While we are all missing our footballing fix, the priority for everyone is that we stay safe and stay at home. If you can stay active too, thats a great help. During the time off the pitch we have been working hard in the background to progress improvements within our club to enhance the overall membership and community experience.
In terms of keeping active we are delighted to see so many squads taking on skills challenges, whether ones our coaches set themselves or the FAI grassroots programme. Practice makes perfect, and now we have the time! I look forward to seeing a big uplift in the skillage in our village once we get back on the pitch. Great to to see the team spirit is strong too with some squads producing excellent virtual passages of play on tic-toc (I think??). Keep it up and keep sharing the good stuff. Teamwork makes the dream work.
On the fitness for football front, all squads have now been invited to virtual Strength and Conditioning classes online through Zoom, commencing 29th April. All you need is a Zoom internet connection, a little space in the house or garden and a bundle of energy! For our youngest squads from u6 to u9 we are working with primary school teachers P.E. curriculum to design a fun football fitness programme. Watch this space!
Other things going on - we are at an advanced stage of applying for our FAI Club Mark Certification, a quality assurance mark that ensures high administrative standards, child welfare, continuous coaching and player development, volunteer recruitment and general overall good governance within a voluntary sports club.
On a related matter we have been progressing our club DNA programme. This programme aims to provide a platform to support our objective of developing a Life Long Love of the Game. We need your help on this in terms of measuring where we currently stand - the good and the bad. There is a survey coming out shortly and we ask that every member - players, from youngest to oldest, parents, coaches and volunteers have their say. Please take 5 minutes. Its your club, make your opinion count.
We also held a casual kit design competition. We had over 40 haut couture kit submissions and over a 100 of you voted on the short list. Winners have been chosen with announcements imminent. As soon as we get out and about again we look forward to launching our new casual wear so that our members can wear the colours with pride, on and off the pitch.
On the facilities front, The Field of Dreams in Clarisford Park has never looked so lush... oh to be back scoring goals in the spring sun. We'll be back. Maintenance is scheduled to ensure it remains in tip top shape for our return. We are also at an advanced stage of signing contracts to upgrade the training area in Clarisford Park. Maybe this unscheduled lay-off is an opportunity to get the heavy lifting done.
Coach Chat is going ahead online weekly, with more collaboration across the squads and age-groups than we would have in the normal hustle and bustle of weekly training schedules and Saturdays criss-crossing the county and beyond. Committee meetings are happening by Zoom monthly with other working groups now getting lots of great work done through virtual platforms. There is always a positive..
On a disappointing note, for obvious reasons we have had to postpone Tribe Trials. Once the outlook is clearer, we hope to reconfirm for an Autumn date.
So, plenty of going on, just not on the playing field. We will always put our members health and safety first and will always follow best practice and guidelines from our governing bodies. As soon as its safe to do so we will make moves to get back out doing what we love, playing ball with our mates. Until then, stay home, stay safe and stay active.
