Soccer Scholar Academy

Organisational Aims:

• Provide a safe environment for young people to participate in competitive football.
• Provide young people with a fun, exciting and challenging experience of football.
• Create an environment where all young people achieve and feel success in football.
• Promote fair play and positive sporting behaviour.
• We support the concept that winning is a by-product of hard work and training.
• Establish a foundation of a lifetime of activity and involvement in football through our comprehensive development pathways.
• Increase awareness amongst young people of educational and sporting opportunities available through the Portsmouth Football Pathway.
• Provide opportunities for players to progress through to development centres and/or academy football.
• Provide opportunities for those involved in the club to gain coaching qualifications and experience.

Jack Moore

SSA Director

M: 07854 784385

E:  jack.moore@portsmouth-college.ac.uk

Welfare Officers

Soccer Scholar Academy

Aaron Tasker

M: 07530627990

E: aaron@soccerscholaracademy.com

Training Sessions

All training sessions are led by FA qualified coaches who are CRC checked. We also support student volunteers looking to gain experience in coaching, they will often assist at our matches and training sessions.

Training Days:

• Thursday 16:00-17:30 Individual development session
• Thursday 17:30-19:00 Team development session
• Saturday 09:00-10:00 SSA Team Development Session
• Saturday SSA fixtures.
• Sunday SSA fixtures

Fair Play

The Club attempts to promote the highest standards of behaviour, fair play and sportsmanship. A "win at all costs" attitude is discouraged. The club prides itself on the behaviour of all its members. All players, spectators, parents and club officials are expected to represent the club in a positive manner and to ensure that the clubs name is in no way tarnished due to bad or unruly behaviour.

Adherence to Fair Play is:

1. Players enjoying themselves.
2. Ideals of sportsmanship, self-discipline, mutual respect, honesty and comradeship are  encouraged.
3. An atmosphere of friendly co-operation and competition exists.
4. All players are actively involved.
5. A minority of players are not permitted to dominate.
6. A minimal risk of injury.
7. Show an understanding of and respect for the laws of the game. Play within the laws of  the game.
8. Behave on and off the field in a sporting manner towards all others involved; players,officials or spectators - irrespective of the results.
9. The values and attitudes of the Fair Play policy will be indicative of the approach of the coaches and parents.

Fair Play is....

• Respect - for the opposition, the officials and the rules of the game.
• Staying cool - No matter what happens.
• Dignity - In winning or losing.
• Keeping football fun - That's why we do it.

Spectators & Parents Code of Conduct

As a club we encourage family and friends to support our teams on match days, to ensure this is a positive experience for all those involved we ask that all spectators adhere to the following:

Encourage your child to play according to the laws of the game. 

Emphasise respect for referees by not publicly questioning the referee’s honesty or decision-making.

Condemn bad behaviour and bad language and encourage sporting behaviour. 

Acknowledge the value and importance of volunteer coaches and referees.

Applaud the opposition as well as your own team.

Always give positive encouragement towards all of the players.

Avoid coaching the child during the game or training; our coaches dedicate a vast amount of time, effort and expertise in planning sessions in detail.

The emphasis of enjoyment and competing fairly should be encouraged.  

Players Code of Conduct

• Give maximum effort and strive for the best possible performance during a game.
• Make every effort to develop their own sporting abilities, in terms of skill technique, tactics and stamina.
• Set a positive example for others, particularly young players and supporters.
• Avoid all forms of gamesmanship, and time wasting.
• Not use inappropriate language.
• Know and abide by the Laws, rules and spirit of the game, and the competition rules.
• Accept success and failure victory and defeat equally.
• Avoid violence and rough play, and help injured players.
• Accept the decision of the match official without protest.
• Treat opponents with due respect at all times.
• Abide by the instructions of their Coach and Team Officials.

Child Welfare Officer

Football can have a powerful influence on children and young people. This means that everyone involved in football must take on the responsibility of looking after those children who choose to play the game of ‘Association Football’.

Children should be allowed to enjoy the game without abuse of any kind. This means bullying, physical, emotional or sexual abuse and neglect.

The Club have appointed a "Child Welfare Officer" to ensure the Football Association's child protection policies are adhered too.

The Child Welfare Officer will have a working knowledge of Child Protection and will undertake any training as necessary.

The Child Welfare Officer will provide Club Officials, managers and volunteers with Child Protection literature as deemed necessary and will be available to discuss any concerns.

The Child Welfare Officer will maintain confidentiality on a strictly "need to know" basis and store any relevant documents in a secure location.

The Child Welfare Officer will immediately contact the Police, Social Services, The N.S.P.C.C, and the F.A Child Protection administrator of any possible abuse occurring within the Club.

The Child Welfare Officer will regularly attend club matches, training and managers meetings.

