Player Development Policy at Curzon Ashton FC

 At Curzon Ashton FC we are committed to developing every young player that signs for the club. We have outlined below our approach and commitments to player development.

 Our overriding approach to player development is to ensure that everyone enjoys playing and as coaches we provide the best possible environment for their skills to flourish through interesting and challenging training sessions.

 Once a player is signed to Curzon Ashton FC our approach will be to provide as much game time as is possible to every player up to the Under 11s age group. Each team will determine a maximum squad size that will ensure that all players are involved. From Under 10s we believe that competition is an essential component of a player’s development and, increasingly, squads and match day teams will be based on ability levels.

 Throughout every age group, our coaches are committed to keeping parents or carers informed as to how the player is progressing. If the coach feels that a player’s development or enjoyment of the game is being impacted by their ability level by comparison to those of their peers, this will be discussed with the parent / carer and an approach determined.

  There could be several outcomes to how we feel a player will best develop which include:-  

• Reviewing progress in an agreed timeframe – all players develop at different rates and will experiences ‘peaks and troughs’ in their performance levels
• Involvement with other teams or clubs – where we are able to, we will place the player within another group at the club or suggest switching to another club where we believe the standard of play is better suited to player’s development. IE. Can offer more game time which will in turn increase the player’s confidence
• Not re-signing a player. Until the Under 11 age we will do all we can to retain every player that wants to be involved at the club (subject to the previous two points). From Under 11s, the coach will at first give sufficient notice (generally at the end of a season) where there may be a possibility of not re-signing a player. This will be confirmed in writing ahead of any new season.

Behaviour Management Procedure at Curzon Ashton Youth FC

Here at Curzon we expect all our children to behave in the correct way at all times. We will not tolerate any behaviour deemed unacceptable and we have decided as a club to introduce a behaviour management procedure, which will run consistently throughout the club.

Unacceptable behaviour includes swearing, spitting, violence, bullying, ignorance towards adults and any other behaviour that may be classed as unacceptable.

When unacceptable behaviour does occur, the following steps will be taken

·         The adult who had noted the behaviour and asked it to stop will speak to the child or children. If the behaviour stops or it is only a minor incident this will be the end of the matter. We wish to stress that all children at Curzon are urged to follow instructions issued by any official related to the club and not just their individual manager.

·         If the behaviour persists or the incident is of a more serious nature the Childs parents and team coach will be informed and an appropriate course of action will be decided upon.

·         If the matter has still not been resolved then the club has decided to introduce new measures to encourage positive behaviour, these include missing training, suspension from the club for up to four weeks and ultimately expulsion from the club.

We do not want to have to implement any serious sanctions upon players within the club but feel that it is very important to encourage the highest level of behaviour from all our children throughout the club.

We also ask that adults do not speak to children who are not their own regarding behaviour and ask that any issues that arise are addressed to the Childs team coach.

We have one named Child welfare officers, Sasha Smith along with our committee who will deal with any behavior issues. Also our Welfare Officer can be spoken to regarding any issues that may develop with either the way in which your own Childs behavior has been managed or regarding the behavior of any other child or adult involved with Curzon Ashton FC.

PLEASE NOTE Any player who receives a caution of any sort from the FA are liable to pay the resulting fine within the allotted time set by the FA. Under no circumstances will Curzon Ashton Football Club pay any players fines.

Code of Conduct for Players

All players must agree to the code of conduct set out in this booklet. We recognise that the wording is not very child friendly and would ask that parents with children at mini soccer take the time to sit down and read through this with their child.

Obligations towards the game

A player should;

·         Make every effort to develop their own ability in terms of skill, technique, tactics and stamina.

·         Give 100% effort during both; games and training.

·         Set a positive example to others.

·         Avoid all unsporting behaviour.

·         Always have the interests of the game at the forefront of their minds.

·         Not use inappropriate language at any time.

·         Be on time and prepared for matches and training sessions.

·         Always turn up for matches and training in the appropriate clean kit.

·         Always wear Shin pads.

·         Clean their own boots.

Obligations towards your own team

A player should;

·         Make every effort consistent with fair play and the laws of the game to help their own team win.

·         Resist any influence which may bring into question a players commitment to their own team.

·         Respect their team mates and treat them in a way in which they would like to be treated themselves.

·         Accept success and failure, victory and defeat equally.

Respect towards others

A player should;

·         Treat opponents with respect at all times irrespective of the result of the game.

