SAFETY

DC Soccer Club uses fields permitted by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, DC Public Schools, Montgomery County, universities and private schools. We take pride in our long-standing relationship with the owners of all the facilities we use, and how we use their fields. All members of DC Soccer Club are responsible for the care and maintenance of the fields we use for games, practices and clinics. Please do your part to help us in our efforts to continue our relationship with field owners, and keep our club in good standing with the community!

Three simple things you can do to help ensure our continued access to quality fields:

1. Park legally and considerately.
2. Take your trash with you when you go
3. Leave your dog at home. Pets are prohibited anywhere on the property at all DC Soccer Club games, practices and clinics.

The safety of our players, parents, coaches, and other volunteers is paramount in any weather situation. DC Soccer Club recognizes that severe weather experienced while on fields training (including, but not limited to, lightning, extreme heat, and extreme cold) can affect player safety, and the club is committed to implementing safe practices to minimize such risk.  

DC Soccer Club's Inclement Weather Policy is based on guidelines set forth by U.S. Soccer in conjunction with data provided by WeatherBug, a full-service mobile and online weather application. This policy provides the basis for changes or cancellations to DC Soccer Club activities based on actual or potential severe weather conditions.

DC Soccer Club staff will follow this policy when determining whether club trainings, tryouts, or other events should be modified or cancelled due to actual or potential extreme weather conditions.

This policy applies to training sessions, camps, clinics, tryouts, games and other activities over which DC Soccer Club staff have governance authority. For Travel league games and tournaments, the relevant league or the referee is responsible for cancelling for weather reasons.

COLD WEATHER GUIDELINES

DC Soccer Club staff will use Wind Speed and Temperature provided by the WeatherBug App to determine Wind Chill Temperature Index (WCT) on the U.S. Soccer chart.

Actual or predicted WCT at the scheduled time of activities will determine the Recommended Action. DC Soccer Club will use these charts to determine practice modifications or cancelations. Practice will be held when WCT falls in the green, yellow, and orange zones. Activities will be modified, moved indoors, or canceled when the WCT falls in red and black zones.

HOT WEATHER GUIDELINES

DC Soccer Club staff will use Relative Humidity and Temperature provided by the WeatherBug App to determine Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) on the U.S. Soccer chart.

Actual or predicted WBGT at the scheduled time of activities, as charted above, will determine the Alert Level on the chart below. DC Soccer Club will use these charts to determine practice modifications or cancelations. Practice will be held when WBGT falls in the green, yellow and orange zones. WBGT in red and black zones will warrant DC Soccer Club activities to be modified, moved indoors, or canceled. Note: given the geographic location of Washington, D.C., all DC Soccer Club activities will be determined on the Category 3 guidelines on the chart seen on the map below.

LIGHTNING AND/OR THUNDER

Lightning and severe weather pose a threat to player health and safety. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), there is no safe place outside when thunderstorms are in the area, and if you hear thunder, you are likely within striking distance of the storm. In consideration of this advice, DC Soccer Club policy is as follows:

If a coach, manager, parent/guardian, athlete, or other individual sees lightning, or hears thunder, that person shall immediately notify the coach, and the coach is required to:

• Suspend the outdoor activity; and
• Direct all players to seek a safe shelter* location for at least 30 minutes from the last time lighting is seen or thunder is heard.

Coaches and managers should download the free WeatherBug App lightning detector app, which may help track when lighting might be near. Anytime the app denotes lightning within ten (10) miles, all outdoor activities should cease immediately.

Safe Shelter: According to the NWS, safe shelter is either a substantial building (one with plumbing and wiring such as a home, school, church, office building, indoor concourse or recreation center) or a fully enclosed metal-topped vehicle such as a hard-topped car, minivan, bus, etc. Unfortunately, many of the fields used by DC Soccer Club do not have access to substantial buildings for safe shelter. Therefore, while DC Soccer Club coaches, managers, and management have the best intentions for the safety of our players, parents/guardians are reminded that they are ultimately responsible for ensuring players have access to a safe vehicle during outdoor activities. 

Parents/guardians should ensure that a responsible person with a safe vehicle remains at the field if/when there is a risk of severe weather forming.

Other Possible Reasons for Schedule Changes or Cancellation

At their discretion, DC Soccer Club staff may cancel practice, including, but not limited to, individual team trainings in the winter months. Any DC Soccer Club club-wide decision about field use supersedes any coach’s decision. Some reasons coaches or DC Soccer Club staff might cancel scheduled activities include, but are not limited to:

• Frozen Surface: If the playing surface is frozen and/or contains blocks of snow and/or ice, activities may be cancelled.
• Severe Flooding and Road Closures: In the event of severe flooding and road closures, activities may be cancelled.

Field Closures

DC Soccer Club uses fields managed and operated by the DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR), Montgomery County, schools, and other private organizations and will follow the operating policies and procedures established by each institution with respect to severe weather. Playing on a field that has been closed by the field owner/manager is strictly prohibited and is considered a violation of DC Soccer Club policy.

