SUMMARY OF PLAYER PICK-UP POLICY:
DIVISIONS A THROUGH D:
A parent or designated adult must be on the fields during the entire time the child is practicing or playing.
DIVISIONS E THROUGH G:
Parents or a designated adult are not required to be present during a game or practice, but the child must have their own transportation (vehicle, bike or walking) or arranged for transportation home with a parent, designated adult or another player.
The Eden Prairie Soccer Association’s Adult Supervision policy requires all players in divisions A through D to have one of their parents (or a designated adult) on the fields at all times. This policy is designed to minimize the occurrence of a player being left alone at the end of a soccer game or practice. For divisions E, F and G, parents or a designated adult are not required to be present during a game or practice, but the child must have their own transportation (vehicle, bike or walking) or arranged for transportation home with a parent, designated adult or another player. Coaches and Team Managers should not be providing transportation home for players unless pre-arranged and approved by the child’s parent or guardian.
This policy is in place to ensure no child is left alone after a soccer game or practice. In the event a child remains after a game or practice with no parent or designated adult to take them home, this policy will be enforced by Eden Prairie Soccer Association officials.
If a child is not picked up when the practice or game has ended, every effort should be made to contact the parents via cell phone or home phone. Coaches, Team Managers and Commissioners should have access to rosters showing contact phone numbers of players on each team. If the child has another sibling playing soccer at the same time, it is likely that the other game/practice is running long and, if possible, a responsible adult can stay with the player until a parent does arrive.
Team Managers, Division Commissioners, Coaches, etc., should work together to determine who can stay and assist with the situation. If it seems safer the child may be taken to the shed. Two responsible, non-related adults need to remain with the child at all times.
If the situation cannot be resolved quickly, the Eden Prairie police will be notified via a 911 call that there is a forgotten child. There is no need for any “grace period” before calling the police. The Eden Prairie Police will come and pick up the child and take them back to the Eden Prairie Police station.
In divisions E, F and G, a player can inform the coaches or responsible adults they have permission to wait for their parent or designated adult to pick them up and a coach or other responsible set of adults are not required to wait for their pick-up. In such cases, the coach or other responsible adults may decide to remain, but they are not required to do so. If a coach or responsible adults decide to remain with the child, the Association’s policy remains in force in that at least two, non-related responsible adults must be present with any player.