·         Safeguard the physical fitness of opponents, avoid violence and rough play and help injured opponents.

·         Accept the decision of the match official.

·         Avoid words or actions that may mislead a match official.

·         Show due respect to the match official at all times.

·         Abide by the instructions of their coach or club official.

·         Show due respects to the opposing officials.

·         Accept any decisions and follow instructions issued by anyone associated with the club including other team managers.

We hope that you as players respect the above code and help us as a club build our already strong reputation into an even stronger one.

Code of Conduct for Parents/Carers and Spectators

Parents/carers and spectators have a great influence on children’s enjoyment and success in football. All children play football because they first and foremost love the game and it is important to remember that however good a child becomes at football within the club it is important to reinforce the message to parents/carers and spectators that positive encouragement will contribute to;

·         Children enjoying football

·         A sense of personal achievement

·         Self esteem

·         Improvement in the child’s skills and techniques

A parents/carers and spectators expectations and attitudes have a significant bearing on a child’s attitude to;

·         Other players

·         Officials

·         Managers

·         Spectators

Ensure that parents/carers and spectators within your club are always positive and encouraging towards all of the players within the club and not just their own child.

Encourage parents/carers and spectators to;

·         Applaud the opposition as well as their own team

·         Avoid coaching the children on the field; this is the manager’s job.

·         Not to shout and scream

·         Respect the referees decision

·         Give attention to each child involved in football, not just the most talented

·         Give encouragement to everyone to participate in football

Respect any decision the coach and other officials within the club may make. Please remember - the game is for the children. It is not for the glory of the coach, manager or parents/carers and spectators so:

·         Be your child’s best fan and support them unconditionally.

·         When you take your child home after a match or training session, please be supportive and always focus on the positive aspects of their game.

·         Develop a responsibility in your child to pack their own kit, clean their boots and take a drinks bottle (full of water or squash only) to training and games.

·         Do not criticise your child’s coach to your child or other parents. If you are not happy with the coach you should raise the issue with the coach.

·         Encourage your child to speak with the coach. If your child is having difficulties in training or games, or can’t attend training etc, encourage them to speak directly to the coaches. This “responsibility taking” is a big part of becoming a mature person. By handling off the field tasks, your child is claiming ownership of all aspects of the game.

·         Help your child to focus on the performance and not the result. Remember – winning is not as important as the performance.

·         Support all the players in your child’s squad. Do not criticise anyone. Remember – children don’t mean to make mistakes.

·         Do not criticise the opponents, their parents or their officials.

·         Never audibly dispute a referee’s decision. They will make mistakes occasionally. We all do. If you abuse or shout at the referee you are breaking the rules of the game and risk generating a fine for the club. In extreme circumstances we could even be expelled from the league, be forced to play all our games away or play without any spectators present.

·         Parents/carers and spectators must NOT coach from the touchline during matches or training. Leave this to the manager/coach or you may cause confusion and erode your child’s confidence.

·         Parents/carers and spectators must not enter the field of play.

Thank you for taking the time to read this code of conduct and hope that we as a club will have your support in following these guidelines.

Code of Conduct for Coaches and Officials

A coach’s primary responsibility is to make sure that their players have fun, develop as footballers and to instil in them a passion for the game.

The performance of the coach is not measured in wins and losses, but rather in what players learn in terms of technique, sportsmanship and fair play.

Coaches are charged with the responsibility of controlling their players and parents at all times during a match.

Coaches lead by example; our players will be e reflection upon the manager and coach.

Coaches will:

• Use positive reinforcement when dealing with players.
• Never use foul or abusive language and never abuse a player mentally, verbally or physically.
• Have respect for the authority of the referee, our opponents on match days and the officials of their club.
• Teach your children the rules of the game, fair play and proper behaviour.
• Develop your child’s technique and decision making ability.
• Inspect the playing area for hazards and generally make practice sessions and matches as safe as possible for your children. You should be aware, however, that football is a contact sport and your child may get injured. If this happens, we will provide appropriate first aid.

In Addition:

• We will not allow your child to take place in a practice session or match if they are injured.
• We will not leave your child unattended at a practice session or game.
• We will only allow your child to leave a practice session or game if a responsible person collects them unless you give written permission for your child to leave on their own.
• We will always be enthusiastic.
• We will try our best to make the game enjoyable for everyone that takes part:- players, opponents, parents/carers and spectators.