Junior Player & Parents' Handbook
2019 - 2020 Season
Dear
all current and new members,
Welcome
to another season at HHC juniors! We're looking forward to another successful
season for juniors at the club. This season's training schedule remains as
last year's (except for a change to the Under 16 boys) - therefore, the training schedule at Woollams is as
follows:
09:45
to 10:45 (Sunday) Under 8s head coach - Nicholas McLean
09:45
to 11:15 (Sunday) Under 10 girls head coaches - Tom Bunbury / Howard Spooner / Jim Neale
18:30 to 20:00 (Monday) Under 10 boys head coaches - Neil Liles / Fraser Tant / Jim Neale / Alistair Holland
18:30 to 20:00 (Monday) Under 12 boys head coaches - Neil Liles / Fraser Tant / Jim Neale / Alistair Holland
11:15
to 12:45 Under 12 girls head coaches - Dave Thomas / Kevin Moxam
12:45
to 14:15 Under 14 / 16 girls head coach - Steph Barker
18:30 to 20:00 (Monday) Under 14 boys head coaches - Neil Liles / Fraser Tant / Jim Neale / Alistair Holland
18:30 to 20:00 (Monday) Under 16 boys head coaches - Neil Liles / Fraser Tant / Jim Neale / Alistair Holland
We're
very happy for those new to hockey to come and try it out in September - we
hope your children enjoy it! It's a great team sport for both boys and girls
and provides an opportunity to play in matches so they can enjoy playing
together against other clubs.
We
are again collecting membership information on-line. When you register you
will be asked to confirm that you have paid the subs, which should be paid
direct into the club account. We have kept the membership fees the same as
last year and introduced a sibling discount.
In
the event of needing to contact everyone quickly (e.g. if training is cancelled
due to adverse weather conditions), the immediate means of communication will
be via the Twitter account, at: @hhc_juniors - so if you're on Twitter, it's a
good idea to follow the account.
The club kit can be purchased directly at: www.tylers-sportwear.co.uk
Please
read on for further important information on the junior section of the club (such
as relating to child protection, code of conduct and other supplementary
information).
Finally,
I wish you all a great season and if you need any further information then
please feel free to contact me.
All
the best,
Scott Lovell
Head
of Juniors
Junior
Section Guidelines
Harpenden
Hockey Club (HHC) is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the
wellbeing of all its members. As a member of HHC you are expected to abide by
the following junior section guidelines:
·
All members must
play within the rules of hockey and respect officials and their decisions.
·
All members must
respect their opponents and team mates. HHC coaches reserve the right to warn,
or withdraw, any members from training or matches who are unable to do this.
·
Members should wear
clothing appropriate for the weather conditions at all times. Players may be
withdrawn from training or matches if it is felt that they are ill equipped for
the conditions. As coaches will not abandon training sessions or matches for
bad weather unless absolutely necessary this will mean assistants having to
leave the coaching activity to act as supervisors for the withdrawn player(s)
until they are picked up, so affecting the quality of the coaching offered to
the remaining members.
·
Members are
requested to wear suitable hockey shoes for playing on Astroturf pitches:
o Hockey specific Astroturf shoes are
favoured due to the extra grip and protection they provide, however some trail
running shoes are suitable.
o We strongly recommend against wearing
casual or running trainers, and also football style Astroturf trainers. Running
shoes and trainers will have inadequate grip for Astroturf, particularly in wet
conditions, and offer little protection. Football Astroturf trainers will offer
sufficient grip, but frequently offer little or no protection.
·
Members are
requested to wear suitable protective equipment at all time while training or
playing.
o Hockey shin pads are compulsory.
Members not wearing these may be withdrawn from training or matches if it is
felt that they are at risk of injury as a result.
o Fitted mouth guards are strongly
recommended.
o For older junior members, protective
left hand gloves are also recommended.
·
Members must pay
any fees for membership or events promptly.
·
Junior members are
not allowed to smoke on club premises or whilst representing the club.
·
Junior members are
not allowed to consume alcohol or drugs of any kind on club premises or while
representing the club.
Training
Sessions
All
training sessions are held on the Astroturf pitch at the Woollams Playing
Fields, 160 Harpenden Road, St Albans, Herts, AL3 6BB.
