Taunton Youth FC Community Trust
Taunton Youth FC Community Trust
Welcome to the Spring update of the Taunton Youth Newsletter.
This season has been unprecedented in the fact we have had matches impacted due to pitch conditions and the continuing run of bad weather and now the impact to sporting events due to Coronavirus. Hopefully the Spring Newsletter will answer a few questions you may have.
As the Government increases preparations for the ongoing outbreak of Coronavirus we recognise this may be a worrying time for players, parents, volunteers and staff. We will be guided by the JPL, latest government guidance and Somerset FA in our decision making. Matches for this week have been cancelled already but for now we plan to continue with our regular training nights. Of course we will keep this under review as the situation evolves; safety comes first.
Within our Club we have a custom of shaking hands on arrival as a way of acknowledging people and showing respect. If people would prefer not to do this, this his perfectly fine and we respect their decision.
We ask that for now all payments and standing orders to the Club remain in place. As we know more and we near the end of the season we will do a financial review. If it turns out that many matches and training nights have to be cancelled then we will look to reimburse people. At this stage it is simply too early to tell if events and matches will be cancelled completely or simply postponed and played later.
This will be the third year we have run an exhibition match for the U13's. Currently it is still panned to go ahead to take place at Taunton Town's Cygnet Stadium on Thursday 23rd April. This gives the U13's the opportunity to play on Taunton's main pitch and enjoy a real experience. Having parents and members of the programme along to support is always welcome. A decision as to whether the match goes ahead due to the current Coronavirus situation will be made mid April.
Ian Thompson has joined the programme on the Technical Management Team - which will oversee and implement effective session planning and evaluations for each age group. His role is to:
He will also be observing fixtures and passing feedback to Managers so that the players get the best experience possible. As a Community Trust we are lucky to have an A Licence coach with a fantastic football knowledge keen to move the programme forward.
Taunton Youth's new kit supplier is Somerset County Sports. All kit available will be the same as held by Tony Pryce Sports apart from the training tops. These will now be yellow. This can serve as an ‘away’ kit when we have a colour clash with an opposing team. Please note, it isn’t compulsory for existing players to buy the new yellow tops.
Somerset County Sports,
The Cooper Associates County Ground,
St James Street,
Taunton,
Somerset
TA1 1JT
Tel: 01823 337597
OPENING TIMES
Mon – Fri – 9am-5pm
Sat – 9am – 4pm
Sun – 10am-2pm
Times may change due to Somerset CCC fixtures
Please note, the car park is Pay and Display. 15 minutes are free. SCS will refund tickets for purchases of £10 and over.
Plans are well underway for the local 6 a-side tournament we are helping to run on 9-10 May 2020 at Taunton Town's Cygnet Health Care Stadium.
This is the first time we have been involved in the design and running of such an event. As a reminder this is open to four age groups: U10 and U12 on the Saturday, U11 and U13 on Sunday. Following careful consideration by the Trustees we have decided to enter one team from Taunton Youth FC for each age group with the exception of U10s as our programme does not officially start until U11.
The coaches for the relevant age groups will select the 8 players invited to play and they'll be encouraged to put together a team that includes both match squad and development squad players.
The Trustees understand that some players and families may feel disappointed at the thought of missing out. As this is primarily a fund-raising event for us and the main club we are looking at other ways in which players can contribute to the organisation and running of the tournament should they wish to be involved.
Given how quickly the spaces for this tournament are selling we have good reason to believe this will be well attended by local clubs. If all goes well we are keen for this to become an annual event in the community.
Those who miss out will have the opportunity to play at the Exeter City tournament the weekend after.
We have been using Sedgemoor Campus in Bridgwater every Saturday since the start of the year to guarantee fixtures. It is one of the smaller 11 v 11 3G's however it has been a really useful facility to have. As a thank you, Hinkley Leisure are offering a FREE 7 day fitness Pass for fitness sessions Sedgemoor Campus. Please scan the QR Code for more details.
