Note to Parents
Dear Parent
COLLIERS WOOD LITTLE LEAGUE RETURNS FOR THE 2020/21 SEASON!
I am delighted to tell you that preparations are being made to start the Colliers Wood Little League 2020/21 season on Saturday 19th September. This letter
- Sets out the steps we are taking to manage the risk posed by the COVID-19 virus
- Describes the phased approach we are taking to starting CWLL football
- Advises you on what to do next to be ready for kick-off
Keeping people safe
Nothing is more important to us than the safety of CWLL players, volunteers and parents. So we are following the guidance given by the Football Association to grassroots football organisations to manage the risk posed by the COVID-19 virus. In particular we will be:
- Making arrangements for maintaining social distancing (such as signage, ground markings, measures to reduce congestion at entrance/exit and pitch-side, access to toilets)
- Ensuring we have enough volunteers each Saturday to implement these arrangements
- Providing hand washing facilities, hand sanitiser, hand towels and sealed bins
- Regularly cleaning surfaces that people frequently touch (tabletops, door handles, taps etc)
- Asking parents to help out by carrying out a self-check of themselves and their children for COVID symptoms each Saturday and staying away if they have any symptoms. Guidance on self-checking can be found here. Any child who has had COVID-19 must have clearance from their doctor before returning to football. (More generally, if your child has any specific medical conditions please ensure that you discuss these with a club welfare officer and agree the best way to support your child’s needs).
- Asking parents to help out by supplying their children with their own labelled water bottle and ensuring they arrive changed and ready to play and leave immediately after their match
- Asking players to follow safe practices (no spitting, no chewing gum, no shouting, no goal celebrations, maintaining social distance before and after matches and at half time, using their own boots, gloves, water bottles etc)
- Maintaining the hygiene of balls, cones, goalposts, shirts and bibs on matchdays and during matches
- Registering players and parents each Saturday for track and trace purposes
- Ensuring every volunteer know about first aid measures for people with COVID symptoms and that our first aiders follow COVID-related requirements for administering first aid.
We hope that these measures will provide you with the confidence you need to allow your child to play football with us.
Our phased approach
We need to be confident that all the safety measures we are introducing are working well. For this reason we will start the season offering football to children in two “early start” age-groups:
- School Years 1 and 2
- School Years 3 and 4
- Girls football is being run from week 1 between 10.15 - 11.15 for all ages.
We hope to be able to offer football for other age groups (Years 5 and 6, and Years 7 and 8) later in the season.
Whatever year group your child is in, if you want them to take part in CWLL football this season you should register them by following the process set out below. That will make it easy for us to keep you up to date and make sure your child plays at the earliest opportunity.
Please note that initially we will be limiting the number of players to 36 in each year group. Places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis depending on date of registration. Children to whom we cannot offer an initial place will put on a waiting list.
What should parents do next?
The first thing to do is to register your child by following this link. We will then notify you that they have a place (or are on the waiting list), and (for the early-start year groups) provide further information on arrangements for the start of the season (arrival times, matchday registration, match times, departure times etc).
By registering your child with CWLL for the 2020/21 season you will be confirming that you agree with the measures the club has put in place to manage its Covid-19 measures in line with current Government guidance. You will also be making a commitment to self-screen your child before each matchday and ensure they do not attend if they exhibit any COVID symptoms.
A copy of the club’s COVID Action Plan and risk assessment can be found here.
Conclusion
CWLL looks forward to welcoming you and your child back to Little League football. If you have any questions or points that you would like to make, please contact a member of the CWLL Executive Committee (contact details can be found here.
Yours sincerely
ANDY CHAPMAN
Chair, Colliers Wood Little League Football