The
sessions are run every Sunday on the following dates:
|
Term
|
Start
Date
|
No
Training Dates
|
End
Date
|
|
Autumn
Term
|
8th September 2019
|
27th October 2019
|
15th
December 2019
|
|
Spring
Term
|
12th January 2020
|
16th February 2020
|
29th March 2020 |
No
training is held on the first Sunday of half term.
All
coaches are expected to hold a current First Aid qualification and Safeguarding
and Protecting Children certificate. They also all hold an EH Level 1 or Level
2 coaching qualification, or are working towards achieving this.
Subscriptions
All
members are required to pay an annual subscription fee to become members of
HHC. For the 2019 – 2020 season these will be:
|
School
Years
|
Annual
Fee
|
|
1, 2
and 3
|
£155
(discounted to £135 if paid by 6th October 2019)
|
|
4
and above
|
£170
(discounted to £150 if paid by 6th October 2019)
|
Note that we also have a discount for siblings if
paid by 6th October 2019 - £20 for each subsequent sibling.
Therefore, if you have one child in year 3 and one child in year 5, your subs
paid before 6th October will be £135 + £150 - £20 = £265. If you
have a third child in year 7, your subs paid before 6th October 2019 will
be £135 + £150 + £150 - £20 - £20 = £395.
Please
pay the membership fee into the Harpenden Hockey Club bank account with sort
code: 40-23-11 and bank account number: 81447874. Please include your child’s
or children’s names in the reference for the payment.
As a
voluntary, community sport’s club HHC is run for the benefit of its members and
so the membership fees go towards the cost of hiring the pitches, buying
training equipment, balls, coach’s insurance / DBS checks, fees for coaching
courses and entry fees to competitions and leagues.
Leaving
Procedures
At
the end of training the children will be expected to help clear up any
remaining equipment and leave the pitch as soon as possible so it is free for
the next age group to use. However we will not allow children to leave the
premises until collected by a responsible adult unless permission has been
provided by a parent / guardian for them to do so. Please try to be prompt on
collection your child, however in the event that you are running late please
contact the Head of Juniors informing them of you late arrival. They will then
inform your child’s coach who will ensure that your child is not left
unaccompanied until you arrive.
Under
8’s and Under 10’s Parents
All
children who attend our training sessions will be carefully looked after,
however it is a condition of admission to a coaching session that the parents /
guardians of Under 8s and Under 10s remain on site in the unlikely event of an
emergency.
Under
no circumstances will our coaches leave their group unattended to care for a
child who is sick, injured or otherwise distressed for any reason, although
obviously First Aid will be provided where necessary.
If
the parent / guardian is unable to remain on site they must appoint a
substitute adult prior to the session beginning, and notify the lead coach of
the session.
Insurance
HHC
do not provide Personal Accident insurance for its members, so it is a wise
precaution to take this out for your child yourself. Herts County Council
operates a Personal Accident Insurance scheme for pupils at Herts schools.
Details can be obtained from Herts county Council on 0300 123 4040.
Competitions
Entered
Each
age group / team will also play matches throughout the season.
Teams
may also play friendlies against local clubs in addition to the above
competitive matches.
While
we will endeavour to give every player equal opportunity to play in matches,
where necessary we will favour those players who have shown the most:
·
Commitment to
playing and training
·
Willingness to
learn
·
Concentration
Our
junior section also works closely with the senior sections to review and assess
player development to help transition players in to the senior teams. A range
of factors will be considered as part of this process and parents should
discuss this with either Head of Juniors if they wish to know more.
Kit
For
training, players are expected to wear a suitable shirt, either shorts or a
skort and football / hockey style socks as a minimum. They should also bring
tracksuit bottoms and a warm sweatshirt / tracksuit top for cooler days. As
Woollams is fairly exposed, warm, waterproof gloves and a waterproof jacket are
also recommended during the colder months.
Footwear
should be appropriate for Astroturf, however Astroturf football trainers are not
recommended due to the lack of protection they provide.
Hockey
shin pads must be worn for both training and matches, and a fitted mouth guard
is advised. For older players a left hand protective glove is also recommended.
Each
member is advised to have their own stick, however these are available for
borrowing if required.
