Travelling To and From Venues

Many Coaches and parents do not realise the amount of time that is spent when travelling to venues. A game can last a maximum of 120 minutes playing time (maximum for adult players after extra time) yet often teams take this length of time to reach their destination and then to get home again. Coaches often regard this as outside of their responsibilities BUT it must be acknowledged that the coach must be better informed and knowledgeable than the volunteers who transport the children, therefore it does become part of their responsibility.

Travel to Local Games (not overnight or abroad)

Travelling to away games should be safe as well as fun for children. Much of this preparation can be done at the start of the season when you register members at your club. Safe and accessible meeting places and the available access to maps to ensure you don’t lose cars in your convoy. For parents travelling by public transport, the nearest train or buses would make life much easier for them. For regular away trips you will find that very little needs to change from week to week, although if you have a new team member or helper with additional needs or a different cultural background you may need to consider your planning. ( see Ensuring Children’s Safety and Volunteers Section for further information)

Essential Planning – At the Start of the Season

Much of the required planning should already be in place:- Your club should have a Child Protection Policy, Policy and Procedures for selecting/recruiting staff or volunteers A designated person for Child Protection, Procedures for reporting concerns, Code of best practice for coaches/players/parents etc. Ensure you have the following insurance in place, this includes: Public and Civil Liability Personal Accident Vehicle Breakdown Cover (whether it’s a car or mini bus) Consent Forms, make sure they are signed, returned and kept safely in line with data protection legislation.

Other Important Considerations

Hold a meeting with parents/carers at the start of the season, not just to explain your club philosophy, introduce staff, discuss club rules and your club code of conduct but also this is a great opportunity to discuss procedures for travelling to away fixtures, future trips or tours and the importance of the club’s consent forms. Ensure that anyone transporting children or young people on behalf of the club has a valid driving licence and MOT and tax when using their own vehicle. Establishing a Code of Conduct for parents and players travelling away is an excellent way of getting all parents involved and better still made aware of their responsibilities to the players and the club.

Making Sure

Remember to let everyone know where and when to meet, this is needed for both home and away games. There is nothing worse than a convoy of cars all following a lead car then being separated and drivers unsure of directions while a back seat of irate players gets more and more disillusioned. A printed address or even a map for everyone will prevent this occurring.
If the group is aged over 8 years there should always be 2 adults per team and a minimum of 1 adult to 10 children (more adults are required when working with younger age groups) this really only matters if you are taking a group by minibus to a venue. When taking a female group, you should always try to have at least one adult of the same sex. There should always be a qualified First Aid person and a full and up to date First Aid box. If any of the group have asthma or diabetes, or any other illness always ensure that appropriate club members are aware of how to deal with any situation that may arise.

Football for Everyone

Football is an inclusive sport and should be open to all. If you have young people with additional health needs/disability you need to consider if any children with additional health needs/disabilities need extra helpers? And will these helpers need any extra training e.g. asthma medication/diabetes management? Are changing facilities suitable and have they suitable access for players/supporters with a disability. You may also need to be aware of dietary needs of children from different ethnic groups if you intend to feed or supply ‘snacks‘ for your group. (This includes fasting times linked to religious traditions which you may need to be aware of and religious rules on special diets).
Your planning team should consist of more than just you - some trips may require a good deal of preparation and individuals may be required to undertake certain responsibilities and often more than just one.