General

What is the aim of the club?

The PWFC is a small family club who aims to provide your child with a fun playing experience. The ethos of the current committee is ‘it’s all about the child’ with emphasis on fun and positive participation.

Children

My child isn’t 6 yet can he/she register to play?

As long as your child turns 5 prior to 31 December 2016 he/she can be registered to play in the Under 6 competition.

Can my child play with his/her friend?

Every effort will be made for your child to be placed in a team with a friend however; due to team sizes limited to low numbers in the younger grades this is not always possible. Players may also be graded into teams according to their skill level. This will help to ensure that teams will compete against opponents who offer a similar skill level and ultimately result in your child enjoying their time on the field.

Training

When will training start?

Your child’s team will start pre-season training during the month of March.

What day/night will training be & where will it be held?

All of our teams train at Olds Park on a night during the week for about 1 hour. At the time of registering your child this information is unknown. The club has to ensure there are enough players who have registered to form a team. Should this be the case your child then needs to be allocated to a team. Once the team has been arranged the club will request that a parent of that team volunteer to coach the team and they will decide on a day that tries to suit them and everyone else.

Games

What time are the games?

Our non-comp teams usually play every Saturday morning, anytime from 8:30am to approximately 1:00pm. Players would be expected to turn up 30 minutes prior to their game.

Where are the games played?

How far you will travel will be dependent on what other clubs within the St George Association have teams registered in the same grade as your child’s team. The St George Association playing fields fall within the boundaries of the Hurstville, Rockdale & Kogarah councils. Usually your child’s team will play a home game at Olds Park and then play a return game at the opposition’s home field. We are fortunate at Olds Park to have the facilities to have all field sizes set up whenever there is no clash with the AFL club that also uses Olds Park #2 ground at the park.

 

 

How long do the games go for?

The following times apply within each age group, with a 5 minute half time break:

Under 6 & 7 2 x 15 min halves Under 13 & 14 2 x 30 min halves
Under 8 & 9 2 x 20 min halves Under 15 & 16 2 x 35 min halves
Under 10,11 & 12 2 x 25 min halves Under 17 & upwards 2 x 45 min halves

When does the season start and how long does it go for?

The season normally starts the first weekend in April, dependent on Easter. The competition teams play through the winter months until the end of August (including the finals series).  There have been some incidents of finals and grand finals being played in early September. The non-comp teams have normally completed their season by mid-August.

Payments

How do I pay my fees?

The preferred payment is by bank transfer/EFT. You will find our bank details on our website under the registrations info tab HERE

Gear

What gear do I have to buy?

If you are a brand new player to PWFC your registration includes free shorts and socks. Your child will be allocated a shirt for game day that remains the property of the club. It will be a good idea to bring another shirt/jumper to the game as shirts all go back in the bag so that they can be washed and ready for the following week’s game (some teams have a roster for shirt washing, some managers prefer to do this themselves so that they know that they will have all available shirts on game day). You will need to purchase shin pads and boots from a sports store for your child. Some players wear a mouth guard and those needing to wear glasses need to wear a sports approved style.

When can I get my gear?

The PWFC gear room will be open for gear purchases prior to the season starting during the month of March (dates & times T.B.A.) and will also be open on a Saturday morning once the season kicks off. Please contact one of our gear stewards should you need to arrange a purchase out of these hours to arrange another time to suit. Please note that our canteen manager looks after our canteen only and not gear sales.

Canteen

Will canteen be open during training?

The canteen is not handed over to PWFC until the Little A’s season finishes. Prior to this we have no access to the canteen as Little A’s have their own locks on all of the doors and shutters. Once the PWFC club takes over the canteen facility it will only be open on a weekend.

Coaches/Managers

Does Penshurst West FC provide Coaches/Managers?

All teams are required to have a minimum of two RTO’s (this is normally a coach and manager). PWFC is run by volunteers and we do not provide coaches and managers to each team. Once your child has been placed in a team, all the parents will need to elect a minimum  of 2 parent volunteers for the Coach & Manager positions. Sometimes parents like to elect more than 1 coach i.e. to assist on training/game days when they are unavailable to attend.

N.B. If these positions cannot be filled, the team will risk not being able to be registered. It is imperative that each team have a coach and manager to ensure the smooth running of the team.

Knowledge of the game to become a coach would be ideal, although regardless, PWFC recommends coaches participate in the ‘free’ grass roots course which can be found on the SGFA website or by contacting our Coaching Co-ordinator. Our Coaching Co-ordinator will also be able to help & guide you along the way if need be. Becoming a Manager is just a matter of being very organised!

What are the Roles & Duties of Coach / Manager?

The following expectations apply with regards to the roles of Coach and Manager:

 

COACH: DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Teach fundamental skills to the children while emphasizing skill development, fair play, teamwork, sportsmanship & fun
Be on time at practice sessions (usually once a week for an hour) and game days or find a replacement within PWFC to assist
Co-ordinate coaching sessions and the game day team
Be accessible by phone, email & Team App
Be responsible for the children until they are turned over to a parent or guardian before leaving the field after training & game
To abide by the PWFC  Code of Conduct
 

MANAGER: DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

To support your team at all times
To encourage team participation in all events
To complete administration requirements neatly and on time
To take on the responsibility of relaying to the team all communications from the committee
To liaise with committee to ensure all team duties will be undertaken
To liaise with committee should there be any issues hindering the smooth running of the team
To attend monthly meetings to collect referee’s fees
To arrange rosters for field setup and BBQ duty
To ensure team record of red & yellow cards is maintained
To ensure uniform/gear kits are returned at the end of the season to the gear steward
To abide by the PWFC  Code of Conduct

How do I Register as an RTO Volunteer (Coach/Manager)?

All managers and coaches are required to have an RTO card and at least 2 RTO’s present on game day.

If you are thinking of becoming an RTO official or volunteer, you can register on-line following the Register As A Volunteer instructions HERE, or please attend one of the advertised registration sessions where our RTO co-ordinator will assist to set up your application and answer any questions you may have. Please bring along a form of photo identification with you as this is required to be submitted with the paperwork.

Do RTO’s (Coaches/Mangers) need to attend monthly meetings?

Prior to the start of the season there will be a compulsory meeting for all RTO Officials to attend. This will ensure the committee that important information, along with RTO handbooks and referee fees for April have been distributed to all teams. The date for this meeting will be advised on our website, Facebook page and through Team App. There will also be on-going monthly meetings of which someone from the team will need to be elected in order to collect their fees for the month.