For
matches the kit is a white club shirt, navy blue shorts or skort and navy blue
socks. Each member is required to have their own club shirt. The HHC Juniors kit can be purchased directly at: www.tylers-sportswear.co.uk
Below
are specialist shops where other hockey equipment can be purchased if required:
Barrington
Sports www.barringtonsports.com
Hockey
Centre www.hockeycentre.com
Hockey
Factory Shop www.hockeyfactoryshop.com.uk
Our
Principles Whilst Looking After Your Child
HHC has
adopted Child Protection and Equity policies to ensure that the welfare and
safety of children in our care is always the primary consideration.
Our
policies are based on the following key principles:
·
The child’s welfare
is the paramount consideration.
·
All children have
the right to be protected from abuse, regardless of age, gender, racial origin,
religious beliefs or sexual orientation.
·
The rights, dignity
and worth of the child should always be respected.
HHC
is committed to providing an environment where children can learn about,
participate in and enjoy hockey free from harassment of abuse.
Club
Contact With Parents
The
club will use email as the main form of communication if required as this is
the simplest form of mass communication available. The junior section of the club’s
website will also be updated regularly with any relevant information and news.
Twitter (@hhc_juniors) will also be used to send out updates and any urgent
messages.
Occasionally
training or matches will need to be cancelled at short notice due to adverse
weather conditions. We will endeavour to give as much notice as possible on
these occasions, however often the decision to cancel is not made until the
day. In these instances we will use Twitter as the main form of communication
so please check this if there is any doubt about the weather. Emails will be
sent as well, however as it is not easy to send an email to multiple people
from a phone, these are likely to be sent later than any tweets.
Coach
Contact With Parents
All
of our coaches are volunteers who give a considerable amount of personal time
to the running of their age groups for no personal reward. It is
understandable therefore that they are unlikely to spend a lot of time trying
to contact parents, and instead will often choose the easiest option available
to them. Please support them and make it as easy as possible for them to
organise teams etc. by checking your provided email / phone number on a regular
basis and responding promptly to any communication they may make.
If
your child becomes unavailable to play for any reason, please inform the coach
as soon as possible, preferably by phone if at short notice. Players not
turning up or dropping out at short notice impacts the whole team, so the more
notice that is given the easier it is for a replacement to be found if
necessary.
Codes
of Conduct
The
main aim of HHC juniors is to promote healthy participation in sport. It is
hoped that everyone will play to the best of their ability, so the teams are successful;
however we believe that it is more important to enjoy sport and play fairly.
The
following Codes of Conduct have been written to uphold the aims of HHC and to
help and protect all junior players, umpires, spectators and parents
representing the club, whether this is during training or while playing
matches.
The
club believes that it is important that its members, coaches, administrators,
volunteers and parents should at all times be encouraged to be open and to
share any concerns or complaints they may have with the Head of Juniors.
The
club also believes that each individual should be accountable for his or her
own actions. Whether playing, watching, coaching or umpiring, it is your
personal responsibility to treat your own team mates, all opposition players,
coaches, spectators and umpires with respect and consideration before, during
and after any training session or match.
Player’s
should:
·
Learn and play by
the Rules of Hockey.
·
Play for fun and
enjoyment – not just to please your parents and / or coach.
·
Win with modesty
and lose with dignity.
·
Recognise and
applaud all good play.
·
Respect all
coaches, team mates, officials and opponents.
·
Arrive for all
training and matches in good time.
·
Warm up and cool
down properly as instructed by the coach.
·
Wear clothing
suitable for the expected conditions.
·
Bring adequate
protective equipment to every training session or match (shin guards as a
minimum, but a mouth guard and padded left hand glove are recommended).
·
Inform the coach of
any injury or illness as soon as possible.
·
Inform the coach if
you will be arriving late or need to leave early.
·
Inform the coach in
good time if you are unavailable for any match.
·
Never smoke,
consume alcohol or take drugs of any kind on club premises or whilst
representing the club in any way.
Parents
/ Spectators should:
·
Encourage their
children to learn and play by the rules of hockey.
·
Respect the opinion
and decisions of officials, coaches and managers.
·
Encourage instead
of force their children to play.
·
Discourage unfair
play and arguing with officials or other players.
·
Praise your child’s
efforts whether they win or lose.
·
Get to know you
child’s coach and / or manager.
·
Set a good example
by recognising and applauding all good play.
·
Use proper language
at all times.
·
Never coach from
the sidelines.
·
Punish, ridicule or
belittle a child for losing or making mistakes.
Data
Protection
Information
on our junior members is collected as part of the registration process. This is
collated on a database administered by Head of Juniors and shared with those assisting
with running the junior section. The lead coach of each age group will be
provided with a register containing key contact detail for the children in that
age group, any relevant medical information provided and their emergency
contact details.
All
details held will be deleted within a year of the child leaving the junior
section of the club.
Accidents
Coaches
will plan all sessions to be as safe as possible, however due to the nature of
hockey accidents can and do occur. HHC have established First Aid procedures
and accident reporting processes. Parents, Carers or Guardians will always be
informed of any first aid involving their child and the actions that were taken
as part of this.
It is
important to note that we can offer immediate First Aid only. An ambulance will
be called to any emergency requiring this, but it is the responsibility of the
parents or guardians to seek further medical advice in circumstances of injury
or illness as complications may not be apparent immediately. Advice will be
given by the First Aider who treated your child if the injury treated has known
potential complications.
England
Hockey ‘Keep Kids Safe’
Harpenden Hockey Club is
working with England Hockey to ‘Keep Kids Safe’.
Keeping Safe
To keep safe always:
· Tell someone you trust, so they can
help you
· Trust your instincts about the people
you meet
· Avoid being alone, or with just one
other person
· Carry a mobile phone, phone card or
change
· Travel with a friend
· Avoid travelling in someone else’s car
on your own
· Avoid going to other people’s homes by
yourself
You have rights –
Sports should be fun. You should feel safe and enjoy your sport.
You can’t do this if
you feel unhappy – if someone is bullying or abusing you.
When Do You Know If
Something Is Wrong
Something is wrong if
someone:
· Constantly teases you
· Threatens, hits, kicks or punches you
· Damages or steals your belongings
· Touches you or does anything that makes
you feel uncomfortable
· Makes suggestive remarks or tries to
pressurise you into sexual activity
· Does anything that makes you feel
lonely, upset, worried, hurt or embarrassed
If any of the above
happens to you, do not wait for it to happen again. Act immediately.
What To Do
If you are being bullied
or abused, it is not your fault. If this is happening try to:
· Be firm and tell the person to stop –
if necessary make a lot of noise to attract attention.
· Get away from the situation quickly. Go
to a public place to find help or call the police (dial 999)
· Tell your parents or an adult you can
trust what has happened as soon as possible so they can help
· Keep a note of the date, time and
place, what happened, how you felt and the name of anyone who may have seen
what happened
· Use one of the free 24hr helplines
o Childline 0800
1111
o NSPCC 0800
800 5000
o Herts Childrens Services 0303
123 4043
Don’t ignore what is
happening – always tell someone you trust. Police stations and social service
offices will always have staff who are specially trained to support young
people who have been bullied or abused. Don’t give up until someone helps you
and you feel safe.
Useful
Contacts
Club Media
Club Contacts
|
Role
|
Name
|
Contact Details
|
|
Welfare
Officer
|
Vijay Patel |
Tel: 07939017770
vijaydundee@ntlworld.com
|
|
Head
of Juniors
|
Scott Lovell
|
harpendenhcjuniors@gmail.com
|
Emergency
Child Welfare Contacts
Help, Support and
Advice Lines
|
Organisation
|
Contact Details
|
Additional Information
|
|
NSPCC
Child Protection in Sport
|
Tel:
01162 347278
www.thecpsu.org.uk
|
Sport
specific advice on safeguarding young people
|
|
NSPCC
24hr Helpline
|
Tel:
0808 800 5000
www.nspcc.org.uk
|
National
Society for the Protection of Children
|
|
Victim
Support
|
Tel:
0845 3030 900
www.victimsupport.org.uk
|
Provides
support for victims and witnesses
|
|
Government
Guidance
|
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk
|
Government
guidance on safeguarding young people
|
Advice for Children
and Young People
|
Organisation
|
Contact Details
|
Additional Information
|
|
NSPCC
|
Tel:
0808 800 5000
www.thereforme.com
|
Support
& advice for 12-16 year olds via the website
|
|
Herts
Childrens Services
|
Tel:
0303 123 4043
|
Herts
social services team
|
|
Don’t
Hide It
|
www.donthideit.com
|
Advice
on what to do about abuse
|
|
Childline
|
Tel:
0800 1111
www.childline.org.uk
|
Free
helpline for children and young people
|
|
Kidscape
|
Tel:
0207 730 3300
www.kidscape.org.uk
|
Support
on bullying
|