Week 1 Games – What you need to know!!

September 27, 2021
Photo by Tembela Bohle on Pexels.com

Rec soccer games begin tonight at the Fort Payne Sports Complex. There are limited games played on Mondays, with most of the games being played on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and admission to the games is $1.00 per person. Admission is available at the Gault Avenue side and the railroad track side of the complex.

A few items to note:

  1. Uniforms won’t be in until the end of the 2nd week due to a combination of the coaching shortage, sponsor shortage, and Covid supply and manufacturing issues. This year was seemingly a perfect storm, but with a little patience and understanding, we will get through it and play some soccer. Games will feature one team in pinnie vests and one team in regular T-shirts until uniforms arrive.
  2. If you have any trouble locating your game, please don’t hesitate to ask at the entrances. There are maps there to assist you in finding your field. You can also access the field map HERE.
  3. The concession stand will be open, with a similar menu to last year, candy, and bottled drinks. We will not have fountain drinks this year.
  4. Coaches will pick up game roster cards at the main concession ticket booth as they enter.
  5. We see issues shown on the news daily of people acting out in public. This is not the venue for that. Remember that this is a game and we do this for the kids. Keep your comments positive for the kids, especially for the younger ones, they look to you to see if they did good or bad. Don’t steal their happiness over your own pride.
  6. We have a ZERO tolerance policy for referee abuse. The world around us is losing referees at a staggering pace in all sports, and our choice is to be the exception and not the rule. Most of our referees are students and trainees, and negative comments take their focus from the game and from the players (remember, we are here for the kids, make it positive). It takes years of experience to become a good referee, and if we discourage them, we won’t have any good referees left in a few years.
  7. 24 hour rule: A good rule of thumb, whether frustrated at a coach, referee, another parent or any situation that happens at the field is to wait 24 hours and then get in touch with the parties involved. (Many times after this cool-down period, you find that there is no need to pursue the meeting after all.) At the very least, you can have a conversation without all the emotions of the night before.

Covid notes:

  1. Masks are not required, so please try to social distance as much as possible.
  2. Please use sanitizer and wash your hands regularly.
  3. If you have symptoms, feel bad, or have been around a family member who shows symptoms or feels bad, please don’t come to the complex. Go home, get better, and we will be glad to have you back.