- info@mmyfc.ie
Q: What is the Mount Merrion Youths’ Academy?
A: The Academy is designed to teach the basic skills, to boys and girls, needed to enjoy football. Care is taken to ensure that all players get the same attention and coaching.
Q: When is the Academy on?
A: The academy takes place on Saturday afternoons from 1615 – 1715. There are two terms – September to December and February to May.
Q: Where is it on?
A: The Academy takes place on the astro pitches in Benildus College, Upper Kilmacud Road. Entrance to the pitches is through the college (entrance off Upper Kilmacud Road) or a pedestrian entrance off Drumartin Link Road.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: €100 per term.
Q: If my child is a member of the Academy, does that guarantee them a place in the Club?
A: No. It does not guarantee them a place, but the club will try and facilitate all children to play football subject to numbers, coaches and facilities.
Q: Can I drop my child off at the academy?
A: All parents are expected to be at the academy in case their child gets injured or needs to go to the bathroom.
Q: What does an age co-ordinator do?
A: An age co-ordinator looks after any issues that may arise at a certain age group. They are the go to person for any queries or advice that managers or parents of that age group may have.
Q: Who are the age co-ordinators?
A: A list of age co-ordinators is published on the website.
Q: Who are the Management Committee members?
Barry Saul, Designed Liaison Officer
Tom Hanrahan, Secretary
Adrian Lyons, Treasurer
Emily Hourican, Childrens’ Officer
Paul Burke, Football Committee Chair
Paul McDonnell, Age Co-ordinator Chair
Nap Keeling
Q: What are the opening hours?
A: Mon – Thurs 10am – 1.00pm, Sat and Sun 9.30am – 1.30pm
Q: Can I buy kit during those hours?
A: Yes
Q: Can I use Clubhouse for Parent Meetings etc
A: Yes. To avail of this facility, please send mail to info@mmyfc.ie and it can be arranged.
Q: Does the club have a recruitment officer?
A: Yes, Willie Boland is responsible for recruitment for the UCD Mount Merrion Development Squads.
Q: Do managers/coaches of teams need coaching qualifications?
A: While a coaching qualification isn’t compulsory, the Club encourages coaches to develop their skills through the FAI approved courses. The Club (with prior agreement) will fund these courses.
Q: Is there a Childrens’ officer in the Club?
A: Yes. Emily Hourican (0860505591)
Q: Who must be Garda Vetted?
A: Anyone who has any involvement in any team, includes managers, coaches, temporary helpers (this is not an exhaustive list so please check with Emily if in doubt) must be Garda vetted. The Club employs a zero-tolerance policy for this.
Q: Why does everyone involved in a team need to be Garda vetted?
A: Garda vetting has been an FAI Rule for all those working with children and or vulnerable persons (in a paid or voluntary capacity) for a several years. Therefore, this legislation simply places existing FAI practices on a statutory footing. Please see FAI Rule 75 and the FAI Child Welfare Policy for more information.
If you are not Garda vetted through the FAI, you should not undertake any work in a paid or voluntary capacity with children or vulnerable persons in football.
Q: What is a safeguarding course?
A: The Safeguarding course is a Child Welfare course run by the FAI to upskill coaches on the importance of Child Welfare. It’s an FAI requirement to complete this before coaching children.
Q: Why do I need to undertake it?
A: It is an FAI requirement and club policy to ensure all those in the club who have contact with Children complete this course.
Q: How does the Club deal with disciplinary issues concerning players, managers or parents?
A: The Club has a disciplinary committee which includes members of the Management Committee. This Committee only meets when necessary. Depending on the seriousness of the issue, a legal representative may also form part of the committee. Any decision made by this Committee is final.
There are also binding Ethics guidelines for players, managers and parents on the website.
From time to time, the Club may embark on fundraising activities. We are always looking for volunteers for these activities and welcome new ideas or suggestions.
Q: Who are our fixtures secretaries?
A: Nicola (083 160 3304) for DDSL and Ciaran () MGL.
Q: Can a kick off time or venue be changed by contacting the opposition or league directly?
A: Any request for a change of anything for a match MUST go through our fixtures secretaries and age co-ordinators.
