I am worried my son/daughter will get homesick. Any ideas to help?
We do understand that being away from home can be very difficult for some players. Our coaches have a lot of experience of how to deal with homesick players, but some players do still get upset. Sometimes homesickness can be made worse by well meaning parents. We always recommend not using texts as a way of communicating and clearly agreeing set times when players can call you.
We strongly recommend once in the morning before breakfast and once around 8pm before bedtime. Back and forth messages and phone calls usually makes things much worse for everyone. Evenings can be particularly difficult when players are tired, so parents should be very clear that players can only call them once in the evenings but assure them that you will be available in the morning to answer their call.
This gives them something to look forward to but makes it absolutely clear that they need to get on with the Camp in the meantime. If there is an emergency the coaches have your number, so there is no need to keep answering the phone or sending text messages.
I am worried my son/daughter will wet the bed at the Training Camp
Do ensure to let Jess or Dan know in good time so a mattress protector can be fitted onto their bed at the Camp.
Do players need a phone?
Players do not need a phone but we accept that most players will have one. Please ensure you speak to your son/daughter about how to use their phone and remember that children don’t write messages in the same way that adults do. Phones should only be used for calling or messaging home.
There is no need for players to have a smartphone. Players will not be allowed to show other children their phone and any misuse of phones will result in them being taken away. All phones do need to be handed in before bedtime and will be returned in the morning.
My son/daughter is anxious about the trip. Any suggestions?
This is quite normal. It’s an exciting trip but there are lots of unknowns for players and parents! Do just consider if it’s the parents or the players who are anxious! We sometimes find children are worried but it’s more common to find that it’s really the parents! If parents have any concerns they can get in touch with us. We have a lot of experience and will be pleased to help.
If it is the children who are anxious then try to understand exactly what is worrying them. They will often be looking at a ‘worst case’ scenario and worrying about things which they don’t need to worry about. If there is clarity about specifically what is worrying them then we or you as parents can reassure the player and come up with a solution together.
Who is the Safeguarding Office
Dan Abraham is our Welfare & Safeguarding Officer both at the Training Camp and also at the Gothia World Youth Cup. He has been involved in running boarding school houses for over 20 years, are fully qualified with The FA and have taken teams to nearly 50 international tournaments abroad.
Are the staff DBS checked?
All our staff are DBS checked and hold a DBS certificate and have appropriate experience.
