Parent Volunteer Responsibilities

For all coordinators, parent coaches, team managers, safe-management officers
(Updated 22 November, 2021)

For clarity, we list here the extra responsibilities of ANZA Soccer AGCs, CTCs, parent coaches, and safety-management officers (SMOs) during the Covid-19 situation. This is a living document and may be updated and recirculated in case of useful additions.

Everyone:

If you find you cannot attend a session you signed up for, find an alternative to take on your role if possible and make sure to update those who need to know.
During your session, if in doubt at any time, err on the side of safety. Later, you may ask your AGC/CTC and/or Coach Yakob to clarify any questions.
Note pitch access routes HERE carefully and help everyone follow them: Pitches 1, 2, and 3 all are accessed and departed from in a COUNTER-CLOCKWISE pattern, to avoid session participants interacting:
1. everyone ENTERS via the correct access route once past the check-in point;
2. everyone LEAVES via the road/north side of the pitches and then around the kiosk/washroom area.
3. NO ONE on pitches 1, 2, or 3 should use the same route to enter and leave.

AGCs and CTCs (or designated pitch manager) – masks on at all times, red top

Secure help before the session from at least 2 to 3 parents per session to help with check-in/directions, and social-distancing requirements. Encourage volunteers to arrive 15–20 minutes early to be ready for incoming players (who are asked to arrive 10 minutes early). Our per-pitch maximum for safety managers (including AGCs) is currently 5 persons.
Parents are responsible for deciding if their children are well enough to play. Ensure that no one is made to feel guilty for deciding to keep a child at home.
Determine mini-squads before the session and communicate these to coaches, safety-management officers (SMOs), and parents/players as needed.
Keep an accurate list of all players and any (pre-approved) spectators attending the session. Any last-minute changes need to be added to / deleted from these lists.
At session start:
1. Be available to help SMOs/Cage staff at check-in, in case any player displays cold/flu symptoms and must therefore leave immediately.
2. Help ensure that players do not pass the check-in area if they are not yet fully ready to play (for instance, already in their boots and kit).
3. Games must stay within your session’s start and end times. Do not allow players past the check-in area until the previous groups have left the pitch and no crossover contact is possible.
During session: Remind SMOs to keep 2 metres apart from other volunteers and players, to pay attention to player safety management throughout the session, and to help with safe exit and clean-up as session ends. They should also be available to chase down balls that are kicked out as long as they remain around the pitch perimeter only.
At end of session:
1. Finish at least 10 minutes early to ensure the next group can start on time.
2. Ensure that players and parent coaches place balls, cones, etc. in the mini-pitch or centrally for the next session. Final participants (U14s) should help move small goals off the pitch and collect balls, cones etc. for pickup by grounds staff.
3. Encourage teams to disperse and leave directly as session ends, and make sure all players and adults follow the safe-exit routes.
After the session, collect and keep the mini-squad lists in a safe and easily accessed location in case they become necessary at some point in the future.

Parent Coaches – masks may be off during sessions, blue top or vest

Ask that players arrive at most 10 minutes early, to minimise crowds. Be there 10 minutes early yourself to check in along with your child, and then, from your mini-pitch, help direct players to the correct mini-pitches to avoid mixing.
Rules for your mini-group(s) (refer to most recent protocols for mini-group size):
1. If your group doesn’t have the maximum number of players in it, you may join them on the mini-pitch.
2. If your group has the maximum number of players, or if you are coaching more than 1 group of players, you may not join either group on their mini-pitch, but must “sideline coach” and keep 2 metres distance at all times.
3. If sideline coaching, you may enter a mini-group’s playing grid to reposition cones etc., but only if players are gathered separately at least 2 metres away. It is recommended you do this during players’ water breaks, for instance.
4. Parent volunteer coaches may remove their masks during actual coaching, whether in-grid or sideline coaching. Put on your mask before and after the session promptly though, to model this for the players.
No handshakes, hugs, high-fives, fist-bumps, close huddles, etc.
Help ensure safe-distancing requirements are followed throughout the session: 1 metre from other players (except transient playing contact) and 2 metres from other groups (respect buffer zones and do not allow players to go into other mini-pitches).
Walk off the pitch with your mini-squad players, following the safe-exit route and making sure your group follows the safe-distancing rules for the whole way out.
Help manage the list-keeping responsibilities; communicate with your team manager and/or AGC any last-minute changes to your squad before/during your session.
Be vigilant against the sharing of any water bottles or personal snacks. Anyone displaying cold/flu symptoms must be sent to the AGC, who should ensure they leave the session immediately.
Please wear the current ANZA Soccer coaches shirt, because this promotes our current coaches’ sponsor.