Welfare Officers

Soccer Scholar Academy

Aaron Tasker

M: 07530627990

E: aaron@soccerscholaracademy.com

Child Protection Policy

The Portsmouth Football Pathway acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of every child and young person who has been entrusted to its care and is committed to working to provide a safe environment for all its members.

A child or young person is anyone under the age of 18 engaged in any club football activity. We subscribe to the Football Association’s child protection and best practice policy and procedures and endorse and adopt the policy statement contained in this document.

The Key principles of the FA child protection policy are that:

• The child’s welfare is, and must be, the paramount consideration.
• All children and young people have a right to be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender disability culture, language, racial origin, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.
• All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.
• Working in partnership with other organisations, children and young people and their carers is essential.

We acknowledge that every child or young person who plays or participated in football should be able to take part in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from poor practice and abuse.

The Soccer Scholar Academy recognises that this is the responsibility of every adult involved in the club. The Portsmouth Football Pathway has a role to play in safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people by protecting them from physical, sexual or emotional harm and from neglect or bullying.

It is noted and accepted the Football Association’s child protection regulation (see the FA handbook) applies to everyone in football whether in a paid or voluntary capacity. This includes those who are a volunteer, match official, helper on club tours, football coach, club official or medical staff.

We endorse and adopt the FA’s child protection and best practice guidelines for recruiting volunteers and will;

• Develop a role profile
• Request Identification Documents
• As a minimum meet and chat with the applicants and where possible conduct interviews before appointing.
• Request and follow up with two references before appointing.
• Require a CRB Unit Enhanced Disclosure where appropriate in line with FA guidelines.

All current Soccer Scholar Academy members with direct access to children and young people are required to complete a  DBS Unit Enhanced Disclosure. If there are concerns regarding the appropriateness of an individual who is already involved or who has approached us to become part of Soccer Scholar Academy Football Club, guidance will be sought from the Football Association. It is noted and accepted that the FA will consider the relevance and significance of the information obtained via the CRB disclosure and that all decisions will be made in the best interest of children and young people.

It is accepted that the FA aims to prevent people with a history of relevant and significant offending from having contact with children or young people and the opportunity to influence policies or practice with children or young people. This is to prevent direct sexual or physical harm to children and to minimise the risk of ‘grooming’ within football.

Soccer Scholar Academy Football Club supports the FA’s whistle blowing policy. Any adult or young person with concerns about a colleague can ‘whistle blow’ by contacting the FA Child Protection Manager on 0207 745 4771, by writing to The FA Case Manager at The Football Association, 25 Soho Square, London W1d 4FA or by going direct to the police, social services or the NSPCC.

Soccer Scholar Academy Football Club encourages everyone to know about it and utilise it if necessary.

The Soccer Scholar Academy Football Club has appointed a Club Welfare Officer (CWO) in line with the FA’s role profile and required completion of the child protection and best practice workshop. The post holder will be involved with designated persons training provided by the FA. The CWO is the first point of contact for all club members and parents or guardians regarding concerns for the welfare of any child or young person. They will liaise directly with the CFA CPO and will be familiar with the procedures for referring any concerns.

We acknowledge bullying of any kind is not acceptable at our club. If bullying does occur, all players, parents and guardians should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly. Incidents need to be reported to the child welfare officer or a member of the committee.

Codes of conduct for players, parents, spectators, officials and coaches have been implemented by Portsmouth Football Pathway.

In order to validate these codes of conduct the club has clear sanctions to deal with any misconduct at club level and acknowledges the possibility of possible sanctions which may be implemented by leagues or the CFA in more serious circumstances. All prospective members will be informed of these codes.

Complaints Procedure

In the event that any member of the Portsmouth Football Pathway feels that they have suffered discrimination in any way, or that the Club Policies, Rules or Codes of Conduct have been broken, should follow the procedures below.

They should report the matter to the Club Secretary or another member of the Committee.
Your report should include:

i. Details of what, when, and where the occurrence took place.
ii. Any witness statement and names.
iii. Names of any others who have been treated in a similar way.
iv. Details of any former complaints made about the incident, date, when and to whom made.
v. A preference for a solution to the incident.

The Club’s Management Committee will sit for any hearings that are requested.

The Club’s Management Committee will have the power to:

i. Warn as to future conduct
ii. Suspend from membership
iii. Remove from membership

Any person wishing to appeal against a decision against them, made by the Club’s Management Committee should notify the Club Secretary of their intention to appeal within 2 days of being informed of the decision of the Club’s Management Committee.

An appeal will be heard by a panel made up of 3 Officers of the Club.

The appeal panel will be able to endorse, reduce or revoke the decision of the Club’s Management Committee but not increase the sanctions taken. The decision of the appeal panel will be final.