Club response to COVID-19: training for 2022

by | Jan 28, 2022 | Coaching, General, Juniors, Senior Men, Senior Women | 0 comments

Dear Player, Coach, Volunteer and Parent,

In preparation for pre-season training and regular training for 2022, Mount Lofty District FC wants to ensure all players, coaches, volunteers and parents are aware of some important points in relation to the ongoing risks presented by COVID.

  • As the Omicron variant is now prevalent within our society, odds would suggest that at some point, our senior and junior football programs will be affected by someone contracting COVID or being a close contact of someone who has COVID – especially the Omicron variant.
  • If you contract COVID, you need to isolate away from the group for 10 days after your positive COVID-19 PCR / RAT test – SA Health guidelines.
  • If you are deemed a close contact of someone with COVID (living with/intimate with or have spent more than 15 mins without a mask indoors with someone who has tested positive), you are required to have a COVID-19 test immediately (RAT or PCR), have a further test on day 6 (RAT or PCR) and quarantine away from the group for 7 days. The day of exposure is counted as day 0.

We are now entering the pre-season phase of training where we need to do what we can to minimise the number of people who contract COVID, or who are deemed close contacts, at any one point in time.

The information provided in this letter has been sourced from the Adelaide Footy League, SANFL, SA Government and SA Health.

The club has an expectation that all players, coaches, and volunteers will do everything within their power to minimise the risk of contracting COVID, and minimising the people they come into contact with, in order to reduce the risk of being a close contact. On that basis, please consider the following:

While not at the Club or training

On arrival for training

  • All Players, coaches and volunteers must sign in on arrival. Either scan the QR code which will be provided at all training sessions (you must have the mySA GOV app downloaded onto your phone to do this) or see your Coach/Team Manager who will show you how to sign in manually.
  • Players will again be required to get changed in small groups or ideally, arrive at training dressed and ready to go and leave immediately after training.

Masks & Social Distancing

  • Maintain 1.5m distance always, other than while participating in training drills.
  • SA Health has now implemented a 1 person per 4m2 protocol while indoors.
  • Trainers/Coaches to wear Masks whilst at training.

Training

  • All outdoor main training sessions are full contact with no restriction on numbers, with the following guidelines:
    • Still to be no tight huddles at training.
    • No sharing water bottles/towels.
    • Keep tackling drills or close physical contact drills to a minimum and no more than 15 minutes.
    • Hand sanitiser to be made available at all training sessions.
    • Footballs and any other equipment used to be wiped prior to and after use.

Current Vaccination Requirement for Trainings

  • At this stage, the club has not mandated players and volunteers to be double vaccinated.  We are confident and comfortable with the level of hygiene and COVID-safe practises we have implemented and continue to practise amongst our coaching staff and teams. 

Should you wish to discuss any of these matters, please feel free to contact myself of the club Secretary

On behalf of the Mt Lofty District Football Club

Scott Taylor
President
0418 804 768