Notifications and Communication

DC Soccer Club staff will make best efforts to communicate modifications and cancellations ninety (90) minutes in advance of a scheduled activity, in accordance with the above policies; however, staff may cancel activities, should fields be closed or weather conditions change and present safety risks to participants prior to or during scheduled activities.

DC Soccer Club will make best efforts to communicate cancellations by sending emails/alerts via the PlayMetrics platform to affected players, coaches, managers, and/or teams. 

For DC fields managed by DPR, participants can sign up for email and text alert notifications.

Policy Enforcement

Any coach who does not follow the Severe Weather Policy will be in violation of the Coach’s Code of Conduct and subject to disciplinary action. Any parent/guardian who does not adhere to this policy will be considered in violation of the DC Soccer Club Parent/Guardian Code of Conduct and/or subject to disciplinary action. Any player who does not adhere to this policy will be in violation of the DC Soccer Club Player Code of Conduct, which may result in disciplinary action.

Additional Weather Resources

• US Soccer Lightening and Severe Weather
• Weather.gov Lightening Toolkit
• WeatherBug

DC Soccer Club recognizes a concussion is a traumatic brain injury that presents a serious risk to youth athletes. DC Soccer Club is committed to safe practices to minimize such risk. DC Soccer Club adheres to Concussion Management protocol in accordance with the DC Athletic Concussion Protection Act of 2011 and the Maryland State Youth Association (MSYSA) mandatory compliance requirements. These policies are designed to protect youth athletes who participate in athletic activities from long-term health dangers associated with failure to properly recognize, treat, and recover from a concussion through:

• training key personnel in concussion recognition and respons
• removing athletes with suspected concussions from further risk
• requiring athletes who have suspected concussions to return to play only with proper written medical clearance.

All DC Soccer staff, coaches (both paid and volunteer), and players over the age of 18 are required to complete the HEADS UP to Brain Injury Awareness training through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Any DC Soccer Club player who is suspected of sustaining a concussion in any club activity (including, but not limited to, training, game, tournaments, tryouts) shall be removed from play, and an incident report must be completed. The player may not return to play until:

1. the player is evaluated by a licensed healthcare provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussion; and
2. has received written clearance to return to play from that health care provider. 

For more information about Concussions, please see these resources:

• CDC Head's Up Concussion Info
• Children's National Safe Concussion Outcome Recovery & Education (SCORE) Program
• US Soccer Recognize to Recover Guidelines

RISK MANAGEMENT

Risk management consists of the actions taken by DC Soccer Club to minimize risk associated with the playing and administration of the game of soccer. The Board of Directors of DC Soccer Club studies the areas where risk may exist and proposes policy and education to mitigate risk. 

Our risk management policies address a number of issues which include, but are not limited to, background checks for those involved with youth players, field and game safety, and the protection of young athletes from long-term health injuries.

KIDSAFE

As an affiliate of the United States Youth Soccer Association, DC Soccer Club follows a "KIDSAFE Program" to identify any adult (18 years or older) who, because of his/her conduct, should not be allowed to participate in the soccer program and have contact with children. 

Under the KIDSAFE program, persons who hold a formal position, paid or volunteer, in DC Soccer Club such as coach, assistant coach, team manager, referee, board member, are required to respond to a questionnaire that asks whether he/she has ever been arrested or convicted of sexual abuse, physical abuse, exploitation of a minor, currently uses illegal drugs, is subject to a restraining order or civil action relating to child, or domestic abuse or violence. 

Any person whose response indicates that he/she has been convicted of abuse or exploitation of a minor will automatically be barred from  participating in the soccer program. DC Soccer Club will make a case-by-case determination whether to prohibit a person who answers any other part of the questionnaire affirmatively from participating in the soccer program. It is important for parents to understand the limitations of the KIDSAFE program. 

DC Soccer Club relies exclusively on the responses to the questionnaires and background checks provided through an independent national background check company on any adult participant in the soccer program. DC Soccer Club's actions are limited to collection of completed questionnaires, processing the background checks, and in the event of an affirmative response, deciding what, if any, action is warranted. Other than as set forth above, an affirmative response is not an automatic bar to participation in DC Soccer Club.

General Guidelines for Emergency Situations or Other Injuries:

1. Stay Calm
2. Call EMS (911) immediately for any condition that potentially is life or limb threatening, including loss of consciousness for ANY reason, uncontrollable bleeding, compound or grossly disfigured bone fractures or dislocations, seizure, and/or any suspected spinal injury.
3. If the player is conscious and lucid, acquire consent from parents before providing care.
4. Care should only be given by staff members that are CPR/AED and First Aid certified. NEVER attempt to provide care beyond your training!
5. Follow the Emergency Action Plan as closely as possible, but be prepared to adjust depending on personnel available at the time of emergency.

