The safety of the kids is the most important issue within the club. The club takes safety concerns very seriously and works together at all levels to ensure a safe environment for the players. If you have any suggestions or concerns regarding the safety of the players, please contact eclipse@eastbayeclipse.com.

 

Emergency Information

During the registration process, the club asks for emergency contact information, doctor information, as well as information on any allergies or other medical history we should be aware of. The club compiles this data, so that each coach has an emergency information sheet for their team with them at all times to ensure that any emergency issues are handled as quickly and as safely as possible.

 

First Aid Training

All Eclipse head coaches take First Aid training as part of the process of being hired by the club. Coaches must participate in renewals of their certifications to ensure they remain up to date on techniques and proper safety procedures. All equipment bags have a First Aid kit included for coaches to give general first aid treatment to players who are injured at practices or games. Each team also has a parent assigned the job of First Aid to ensure an additional First Aid kit is available at all games.

 

Overuse Injuries

The East Bay Eclipse Soccer Club is very aware of the increasing number of overuse injuries in youth sports. The club does everything it can to remain educated on this growing trend and do what it can to take preventative measures to keep its players healthy and free of injuries. Teams regularly participate in warm-ups, cool-downs and stretching exercises at their practices and games. Players and parents should also educate themselves on what they can do to decrease the likelihood of overuse injuries.

 

Burnout

The East Bay Eclipse Soccer Club is aware of the growing trend among youth athletes of “burnout,” which is the psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest. The club does its best to ensure its players do not suffer from burnout by ensuring that players are consistently enjoying their time at practices, games, etc. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s coach or one of the directors if they believe their child is experiencing burnout. The coach and/or director can work together with the player and parents to determine steps to relieve the stress the player is experiencing.

 

Heading the Ball

U11 and below - No heading of the ball per club and US Soccer Federation national policies.

U12 and up - Heading the ball is completely at the player's discretion. We will teach the proper technique to ensure kids who are going to head the ball are doing it in the correct/safe way, but no player will be required to do headers if they do not want to.

In lieu of heading, players will be taught other techniques to bring the ball out of the air (chest, thigh, etc.).

Weather

Although we do our best to get all of the scheduled practices and games in, rain, lightning, heat, and smoke can result in field closures for the safety of our players and/or the well-being of the fields. In the event of practice cancellations and field closures, updates will be sent out via email and posted on the club’s website.