Dear DAC Members,
We are excited to announce that as of this coming Tuesday 9th June, we will be able to resume official club training at Tom Kelly Athletic Track.
We know it has been a challenging few months for many of us, pounding the streets, setting up home gyms and virtual challenges to try to maintain our fitness, but the lights are back on this Tuesday night. (We are optimistic of clearing our last hurdle Tuesday morning but full disclosure, there remains a small chance of a one week postponement.)
There are, as with most aspects of life these days, some changes to the way we must do things to both keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and to comply with the many restrictions and guidelines required of our club in order to resume activities. Please bear with us as we try to outline these new protocols for you.
- Training in our Club’s allocated times on Tuesday and Thursday nights will be exclusive to current DAC Members.
- Individual athletes without a coach can request a training time by contacting the Safety Officer @ secretary@doncasterac.org.au
- Throws training sessions are limited to 2 athletes and a coach max and can be requested as above.
- No High Jump or Pole Vault can be accommodated at this time, but it is on the horizon, we will keep you posted.
- Training Squad members will have a specific session time and will not be able to be accommodated outside that time at this stage. Speak with your coach for training time.
- Training will be broken into 1hr sessions. Unfortunately, in order to accommodate following groups and avoid members congregating, these times are inflexible. Exiting the venue must be at the designated time or before.
- Keep good hand hygiene. Hand sanitizer will be provided upon entry and exit.
- Keep your distance 1.5m.
- Groups of 20 are permitted but no physical contact – this includes handshakes, hugs and high fives.
- Do not share equipment.
- No drafting.
- No spitting.
- We must record who is in your group including name, address and email.
- If anyone feels unwell and/or has symptoms then stay at home and get tested.
- DOWNLOAD THE COVIDSAFE APP (Not enforced, but requested).
Most of our Members have not yet renewed due to the lack of competition or access to our track. If you would like to resume training at our exclusive club training sessions under lights this Tuesday or Thursday, you will need to renew your membership in one of the following categories.
The 6 categories most appropriate at this point of time are the Recreational runners Athletics Victoria (AV) membership, Social, Officials, Coaches, and for those who have a current AV membership at a club other than DAC, the training membership. The last is the Ruffey Runners membership.
The following 4 membership types are all joined through the AV website/portal. Details here: https://athsvic.org.au/join/
Please make sure that you select the membership type suited to your needs:
- *Social:* Basic membership suited to members who train at the track/gym but do not compete, covers you for insurance and have full voting rights at the DAC AGM $170. Signing up to social membership with Doncaster shows continued support for the Club in this difficult time.
- *Coach:* Membership for an accredited coach who is available to coach DAC athletes, normally processed by AA when coaching subscription fees have been processed. Fully covered by insurance and have full voting rights at the DAC AGM.
- *Official:* Qualified AV official who is able to officiate AV/AA sanctioned competitions. Fully covered by insurance and have full voting rights at the DAC AGM
- *Recreational Runner*: Recommended. Basic membership suited to members who train at the track but do not compete. Fully covers you for insurance. This membership does not cover use the DAC gym, does not allow you to compete and does not give voting rights at the DAC AGM. Reduced by DAC to $60 for this shortened season.
The following 2 memberships are to be applied for and paid directly to DAC:
- *Training* membership is for athletes who are current members of another AV club but wish to train during DAC training times. Insurance will be through your other club. You do not have voting rights at the DAC AGM. Reduced by DAC to $60 for this shortened season. Please find the training membership form here.
- ‘Ruffey Runners’ membership will allow access to the track for the ‘Ruffey Runners’ session only. Fully covers you for insurance. This membership does not cover use the DAC gym, does not allow you to compete and does not give voting rights at the DAC AGM.
If you are still unsure of which membership, or how to apply, please reply to this email or contact our Registrar David Mitchell on 0456366046 or registrar@doncasterac.org.au
While it may be a little different, we believe that when on the track, your training will be facilitated by our experienced Club coaches in a way that provides for an enjoyable and productive session.
A couple of positives to finish.
There will be know members of the public or random squads permitted on the track which I am sure will improve your training. Also we will have access to the lighting again allowing us to train after dark.
Your patience and understanding in rolling out these new protocols will be greatly appreciated by the Club Officials on duty, who will be required to volunteer their time to make this return to the track achievable in compliance with the restrictions in place. Things will change, and further easing of conditions will be communicated as they are brought into effect.
Many thanks on behalf of your DAC Committee,
Excited to see you all down the track,
Darryl Kilmartin
COVID-19 Safety Officer
Secretary