What's all this hype about the Internet? Is it of any benefit to our sport? Will it be a complete waste of time, effort and money?

These are questions that administrators of all sports probably contemplate as they attempt to balance the books between dwindling resources and ever increasing costs. Polocrosse is no different than any other struggling sport that suffers from a lack of sponsorship dollars. We have all survived on a good dose of tradition coupled with a "she'll be right" attitude. If this will be enough to see polocrosse grow and expand its player base, is debatable. Times have changed, marketing has changed, we work longer hours and unless solutions are found to promote sustainable growth, our days as a sport are numbered.

One of those solutions could be the Internet. It is the premier resource for information and is available in virtually every country in the world. There are no boundaries to the Internet and it is growing exponentially, to a point in ten years time where everybody could, or will, have access to it in some form or other. The National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE) has released June 2001 figures that show 50% of adults and 40% of households have Internet access and by November 2001, 50% of households will be connected. This massive uptake of the technology gives sport administrators unprecedented access to communications with members and supporters alike.

The major sports, which attract the bulk of sponsorship monies, have invested huge amounts on web sites. They don't do this to disperse excess funds - it is done to promote their sport to as wide an audience as possible with the hopeful result that today's audience becomes tomorrow's supporters. 'Branding' is the name for this process and every major company and sport recognise the importance of introducing a strategy to improve their image and the expanding use of the Internet is only one avenue among a host of different mediums.

Most polocrosse supporters, especially the younger generation, are chasing information on the game. The Polocrosse Worldwide web site, which averages over 4000 unique visitors every month, generates a tremendous amount of e-mail from visitors enquiring about different aspects of the game. Latest results of major tournaments and photographs seem to be the most popular topics, while basic information such as where to acquire rules books, racquets, balls etc., are regular requests from intending players in non-polocrosse playing countries. For instance, there are many players in South America who haven't seen a rulebook in their native language. This is only one of many cases of the difficulties faced by players and as a result, the sport is not progressing in those countries as it should. All this information and more should be available on the web to make it as easy as possible for new and existing players to learn about the game.

Polocrosse web sites exist in various forms, and most of these are the work of a handful of enthusiastic fans and clubs who rely on other people to submit any information they can. The National Associations of Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the State Associations in Victoria and New South Wales, have web sites to promote their activities, but it seems they too have difficulty in sourcing timely and interesting reports or articles of interest. The Southern Highlands Polocrosse Sub Association, in New South Wales, is a perfect example of an association, who not only promote the sport in their region, but also provide their excellent Newsletter to be made available on the net. The news and articles in this newsletter make interesting reading and provides an insight into the workings of a successful zone.

One source of a tremendous amount of information is the minutes book of every club and association. By deleting the irrelevant issues and summarising the remainder, these minutes could make interesting and informative reading to the rest of the world. Coaching Manuals, Drills and Rules Books could all be made available on the web. Alterations, which need to be made to the rules on occasions, would be a simple matter of changing the relevant text on the web site and it is immediately available to all. Think of the advantages of having Coaching Manuals and Drills, complete with illustrations, on the web.