Q: Can I contact a referee directly to advise change of time or venue?
A: No. Any issues to do with a referee MUST go through our fixtures secretaries and age co-ordinators.
Q: If I can’t fulfil a fixture, what do I do?
A: Immediately inform the fixtures secretary (for competitive leagues you may lose the points). Please do not contact the league or opposition directly.
Q: Where do I play my games at the weekend?
Boys/Girls 5/7/9 aside home games take place in Deerpark.
Boys 11 aside Marlay Astro, Bearna Park and Colaiste Eoin
Girls 11 aside – Marlay Astro
Friendlies:
Q: Can friendlies be arranged in the off-season and what is the Procedure?
A: Book on club website for home matches but all friendlies must be sanctioned by the league. Please inform our fixtures secretaries of all friendlies. They will inform the league on your behalf and get the authorisation to proceed.
Q: If first aid equipment is required, who do I contact?
A: Please send a mail to info@mmyfc.ie providing relevant details.
Q: Is there goalkeeping coaching available?
A: Yes, Goalkeeping training takes place on Thursday nights. Please contact the relevant age co-ordinator to confirm availability.
Q: Who must be Garda Vetted?
A: Anyone who has any involvement in any team (includes managers, coaches, temporary helpers (this is not an exhaustive list so please check with Emily if in doubt) must be Garda vetted. The Club employs a zero-tolerance policy for this.
Q: If I have been Garda vetted in another capacity e.g. school, rugby etc, do I need to still apply for Garda Vetting?
A: Yes. You must be Garda Vetted through the FAI process.
Q: Does the Club grade players?
A: Yes. The club grades players on a yearly basis. Complete grading is done for the A and B teams and for players playing C/D, if they are deemed good enough they can also be moved up or down to the level they can play at.
Q: At what age does grading take place?
A: Grading takes place as players progress from the academy (i.e. from U7 onwards)
It is proven to be psychologically and physically beneficial for children to play with others of similar ability. Players develop best, and have the most positive experience, if they are within a team and playing against teams, where their ability is consistent with those around them.
Q: Does the club have a policy for hardship cases?
A: The club wants to ensure that any player who is experiencing hardship will be treated no differently to other players and can continue to play.
Q: Who can I contact if I need to discuss a hardship case?
A: Please contact Adrian Lyons (086 8594809). All cases will be treated in the strictest of confidence.
Q: Are players covered by insurance?
A: Yes. Insurance is included as part of the subscription. There is a €150 excess on any claim.
Q: Is there a requirement to wear club kit at all times when taking part in club activity?
A: The club insists that all players must wear club kit for matches. There is no excuse for not having the correct kit on match day. For training, all players should wear club training tops, shorts and socks.
Q: What kit do I get with my subscription?
A: Your subscription covers shorts and socks. All new players to the club will also receive a training top as part of their first subscription.
Q: Are jerseys supplied?
A: Jerseys are supplied for all teams.
Q: Where can I buy kit?
A: Kit may be purchased at the Clubhouse. Opening hours are Mon – Thurs 10am – 1.00pm, Sat and Sun 9.30am – 1.30pm.
Q: How can I get kit which is included in my subscription?
A: Kit can be collected from the clubhouse on production of your subscription receipt. This will have been mailed to you automatically once your subscription has been paid.
Q: Is there a manager’s handbook?
A: Yes. Please follow the following link.
Q: Is there a list of managers for each team?
A: A list of managers is published on the club website.
Q: What are the age groups for the MWC?
A: The event caters for 4-year olds to 12-year olds, boys and girls. Q: When does it take place?
A: It normally starts place the Tuesday after the August bank holiday with the finals played the following Saturday and Sunday.
Q: Where does it take place?
A: Deer Park.
Q: Where can I find details?
A: Details can be found under the Mini-World Cup Tab on the website, www.mmyfc.ie. Fixtures and results are updated at the end of play each day and published on the site.
Q: How much does it cost to enter a child?
A: €40 per child with discounts for more than one player from the same family.
Q: Can players from other clubs enter?
A: Yes. However, in the case that the competition is oversubscribed, club members will be given priority.
Q: Who marks the pitches and puts up the nets?
