FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK – OCTOBER EDITION
Dear Parents,
As is customary we reach out to you to bring you up to date on activities and events that have taken place in the club as well as what is to come soon as well as where we stand at present.
As usual, we would like to begin by expressing our continuous gratitude for everyone’s willingness to comply with the safety protocols. We are proud to report that up to now, we have had zero cases directly affecting players. We know it is due to the work the staff does on the field and just as important your diligence in respecting the protocol, so thank you so much for this.
We would be remiss if we did not take the time to mention the invaluable assistance by our volunteers in maintaining such protocols as well as helping us “keep the ball rolling” so from the BOD, staff, and more importantly, the players, we thank you so much.
COVID 19: Regrettably as you already know, we have regressed to the Purple phase (formerly Phase II). This is not unexpected, as the consensus from the medical community was that as we entered the cold weather this was to be expected. On the bright side, this does not affect us directly because we are an outdoor activity and if we continue to observe the proper safety procedures, we will be OK. be assured that we are always vigilant of any changes that may take place to make the proper adjustments for our families.
WINTER TRAINING
We are now in our Winter phase of the season and as usual, we are migrating from Pershing. We are very pleased to inform you that we have secured the necessary lighted fields so that all our teams continue to train in the best conditions possible. We will continue with our Saturday, sessions focusing more on the small-sided and functional activities that will reinforce the concepts being taught during the week of training.
Once again, we are very grateful to our families for making the necessary adjustments in their daily routine allowing this smooth transition possible.
CONTACT IN TRAINING
While on the subject of training, contact during training has been increased. We are still very respectful of the safety protocols and we make such adjustments following the prescribed measures by the county’s health department, under the Day Camp protocol. This allows “Pod Training” meaning training with limited contact in controlled modified groups. This means that as long as we are training our teams in situations of up to 14 players and in stable groups, we are within the day camp protocol. We must always keep in mind that WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO OUTSIDE CLUB SCRIMMAGES OR COMPETITIONS
We are sure that you have heard “Scrimmages” are already taking place between clubs. Know that such “scrimmages” are illegal as they are not permitted by the county, Cal South, or Presidio and neither by Crusaders.
Aside from the rules and regulations, a reality of such “scrimmages” is that there is no insurance coverage should a player be injured as well as protocols to protect from the virus. The position of Crusaders is that we will not be part of inter-club scrimmages until we have the authorization from the powers that be. The health and safety of our families remain non-negotiable.
OUT OF STATE TOURNAMENTS
This is a very difficult situation for us as a club. We understand the need for the children to play as well as the parents’ desire to watch the results of training; none the less, the risks remain high. We have been observing very closely tournaments and clubs that have regularly been attending tournaments and as far as COVID-19, it has been a very stable situation with minimum consequences. Please keep in mind that this is a 10,000 feet view and not “proved” to concrete information but so far we have no indication that any adverse results have come out of the properly run tournaments.
Having said this, Crusaders recognized the need for our players to compete more so, for the older ages as they need to be exposed to college coaches. In recognition of this, we agree of our teams playing in out of state tournaments provided the following:
- The older ages have participation priority
- IT IS A SANCTIONED TOURNAMENT AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED.
- The tournament has specific COVID-19 safety protocols. Some examples would be: COVID-19 Check-in (players as well as referees), Number of people in attendance, Time between matches, Entrance, and exits of teams in between games, Warm-up protocols, and Medical facilities available to name a few.
- Our coach presents a detailed plan that follows the COVID-19 protocols as well as team management plans such as travel, lodging, meals, meetings, etc.
- The understanding that the club is not responsible for any adverse situations that may arise out of participating in the tournament.
- NO FAMILY WILL BE FORCED TO PARTICIPATE IF THEY DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING SO.
What the club will not support are “friendly out of state scrimmages”. Such events are taking place more often each day. Make no mistake, these are high-risk events that offer no protection at all to the participants and their families. We will not risk the possibility of bringing an infection to our home from one of these events. We recognize that such an infection can happen under the strictest precautions but to go into a situation that is not properly sanctioned or organized is something the club will not agree to. Our position is that if we are to compete, let’s do so in the best environments that will support our development, provide enjoyment of the game, and above all, will be safe for everyone.
PICTURE DAY
We want to thank all our teams for participating in our yearly picture day. We certainly want to thank our volunteers under the coordination of Jay Wilson, for making it a complete success. This year was a bit different than in the past in that we want to bring awareness to the fact that in 2021 Crusaders will turn 50 years old, serving the same community and contributing to the growth of its youth. To celebrate, we were very pleased to provide our players with commemorative tees to highlight the event at no cost to the family. This was the first of more celebratory events as we look forward to our 50th anniversary.
PRESIDIO
We got a notification last week that the season has been pushed back to November 21, 2020. We are optimistic to be able to get in a few games before the year is up, BUT we must keep in mind that we are at the whim of the virus and this continues to interfere with our season. As announcements are available from Presidio, we will make them available to our membership.
Finally, we want to reiterate our gratitude to our team managers, our staff, our volunteers, our parents, and all the people that allow us to provide a haven to our children during these very difficult times in their development. Thank you all!
Sincerely,
Rene Miramontes
Crusaders SC Director of Coaching