Dear Members
We hope that you and your families are safe and well and missing football as much as we all are!
As you would be aware, our governing body Football SA suspended all competitions back in mid-March due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, and to help to contain the spread of the virus through the community.
We thank you for not only your support of our club during this time but for also playing your part in helping to slow the spread.
Our Chairperson, Mr John Speer, has been in constant communication with the FSA during this time and we as a club have tried to keep you all up to date with the ever-changing developments.
On Friday 8 May 2020 the State Government announced the easing of State restrictions which included the provision for the return to outdoor training for sporting clubs from Monday 11 May 2020.
We received a ‘Return to Training’ memo from FSA CEO Michael Carter outlining the restrictions that would remain in place and to be strictly adhered to by sporting clubs wishing to return to training. These restrictions were developed in line with the AIS Guidelines for a Safe Return to Training, and were approved by the State Government, SAPOL and SA Health.
As excited as we were to resume training, we were hesitant to return without receiving clarification on a few points from FSA. Our Executive Committee decided to wait until we received the clarity we needed before formulating a ‘Return to Training’ plan that was not only compliant with restrictions but also able to engage our players in meaningful and safe training.
Our priority has always been and will continue to be the safety of all our members and the greater community. We as a club will do all we can to ensure that safety, but we cannot emphasise enough just how important a part we will all play in a safe and compliant return.
The FSA have made it very clear that all clubs will be heavily monitored over the coming weeks by SA Health and SAPOL. Fines and suspensions of training will be imposed on clubs, but also on the individuals found to be breaching the requirements.
Attached to this post is the list of requirements that must be adhered to by our Committee, Coaches, Players and Parents/Guardians. We implore that you carefully read and completely understand these requirements prior to you or child returning to training this week. We as a club will not tolerate any breaches, and by the order of our Chairperson, anyone found breaching protocol will be removed from training and not allowed to return for 14 days.
Training for our Seniors will resume Tuesday 19 May 2020 with our Juniors returning Wednesday 20 May 2020, and finally our MiniRoos coming back on Sunday 24 May 2020.
Due to the imposed restrictions we have had to split some teams up into groups of 10 players plus 1 coach. This means some of our junior players will be training with a combined group from another age group under someone other than their normal coach. We ask that you understand how difficult this has been to negotiate and accept our decision on player placement.
We have included as attachments our training times, groups and pitch allocations for the coming weeks and these are all subject to change as we receive further developments from the relevant authorities. Training will be restricted to non-contact drills and all players and coaches will have to continue to practice social distancing.
The club, bar and kitchen will remain closed until further restrictions are lifted but the toilets in the club will be accessible via the breezeway. Again, social distancing must apply with only 2 people at a time permitted to enter.
We apologise for the long post but we can not stress just how important it is for ALL of us to do the right thing if we are to progress to the next stage of restriction easing, and return to doing what we all love to do….playing, coaching and watching football.
Yours sincerely
Executive Committee
Port Adelaide Soccer Club
R2T1 Plan Junior Groups MiniRoos Groups Seniors Map Juniors Map MiniRoos Map Sports Restrictions Roadmap
