IBSF events

16. Powered by Q13: What are your Top 3 suggestions or ideas for improvement for the ABSC to action? Answered: 51 Skipped: 7 1.Media/Promotion – 43 suggestions Post video of national events on YouTube Live stream more matches Pursue discussions with local/regional sports production companies with a view to establishing a packaged event Televise major competitions A premier league on TV with state-of-origin challengers Find a patron from whom the sport can benefit Promote the sport more in advertisements More social media interaction Keep website updated Promote the sport on the ABC or SBS or Foxtel Engage professional PR person 2. Calendar of events – 35 suggestions Provide more doubles and choose your partner Lower entry fees – Top 16 pay X; next 16 pay Y Hold one tournament a year randomising the draw after each round Publish tournament entry and draw earlier to allow players to save money on travel and accommodation Increase the number of events between February and May Encourage clubs to upgrade ancient conditions Make all national ranking tournament matches min. best of 7 Restructure entry fees for non- ranked players Run an IBSF World in Aust. Have some national events in Qld Lower the number of seeded players in staggered draws Introduce more handicap tournaments Hold more team events to build camaraderie

17. Powered by Q13: What are your Top 3 suggestions or ideas for improvement for the ABSC to action? Answered: 51 Skipped: 7 3. Junior Development – 19 suggestions Promote a Junior program and enforce accordingly Discount coaching for juniors Offer local junior training events at various clubs, advertise and promote it Have Junior programs in all States Start a school snooker program aligned with RSL clubs Involve Neil Robertson in a patron/ambassad or capacity Establish a junior snooker academy in one state with coaches allocated to school holidays or after-school programs Find and encourage the kids – there is nothing attracting them to the game Promote the game in schools Encourage new players – provide a platform so they can progress Run junior tournaments in conjunction with senior tournaments e.g. ‘cue zone’ 4. Referees– 13 suggestions Get rid of Foul & Miss Better support and payment for referees Assist new/younger referees to officiate at events outside their own state to grow their experience Hold more regular referee examinations and provide more formal feedback on performance Supply referees for all matches Foster respect and appreciation for referees Gain sponsorship for our referees through the IBSF Financially assist referees to get to and from tournaments Referees create a separate body with own constitution Stop officials self- promoting

18. Powered by Next Steps by the ABSC 1.Publish these survey results to all members on websites and facebook 2.Maintain the two way dialogue via social media 3.Discuss the results at an April Executive meeting 4.Determine the short-term priority actions and communicate these 5.Communicate what is not a priority in the foreseeable future and why 6.Plan how to measure progress and how to gain more member assistance to achieve more