Safety-management officers (SMOs) – masks on at all times, yellow top or vest

Arrive 15-20 minutes early to be ready for incoming participants.
If you are directing foot traffic, direct players where to go on entrance and exit from their designated pitch; it’s also important to be vocal in directing everyone to keep to the 1-metre (from mini-teammates) and 2-metre (from those in other mini-teams) distance rules at all times, including before check-in and while waiting for rides near the parking lot.
If you are stationed at the pitch, ensure each player gets to his/her designated mini-pitch without mingling with other players outside his/her small group.
During the session, volunteers not needed elsewhere should station themselves around the pitches (keeping to the 2-metre distancing requirement from other adults and players) and act as extra eyes and ears to ensure safe distancing and hygiene requirements are followed.
Do not let mini-squads mingle during water breaks, or as they finish their sessions and leave.
In seating areas, two empty seats must be left between those using the seats. Keep everyone out of areas taped off by The Cage for distancing purposes. If mini-squads near the viewing areas use them during breaks, each squad should only use one section to prevent mingling.
It is helpful for SMOs to chase down any balls kicked out of the pitches, to prevent mingling between groups and to keep players and coaches from wasting their pitch time.
As you come to the end of your session, make sure there are around 8 balls left on each mini-pitch ready for the incoming group, and that all cones are either in use to outline the mini-pitch sidelines or placed in the cone stacks at mid-pitch. Pick up any litter in the area and carry any left-behind items to the check-in area (leave on table or hand to Coach Yakob).
Walk out with the players to ensure safe-distancing rules are followed all the way off the pitches. Do not allow any players or adults to take short-cuts—all participants must follow the designated routes out.
SMOs in the final Saturday groups (ending at 3pm) should help organize the players to clear the pitches, seeing that ALL cones and balls are brought to the collection area (usually the centre of the pitch) and all small goals are carried to the side of the pitch.

Team Managers – (non-pitch role unless acting as SMO)

Ask parents/players for attendance intentions early to ensure a complete attendance list in time for AGCs to allocate mini-squad assignments on their preferred timeline. Communicate to the AGC any last-minute absences etc.
Help keep communications and comments positive among your team parents/players.
Note, during pandemic restrictions, not all teams / age groups have used team managers. In some cases it has been more efficient for the coaches / AGCs to organise weekly information directly.

THANKS TO ALL OUR VALUED VOLUNTEERS!
We could not run our ANZA Soccer Saturday programme without your help,
and we appreciate you going the extra mile in this situation
SMO DOs and DON’Ts

TOP-10 DOs and DON’Ts for parent volunteers at the pitches:

Check-in area; An AGC or other Safe-Management Officer (SMO) who knows the pitches well should tick off arrivers, remind them of their mini-pitch assignment, and direct them to their correct pitch. The list person should ensure the list ends up accurately showing who participated in the session and in what group, in case it is needed by the government for contact-tracing later. Ideally once the session is well underway, this person should go to the pitch and visually check that each group actually matches what is on the paper.
Pitch greeter: Another SMO should greet kids AT their pitch and direct them to their exact mini-pitch, so they are not wandering around the pitch lost. This person should also have a list of groups handy (because most kids who are told “2D” at check-in area will forget this on the way to pitch 2!)
During the sessions: SMOs continue to help remind participants to follow rules, as needed – BUT REMEMBER…
1. SMOs CANNOT be on the mini-pitches / playing grids. They are to remain around the sidelines/perimeter only and 2 metres away from all participants. (In an emergency, of course, do go on the pitch to help with an injury etc.)
2. SMOs MAY sit (socially distanced) in the gazebos once players are organised, but should continue to observe the session and react to any potential problems to ensure rules are followed.
3. SMOs SHOULD NOT get so involved in socialising or phone tasks that they stop observing the sessions and preventing problems from arising (which is the point of their presence).
4. SMOs MAY help out by walking around the perimeters of the pitches (outside the sidelines) and rolling stray balls back toward coaching areas. This helps out our coaches and keeps the sessions more efficient.
End of Session: SMOs should be ready to help as session winds down by getting stray balls back toward the center of the pitch and moving kids off the pitches ASAP once the session is over.
SMOs (and coaches) should walk out along with players to ensure they use the correct access route, are wearing masks, and are remaining socially distanced from each other (1m from others who were in their mini-group, 2m from all other participants). YOU WILL NEED TO REMIND PLAYERS ALL THE WAY OUT to follow the rules, we have found!
SMOs should remind players as you reach the carpark area to remain distanced and with masks on while waiting for rides. THIS IS WHERE WE GET “CAUGHT” BY INSPECTORS, SO PLEASE DO NOT BE SHY ABOUT CORRECTING AND DIRECTING KIDS!