Head of Activities - Edition 10 - 2020

Winter Season Sport

This Saturday will be a big day at Westminster with the School playing host to a large number of sporting fixtures and we will have some further opportunities for home games as the limited season progresses.

Unless we are instructed differently due to further health directives, the following guidelines will apply for the remainder of the winter season.

Now that ‘sausage sizzles’ are making a comeback, our Friends of Westminster Caravan and BBQ will be operational throughout this coming Saturday (within all prevailing guidelines) so we encourage you to support our enthusiastic parent volunteers who will be running these stations. A range of refreshments will be available via the Friends of Westminster van or BBQ, both to be set up near the new Sports Pavilion. Please note that contactless transactions (ie card) will be preferred.

Beyond the refreshments, the return of sport this term sees other important guidelines to be followed, based on information from SAAS (Sports Association for Adelaide Schools) and IGSSA (Independent Girls’ Schools Sport Association), as well as our own COVID-19 protocols.

Please familiarise yourself with these guidelines, which need to be followed by student-athletes, staff members or spectators.

For all Sports:

• Spectators are allowed but social distancing still applies - 1.5 m apart and one person per 2 m2 where possible.
• The School will not be offering spectators a shared afternoon tea – you will need to bring your own supplies or use the refreshment stations.
• Players to avoid ‘high fives’, handshakes, hugs and other physical contact (outside of play for contact sports).
• Players need to observe social distancing when not in play.
• Players to arrive and depart in sporting uniforms if possible – changerooms (for quick pre/post-match changing only) and toilet facilities will be open but showers are not to be used.
• Players to be responsible for their own strapping as needed.
• Players not to share food or drink bottles – bring your own.

Outdoor Sports:

• Basketball/Netball – no spectators allowed inside the court perimeters – viewing will need to be outside the courts; for Senior School, the best and safest viewing space will be the paved area between the courts and Sports and Swimming Centre.
• Australian Rules Football/Soccer - spectators to space themselves around the boundaries (plenty of room).

Indoor (Sports and Swimming Centre):

• Entry through main western entrance, exit through southern door to be accessed using the indoor western wall walkway (back of courts).
• Spectators will need to sign a COVID-19 declaration at the SSC entry station before being allowed in. Alternatively, to avoid a potential bottleneck at the entrance, you can bring the completed form after downloading it below. Thank you in advance for your patience during this process. Players, coaches and officials for both sides will not be required to complete this declaration.
• Only players, coaches, officials and designated helpers are allowed in the gym (If you want a courtside seat, feel free to volunteer for timing or scoring).
• The upstairs viewing gallery will be open but with limited capacity due to social distancing (alternate seating) and the balustrade being under maintenance, taking out the first row of seating.
• While there is no restriction to family numbers, one spectator per athlete is a common standard. We ask that you are mindful of this reduced viewing capacity to watch indoor games.
• While there will be sanitising stations, you are encouraged to bring your own.
• There will be a distinct changeover between games. When a game finishes, all participants at court level or spectators upstairs be asked to exit immediately. Until this has been completed, all those waiting for the next match will need to do so outside. Players, officials and spectators will be invited in by Sports and Swimming Centre staff when clear to do so and any sanitisation/cleaning is complete.

Indoor (Preparatory School’s Forder Centre):

• For the remainder of the winter season, the Forder Centre will not be used for competition unless absolutely necessary (eg inclement weather). If it is used, the sides will be opened up to allow spectators to look into the court without being able to stand around the court boundary. A staff member will be on hand to instruct what is possible should a match need to be played inside.

For reference, our Code of Conduct, applying to our sporting fixtures, can be downloaded below.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this very different season. Even within the COVID-19 guidelines, we know our students and staff are excited to be back playing sport.

SchoolStar Sports Communication

Communicating game details before and after competition will again start taking place through our SchoolStar app. Many parents should already be familiar with this app from last year, however if you are new to Westminster, you can find information on how to download and use the app in the document below.

Team Managers and Sports Staff will push out notifications of game details, team selections and results via the app, and parents have the option to opt-in to notifications about their child's teams.

If you’re ever unclear about what’s happening in your child’s sporting team, you can contact the Sports Department Team at the following numbers:

Mike Martens, Head of Sport, Senior School - T: 08 8276 0391

Tim Weatherald, Head of Preparatory School PE and Sport - T: 08 8276 0391

Marianne Collier, Sports Administration Coordinator - T: 08 8276 0233

Gary Davison
Head of Activities