Covid -19 Policies and Guidance | Fighting Fit Footbal

Covid-19 Policies and Guidance

The welfare of our players is of the upmost importance to us. Our Covid-19 policies follow the FA’s latest guidance and best practice to keep our players safe.

Following the latest guidance from the FA (April 2021) permitting a return for outdoor grassroots football, Fighting Fit Football has once again been planning for a resumption of competitive (contact) training.

In order to do that we have put in place all necessary safety measures to keep our players safe as best we can in line with the the latest guidance and by using recognised best practices that have evolved over recent months. This isn’t a decision we have taken lightly and it has been made in consultation with both our players and our our facility provider, Watford FC Community Trust.

What has the club done to meet this guidance?

There are a number of things we have done to meet the current COVID-19 government and FA guidance:

Developed a comprehensive Risk Assessment that identifies a) the possible risks of returning to football; b) strategies to manage these risks, and c) measures required to allow the safe resumption of competitive training and matches
Assigned a COVID-19 Safety Officer (see below) who is responsible for the implementation and compliance of COVID-19 safety measures.
Purchased hand sanitiser, disinfectant spray, emergency aid face masks and gloves for our team including excess stock to allow for replenishment.
Will follow requirements to allow the registration of our participants for NHS Test and Trace for all training sessions and matches.
Written guidance for all our participants as well as held briefings to educate them on the safety requirements and the important role they have in keeping everyone safe as best we can.

As part of this process we have worked with a number of other local clubs to understand the issues they face and what has worked well, share ideas and develop and share best practices with them.

Our Guidance

COVID-19 policies

FFFC

COVID-19

RISK ASSESSMENT

Our summary of risks and our strategies to deal with them

RETURN TO TRAINING PLAYER GUIDANCE

Mandatory guidelines for all participants to follow at our events

COVID-19 SELF ASSESSMENT & PROCEDURES

Before attending our sessions participants must follow these procedures

Registration and Consent

Before attending their first FFFC event during these restrictions all participants will need to pre-register their consent online that they have read, understood and will comply with our COVID-19 guidelines and Risk Assessment above and the Government COVID-19 guidelines generally. Registration is required once, in advance of the first session you plan to attend. Just visit our Events page and choose the event you wish to register for.

Everyone involved, and we mean everyone - players, coaches, club officials, match officials, volunteers, parents/carers, and facility providers - has a role to play in ensuring the guidance is followed and everyone is kept safe.

If anyone feels they are not able to follow the guidance set out above then we will not permit their attendance at training. We are not able to make exceptions.

In competitive training and match play, physical contact is allowed, but for all other activity (e.g. warm- ups/cool-downs) the Government guidance on two-metre social distancing should be observed. In order to minimise the risk to our players our training sessions are designed to keep contact to a minimum (both between players or with the equipment). However all participants need to recognise that the risks cannot be completely eradicated but with caution and care they can be reduced.

If you have any reservations about returning to training please ensure that you have discussed this specifically with us. We will endeavour to agree how/if these can be met within current Government COVID-19 and FA guidance.

Importantly there is no pressure to return. Each player will need to decide when to return to contact football, based on his or her own circumstances. Anyone who is deemed vulnerable in respect of COVID-19 is reminded to follow the Government’s or any medical advice, only returning to football when it’s safe or right for them to do so.

Although there appears to be a lot to remember, we will guide you as required at the sessions and keep you updated of any changes. We do not believe that this should detract us from the reason we play football in the first place – to have fun, get fit, and help with our symptoms.

These are difficult times for everyone, and as a community club we have a collective responsibility to look out for each other, our families and the wider community. If you decide to join us, then by complying with these rules you will play an important part in trying to get our beautiful game, and life in general, back to some form of much needed normality.

Our designated Club COVID-19 Safety Officer is:

Nick Light

You should contact Nick if you have any questions or concerns regarding COVID-19 safety measures:

contact@fightingfitfootball.co.uk.