A: This is done by our groundsman in both Deer Park and Blackrock? Bearna Park ? It is incumbent upon managers that you check to see if you are the last game and we ask you to please ensure the goals/nets/stakes are brought in and stored.
There are occasions whereby matches are scheduled to kick off at the same time in both locations. Our groundsman does everything in his power to have both locations ready in time.
Q: Do the pitches close for any period during the year?
A: Normally the council closes the pitches from mid-December until mid-January. No football is permitted during this period. Pitches can also be called off by the council if bad weather deems them unplayable. The playability of the council run pitches is posted on the council website each Friday by 1pm.
Under no circumstances can matches be played on the pitches if the council has officially closed them.
Q: How are new players brought into the club?
A: Please talk with the relevant age co-ordinator as the club may have a waiting list. New players cannot be accepted without clearance from the club. This is to ensure subs are paid and the child is insured.
Q: Can a child be brought in on trial?
A: Please discuss this with the age co-ordinator. A child can come to training once on trial and then will have to sign for the club and pay subs, subject to there being a place. This will have to be agreed in writing with the club to ensure the child is insured on the trial.
Q: Where can I find the club policies?
A: A list of current policies can be found on the club website under the policies link.
Safeguarding course:
Q: What is a safeguarding course?
A: The Safeguarding course is a Child Welfare course run by the FAI to upskill coaches on the importance of Child Welfare. It’s an FAI requirement to complete this before coaching children.
Q: When does the season start and finish?
A: Boys:
Starts February to June then break in July and August and finishes end of November
A: Girls:
MGL starts in September and finishes in May (u11, u12, u13, u15, Youths) (Winter football).
SDFL starts in March and finishes in November (Summer football)
Starts September to first weekend in December and mid-January to mid-May.
Q: How do I pay my subs?
A: Please pay online through the club website under Payments.
Q: What amount do I pay?
A: Please look for the season that your child is playing and pay the relevant fee.
One manager and one coach per team get to pay a reduced rate (At younger age groups, there may be an increase of coaches for each team).
First child is the oldest child and subsequent children get a reduced rate.
Subs for one off events such as camps and academy are treated separately.
The club will give a half season rate if the child starts mid-season.
If you have any difficulty in paying the fees due to hardship, please contact Adrian Lyons (0868594809) in confidence.
Please pay your subs as soon as the season starts or when your child joins. Failure to do so will result in your child not being insured.
Q: Where do I train?
A: Boys and Girls 5/7/9/11 aside mainly train in St Benildus all-weather from Sept to Nov and mid Jan to May.
Some teams train in Marley all-weather and some in UCD. Full training schedule is emailed to all managers at the beginning of the season.
Q: What nights do we train?
A: Generally, Mon/Wed/Thursday are nights of training. A full training schedule is emailed to all managers at the beginning of the season.
Q: What should the players wear for training?
A: All players should wear club socks and shorts and the club training top. As winter approaches black skins / black gloves and club hat.
Q: What should the coach/manager wear?
A: The Coach should wear a MMYFC jacket (given to all coaches) and be identifiable as a MMYFC coach.
Q: Can I coach on my own?
A: It is advisable that there are two coaches there at all times to protect the coach and the child. However, there are times when one of the coaches/managers is unavoidably detained and can’t make the session. Given there are normally other club teams training side by side, then exceptions will be made in this case.
Under no circumstances should a coach/manager take a session on their own where there are no other adults present.
Q: Where does pre-season training take place?
A: During the summer, pre-season takes place on grass in Deer Park and other locations. Training in Benildus commences towards the end of September.
Q: How do I volunteer with the club?
A: The club is run by volunteers and has many active roles. Without the support of volunteers, the club could not survive. Please contact a committee member or email info@mmyfc.ie to let us know of your interest to become a volunteer. The club will then allocate a role to you as available.
All volunteers must follow the FAI Garda vetting process and attend Safeguarding 1. This is as per legislation.
Q: What is the Club’s address?
A: Deer Park, Mount Merrion
Q: What is the Club’s email address?
info@mmyfc.ie
Q: What is the Club’s website address?
A: www.mmyfc.ie
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