Welcome back to the new season – I am very grateful to see that all our players have returned this season, which is a good reflection on the coaching team who put in so much work last year. The under 9s will be playing at the Coldbath Road pitch, next to Caerleon AFC, for both training and matches, though training will switch to the AstroTurf in Caerleon Comprehensive school when the clocks go back. Training times will be 10:30 while we are on the grass and 10:00 when we switch to AstroTurf. We have some new players with us this year, and that has meant we have had to move some players to balance the sides. I hope those that have been moved will understand the reasons for the change, and not see it as a criticism of their play. We will be looking to those that have made the move to make a big contribution to their new squads. We will look at the balance again when Newport and District review the league composition towards Christmas.
Social activities We are fortunate to have an active social committee, which came together towards the end of last season. John Parfitt, Darren Periam and Neil Williams are looking at the types of social activities that both players and their parents can enjoy, and I am sure they will come up with some interesting ideas for this coming year.
Health and Safety Apart from the issue of keeping the children warm in the winter there are a couple of other health related points you might want to note. The Newport League now requires that all teams have at least one First Aider present whenever they meet. For the under 9s we have enough to meet the requirement, as all coaches have undertaken the FAWT training course. However, while this offers a minimum of training for bumps and sprains the players will suffer when playing, the policy of the club is to call the professionals for assistance for anything more serious. We now have an established squad, and we should be able to rely on the telephone tree to work to get messages around. I think it could be better and I will take numbers from your subscription forms to ensure that we have the latest contact details for you. The telephone tree is important, especially as we move into winter and matches are more susceptible to cancellation by the council, as this often happens late in the day. Once circulated please notify any amendments to me so that we can keep in touch more effectively. Fixtures Some parents have asked for a fixtures list, and that is appended below. However, you should note that these may be subject to change and no kick-off times are available as these are arranged in the week before the game. |
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