Member safety is obviously an extremely important part of your coaching responsibility. While your parental common sense is usually enough to keep our players safe, there are some things we want to point out.
1. Always Err on the Side of Caution
Players safety must always come first, everything else is second.
2. Absolutely No Unregistered Player Participation
Any player not registered with the GYSA for the current playing season CAN NOT be allowed to participate in any games or practices. This is for the protection of you, the coach, from being held personally liable for an injury or other incident that arises on the playing field. GYSA (GAA) insurance only covers registered players.
3. Player Privacy Protection
As a coach you will have access to some personal information about your players, such as a medical condition. This information can only be shared with the player's parents or guardians and appropriate medical and/or emergency officials. Please do not use player or parent email addresses for purposes other than GYSA soccer messages unless permitted by the parent or guardian.
3. Player Contact Info
Your team roster includes all contact information for each of your players, as provided by their parents/guardians when they were registered. You must have this information readily available at all practices and games. In the event of a player injury or other incident, you must be able to provide and/or use the contact information to reach the player's parent or guardian. You will also find it helpful to have this information handy if a player is not picked up after practice. We recommend that you enter the contact information for each player in your cell phone.
4. Player Pickup
When your practice or a game ends, ensure that all players are picked up by their parent or guardian. Keep your team together and and have the parents come to you and retrieve their child. Do not allow a player to be picked up by someone other than their parent or guardian unless the parent or guardian has given you prior permission. If you have not received prior permission, you must call the parent or guardian and get permission before letting the player leave with someone else.
5. Player Medical Conditions
Your team roster includes any special medical or allergy conditions for each player. Keep this information top-of-mind during practices and games. Asthma and bee sting allergies are the most common conditions and can become critical if not recognized and treated quickly. It is strongly recommended that you speak with the parent or guardian about any player with a medical condition to understand the extent of the condition and the appropriate response if an incident occurs. Also, where appropriate, let the player know you are aware of his/her condition and that he/she should come to you if needed. As stated in #2 above, all player medical information is strictly confidential and should only be shared with the player's parent or guardian and appropriate safety authorities.
6. Concussion Awareness
A concussion is an injury that changes how the cells in the brain normally work. A concussion is caused by a blow to the head or body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull. Even a “ding,” “getting your bell rung,” or what seems to be a mild bump or blow to the head can be serious. Concussions can also result from a fall or from players colliding with each other or with obstacles, such as a goalpost.
To help recognize a concussion, you should watch for the following two things among your players:
