Snow and Inclement Weather Safety and Planning

Games

Louisville Soccer as a general rule does not cancel practices or games until the actual time of the practice and then only at the discretion of the head game official.

There is no reason to contact your coach or club officials prior to going to the site.

Snow should, almost, never be a reason for canceling a game. Snow can be cleared from the lines by using a broom or by shoveling to within an inch or so and then sweeping the lines. Again, the final decision regarding cancellation of games shall rest with the head game official at the field just prior to the game. In the event of standing water, the decision shall rest with the game official. LSA will not cancel regularly scheduled league games prior to arriving at the field. In the event of lightening or high winds it is club policy to get the players off of the field immediately after seeing the first signs of lightening or damaging winds. You should never bring the players back to the field until 30 minutes after the last lightning strike or until instructed to do so by the referee. In the event in question is a practice or scrimmage game please do exercise restraint in tearing up fields during bad weather, but regularly scheduled league games should be played.

Practices and Scrimmages

LSA/ LSC as a general rule does not cancel practices or games until the actual time of the practice. There is no reason to contact your coach or club officials prior to going to the site.

Kentucky weather varies greatly and while it may be raining on Southern Middle School the sun may be out at Dutchman’s Lane. And likewise, while we may have a thunderstorm at 5:30 the sun may be back out at 6:05. Practices should continue and our players should learn to deal with varying weather conditions as may be required in games.

The final decision regarding cancellation of practices shall rest with the coach. It is club policy to get kids off of the field immediately after seeing the first signs of lightening or damaging winds. You should never bring the kids back to the field until it is very apparent that the threat of severe weather has passed.

If for some reason the field at which you train is just “unplayable”, that would mean standing water as can occur at some of our fields, or if the fields are just soaked to the point that you would really damage them by practicing, then I would suggest conditioning drills in the parking area. Canceling practice should be the last option and should not be determined until the field is visually inspected. If a practice is cancelled, you should attempt to make it up at a later date.

In order to protect the kids from severe weather have a plan in mind that will protect all kids. If there are adequate numbers of parents waiting in cars the kids can get in the cars and await a ride or the end of practice. If there is no room for all the kids in cars be sure to have a safe place to retire to near your practice facility. Make sure that the team parents know where the kids will be in the event of bad weather. Following are some suggestions for our more heavily used fields:

• Bashford Field

  Bashford Field has no obvious area of refuge so parents should stay near during potential inclement weather.



• Farnsley Park

  Farnsley Park has no obvious area of refuge so parents should stay near during potential inclement weather. However, between the soccer field and the basketball court there is a ditch, where you could go in case of severe weather. The concession stand has public restrooms that are open “some” times. If bad weather is possible, you may check access before practice starts.



• Louisville Champions Park

  Louisville Champions Park has public restrooms. If bad weather is possible, you may check access before practice starts. Parents should stay near during potential inclement weather.



• LSA Field at Dutchman’s Lane

  Louisville Soccer Field at Dutchman’s Lane has no real safe area of its own, but we do have permission to go into the covered stairwell (emergency exit) at the end of the Twinbrook Apartments or into the front stairs of the former daycare across the street. The large apartment building offers the greatest protection.



• Preston Highway Field

  Preston Highway Field has no obvious area of refuge so parents should stay near during potential inclement weather. Aldi’s is near the field if you need to seek protection from the weather quickly.



• Thurman Hutchin’s Park

  Thurman Hutchin’s Park has public restrooms that are open at times. If bad weather is possible, you may check access before practice starts. Parents should also stay near during potential inclement weather.



• Westport Middle School

  Westport Middle School has many covered entrances to the school. The largest is at the front door but this is kind of far from the rear fields. Simply identify one and let your parents know where the team will be.

We may need to use other areas for practice from time to time as well. Be sure to survey the area and make arrangements for cover if needed. You may occasionally use a park, as we do for conditioning, these facilities usually offer very few “safe” areas, so ask the parents to stay around if the weather is threatening. Just be sure to use proper judgment and plan your practices or events completely, including all the way through the consideration of WEATHER in that plan.