Dear Barbarians:
There is often a very fine line between patience and in-action. In the process of arriving wherever it is I am, it has come to me that it is always best to give others the benefit of the doubt, such as I was taught many years ago, and accordingly, I will allow myself the same. Generous, I know, to a fault. Be that as it may, we will begin the year and training in earnest on Saturday, October 8 and appropriately the year will begin with SNS for all members who wish to participate. SNS has only one location for the Barbarian FC, which will again take place at the American Legion in Manor, PA (Manor for short). How fitting that the birth place of futsal in Western PA has become a mainstay for the Barbarians! We want everyone to feel welcome so we’ll take time to have introductions as the night goes on, but it will be mainly to get to play freely for current members and coaches.
It is imperative that each of you respond to this newsletter by sending an email to me, dws@barbarianfutsal.com or, davidwsayles@gmail.com with your participant’s DOB. This will aid in our settling on the various training scenarios that we will finalize and implement over the course of the year. We want to get a workable schedule projected but will only give the first month, the month of October to begin. Please keep in mind that all schedules are subject to change and the best means of communicating the changes are through our website’s calendar. Please do not print schedules out but rather just take the necessary time to look online. If you have any questions about anything related to what we are doing or when, please email me or Coach Alfonso, eaf@barbarianfutsal.com so that we may respond appropriately as it also helps us know if we need to disseminate the information to the club. Whatever it is you do, please do not ask anyone other than myself or Coach Alfonso and please, always via email. During the course of the season it is difficult at best, for anyone to confront us at or during training and matches. Often times, we are in the moment and need to take a step back before addressing things that you may see as issues, which when addressed in the proper fashion are just some things that can be resolved easily and efficiently in the appropriate time.
At some point in time we are going to have to have each of you address the issue of Concussion as well as injury, in general. Our HANDBOOK addresses some but we will have a more comprehensive follow up and you will have to respond accordingly. Under the INSTRUCTION TAB on our website there is a link, LIABILITY, and a document titled BARBARIAN FC LIMITED LIABILITY RELEASE. We cannot allow anyone to train with us in any way, shape, or form, who has not read it and would have acknowledged it by a signatory. If you walk through the door to train and have not done so, you will be turned away from participating. We request the same endorsement of the HANDBOOK signature page. If you cannot respect these documents’ assertions then we are not permitted to accommodate you in the Barbarian FC. For those who have the wherewithal feel free to do so and send it to us electronically. You may certainly bring a hard copy with you to your first scheduled training session, but for certain, if you attend SNS on October 8, have it in hand as you enter!
The year ahead holds such promise as most new beginnings may. Let ours be that, and for those of you who have been here please welcome the new faces without hesitation or skepticism, or in a manner of being threatened by, or threatening others. No one who enters this club should feel anything other than welcome. There is very little time for any other way to approach our time together. It is our assurance to each of you that we are here to serve the best interest of this club, its families, its teams, and its members by choosing to do right by you in the process. This is why we are who we are, and they can never be. We are the Barbarian FC where we remain committed: to the development and sustained growth of futsal in Western PA, our region, throughout the US, as well as; to our relationships with all who come our way.
As usual, I’ll see you on the pitch!
dws