Medical Emergencies

In the event of a serious medical emergency at a training, game, tournament, or other DC Soccer Club activity, the following steps should be taken:

1. Call EMS (911)
2. Notify the nearest coach or Club staff member onsite that EMS has been called
3. Coach/Staff will collect player information: Name, Date of Birth, injury, parents’ names and phone numbers
4. Coach/Staff will contact parents or ask another adult to do so, if they are not onsite
5. Coach/Staff will accompany player in the ambulance, if needed, if parents are not on site

EMS (911) Guidelines

When dialing 911 please have the following information available to give the dispatcher:

• Address
• Location of player. Be as specific as possible.
• Location of where the ambulance will be met by a designated person to aid with directions
• Caller's name and phone number
• A designated person to meet the ambulance 
• As much information about player as possible: name, gender, age, current medical condition and mental status, and medial history and allergies, if applicable.

Sample Script: “My name is ____________ and I have a player in need of immediate medical attention at ______________. The player is a 16-year-old male suffering from ________. Please meet ____________ at the ________ (exact location) and they will help direct the ambulance to us.” 

Mass Attacks

In the very unexpected circumstance of a Mass Attack (active shooter, suspicious package, or other weapons), take the following steps:

• Stay Alert. Always be aware of your environment and any possible dangers.
• If you see something, say something to Coaches/DC Soccer Club Staff. This includes suspicious packages, people behaving strangely, or someone using strange communications.
• Observe warning signs. Signs might include unusual or violent communications, expressed anger, or intent to cause harm and substance abuse. 
• Call EMS (911).
• Remain calm, follow law enforcement’s instructions, if they are present, and evacuate in the direction they tell you to.

Coaches/DC Soccer Club staff should notify parents – ASAP and when safe to do so – and DC Soccer Club Executive Director Greg Andrulis, who will assist in providing parent updates.

DC Soccer Club recognizes the inherent dangers associated with unanchored or improperly anchored soccer goals tipping over, and that care must be taken to ensure proper setup, maintenance, and transportation of movable soccer goals. This policy is to inform and instruct anyone involved with soccer goals of the potential dangers posed by soccer goals and ways to ensure safe operations around goals. While DC Soccer Club only uses fields that are owned and maintained by others, and therefore does not have full control of the goals and other field equipment, these policies are intended to prevent, to the extent possible, injury or death as a result of soccer goal misuse. The guidelines in this policy have been adapted from safety tips provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

This policy applies to all DC Soccer Club management, coaches, managers, parents/guardians, spectators, and athletes. The use of the term “goals” in this document refers to metal-framed soccer goals, typically with dimensions ranging from 6’ x 18’ to 8’ x 24’. Such goals may be anchored in place in the ground, or they may be moveable. This policy does not apply to small “pop up” goals like  (usually 4’ x 6’ flexible frame goals) or plastic-framed portable goals. These goals are deemed safer than larger, metal-framed goals; however, much of the information on the safe usage of portable goals that follows still may still be taken into consideration when handling these smaller goals. 

The following policies are in place to keep goals and nets secure and youth athletes safe.  Coaches, parents/guardians, and spectators should advise children, youth athletes, and any other person accompanying them for whom they are responsible for these policies.

General Goal Safety

At the start of each season, DC Soccer Club staff will inspect goal equipment to identify and remedy any safety issues. DC Soccer Club management, coaches, team managers, parents/guardians, spectators, and athletes should be aware of, and, to the extent possible, follow the following goal safety guidelines, provided by the U.S. CPSC:

• Check for structural integrity and proper connecting hardware before every use; replace damaged or missing parts or fasteners immediately.
• NEVER allow anyone to climb on the net or goal framework.
• Ensure safety/warning labels are clearly visible (placed under the crossbar and on the sides of the down-posts at eye level).

Goal Use

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, playing, climbing, or hanging on any part of a soccer goal can result in serious injury, including death. Therefore, any use of a soccer goal that is inconsistent with soccer-related activity, including without limitation, playing, climbing, or hanging on any part of the soccer goal is strictly prohibited.This especially applies to children climbing on or hanging from nets or goal frames.

If a coach, parent/guardian, or spectator observes any child inappropriately using a soccer goal or net, they are to immediately and politely ask that child to stop. If the activity continues, they are to notify a coach, referee, or the child's parent, if known, as soon as possible. 

Weighting Goals

Goals should be anchored or secured in some fashion, typically with the use of sand bags, so  they are less susceptible to tipping over. If a coach, parent/guardian, or spectator sees any soccer goal that is not anchored down or otherwise secure during a training session, practice, tryout, or other DC Soccer Club-sponsored activity, they are to contact the coach or DC Soccer Club staff immediately.

Moving Goals

Goals should be moved by club personnel, which includes staff coaches, volunteer coaches and team managers. Older players should only move goals with appropriate adult supervision and involvement.

Policy Enforcement

Any DC Soccer Club coach or manager who does not adhere to this policy will be considered in violation of DC Soccer Coaches Code of Conduct. Any parent/guardian who does not adhere to this policy will be considered in violation of the DC Soccer Club Parent Code of Conduct. Any player who does not adhere to this policy will be in violation of the DC Soccer Club Player Code of Conduct.