Safety First!

General safety:  ASA strives to provide a safe environment for your children but safety is everybody’s responsibility. 

• ASA requires that two adults are at every practice and game. This normally includes two coaches, but if only one coach is there, please offer to stay as a second adult.
• If there is an injury to one of the players, one adult should be attending to the injured child while the other adult tends to the rest of the team.
• If the child requires immediate medical attention, one adult must stay with the injured child throughout the incident.

Soccer Goals: ASA needs everyone’s help to keep practices and games as safe as possible. Please help us by following these simple guidelines:

• Before every game and every practice, inspect all goals and the playing field. The goals should have sandbags on the sides (or the frames) of the goals, near the back of the goals. These sandbags will help keep the goals from blowing over.
• If the goals do not have sandbags or other anchor to hold them down, DO NOT USE THE GOALS, AND DO NOT SIT, STAND OR PLAY NEAR THE GOALS.
• If the sandbags are missing, an adult needs to locate them and put the sandbags on the sides or frames of the goal.
• If you cannot find the sandbags or cannot find a n adult to help put the sandbags on the back of the goal, DO NOT USE THE GOAL, AND DO NOT SIT, STAND OR PLAY NEAR THE GOAL.
• Never climb on a goal, do chin-ups on a goal or hang from a goal.
• Goals should only be moved by adults.
• Unless you are playing or coaching soccer, please stay away from goals.

Trash: Please do not leave any trash on the ground.  Clean up after your event including games and practices.

NO DOGS, NO DOGS, NO DOGS: Please - for the safety and health of players and parents - no dogs.

Slow Down and Obey Parking Rules: ASA has already had complaints from three schools about cars being parked illegally and complaints about parents speeding into parking lots.

Respect Fields and Neighbors: Please stay at the fields and keep off the private properties that border many of the fields ASA is using this spring. Do not allow children to wander unattended through the woods, especially at Sanborn, Bancroft, and New England Bible; all three locations have poison ivy and thorn bush issues. Neighbors at Andover School of Montessori and New England Bible Church are watching ASA closely as this is our first time field Saturday games on those fields.

Thunder/Lightning:  Soccer can be played in poor weather conditions, but it can not be played if there is even the threat of thunder and lightning in the area.  Please follow these simple rules when thunder or lightning threaten:

• If thunder or lightning is heard or seen, all players and coaches MUST leave the field immediately.
• If parents have dropped children off at practice or a game, it is THE PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY to return to the field and pick up your child if there is a threat of thunder or lightning. Children should not be on the field.
• If you, as a parent or player feel, the weather poses a hazard, you are encouraged to pull your child, or yourself, off the field even if the coach or referee doesn’t. 

Have Fun: Soccer is a healthy and fun activity for our players. Cheer for both teams in a positive way, stress sportsmanship and teamwork with your player.