Liverpool FC Camps UK
Useful Information For Parents
Providing current medical information is vital
The welfare and enjoyment of every player on our camps is our top priority. You can help us to fulfil our commitment to providing the best possible care by providing all relevant medical information, contact details and travel information for your child at least 8 weeks before arrival. If you have already completed this form but something has since changed, please complete a new form as soon as possible.
To complete this information please visit the MANAGE YOUR BOOKING area.
Staff
Our camps are made up of 2 teams of staff. The coaching team and the welfare team, which includes the camp management staff. While all our staff are responsible for the wellbeing of players on camp, the welfare team provide 24/7 support specifically dedicated to the physical and emotional wellbeing of every child as well as ensuring they are where they need to be at the right time, with the right equipment and are suitably fuelled with nutrition and sleep.
We carefully select and train our staff using our years of experience to pick the best people for the job. All staff have an enhanced DBS check which is a criminal record and background check to ensure they are suitable for working with children. Every staff member is trained in child safeguarding while all senior pastoral care staff also have extensive experience working with children in a school or residential setting. Our team also includes staff who are first aid trained, such as our on-site sports therapists and football coaches, as well as the staff who are trained in the administration of medicines to ensure the highest standards of child welfare.
Communication with home
Recognising signs of homesickness and offering support is part of our staff training. Homesickness is only natural for many children in the first couple of days and our staff will provide all the care and support needed to help any child experiencing homesickness to settle in. Getting comfortable with life on camp and involved in the camp activities are the best remedies for homesickness, which usually subsides within a few days. Should your child experience homesickness, we encourage you to give them some space to adapt to their new environment as we find that too much contact with parents in the first few days can deepen homesickness and prevent players from making the most of their camp experience. Our staff are always on hand to talk to you and update you on how everything is going and rest assured that we will contact you immediately if there are any issues. Our staff are also trained to identify any emotional changes or abnormalities in a players’ behaviour and will ensure they are fully supported to overcome any issues and make the best of their time with us.
The Camp Bank
Mobile phones are great for keeping in touch with friends and family back home but they can also prohibit players from socialising, getting immersed in camp life, focusing on camp activities, and getting some much-needed rest and recovery. For this reason, and for safe-keeping, we operate a phone and valuables ‘bank’ system on every camp. Our staff collect players’ valuables and keep them safe, returning them to players for a set period of time each evening to call home and catch up on messages. These valuables are returned before bed. This system only works if everyone is involved and if we have parents’ support, and we, therefore, appreciate parent and guardian’s support in this system and hope you will help us by explaining the value of this to your child before their arrival. In addition, because players won’t have their phones at night, some players might want to bring a watch or alarm clock with them. However, our staff will ensure they’re up every day in time for breakfast!
Having watched the evolution of technology over the past several years of running summer camps, we’re sure that this is the best system to encourage a social camp atmosphere, human interaction and the building of new friendships with other players from around the world.
What To Bring
Our Parent Guide, is available in the MANAGE YOUR BOOKING area a few months before the camps start. It includes a full packing list containing details of the kit and equipment that each player needs to bring with them. Many of these things are essential, such as shin pads and proper footwear. So make sure you have a good read through the Parent Information Pack as far in advance of the camp start date as possible. We’ll also send you an email reminder about this.
Pocket Money
There is no set amount of spending money required for the camp but we are often asked for guidance on this. All meals are included but there may be opportunities to buy additional snacks, souvenirs and treats on excursions. Players tend to bring £50 - £100 or a credit/debit card. We keep most of players’ cash safe in the camp bank but if there is an opportunity to buy snacks on site they will be able to retain some small change for this. We do ensure that they make sensible food choices while also recognising that they are ‘on holiday’ and doing lots of exercise so a few treats should be enjoyed.
Please note that unfortunately, we do NOT have the facilities to provide additional spending money to players in exchange for card payments made by parents so please ensure you supply your child with sufficient funds before the start of the camp.
Injury Prevention
All our football coaches are trained to deliver sessions in a way that minimises the risk of injury. A sports therapist will also be available during football coaching sessions to assess and treat minor injuries. Any serious injuries will be dealt with by a medical professional and parents will be informed of any injury, particularly if it prevents their child from participating in football training. Any player requiring medical attention will be accompanied to the doctor’s surgery or nearest hospital (as appropriate) by a member of our welfare staff.
If your child has any injuries prior to starting the camp, but these injuries do not prevent them from participating, please inform us in writing with as much detail as possible to ensure our staff are prepared to monitor them. It’s also helpful to speak to us about any injuries when you arrive at the camp.
We take all injuries seriously. Some players may want to continue playing with an injury even if it’s not in their best interests. Our sports therapist will make the final judgement on this with the long-term fitness and wellbeing of the player their priority.
Medical
Our staff, such as the sports therapist, the football coaches, and members of our welfare team are trained in First Aid in addition to our senior staff being qualified in the administration of medication. Our team will be available at registration to discuss any medication your child brings to the camp. Please make sure that you document the dosage and frequency of any medication they bring. If they have specialist medication, a doctor’s note and instructions are preferable. Our staff will keep medication in a safe place and assist your child to take it at the correct time and in the correct dose. The Player Welfare Form you complete will ask about medication but you may be asked again on arrival day to ensure the information is accurate and up to date.
If your child is unwell during the camp and unable to participate in training, we will contact you and discuss the best course of action. Our staff will accompany your child to see a doctor or to the hospital if required. Please note that if we are unable to get hold of you we will follow all medical advice given relating to the ongoing care of the child.
Bedroom Allocation
If your child would like to share a room with someone they already know who is coming to the camp, so long as they are the same gender and within 2 years in age of each other, you can request this on the Player Welfare Form. We will do our best to honour these requests where a shared room is available. If rooms are single, we will try to offer them rooms next to each other.
We organise boarding houses by age groups to ensure each player is surrounded by their peers. Where rooms are shared and no room-share has been requested, we will allocate players to rooms with others of a similar age.
Wearing-in Football Boots
New football boots and sports shoes of any kind should be “worn in” before arriving at the camp. This means players who purchase new footwear should wear them for at least one training session before camp to avoid blisters and to ensure they are comfortable, ideally more. New shoes can cause blisters, especially on hard summer ground and when participating in a lot of training. We can treat blisters along with other minor injuries but for a comfortable training experience is better to try and avoid them.
Eating and Drinking
We provide nutritious meals and a variety of options for players at mealtimes including vegetarian options. Our staff check that players are eating and drinking enough, and we advise them to eat a variety at mealtimes. Water is available at all sports sessions and coaches encourage water breaks. We also educate players on the importance of nutrition and hydration throughout the camp.
We can cater for dietary requirements if notified at least 2 weeks in advance. We ask for this information in the Player Welfare Form.
Football Coaching Groups
Players are grouped by age and ability depending on the size of the camp. Coaches are trained to get the best out of individuals in all training sessions. We understand friends coming to the camp will want to train together but those of very different ages or levels will develop best by being in the right training group for their age and ability. This is also important for safety in training.
Camp Values
We try to balance the camp between a fun holiday experience and an insight into a professional training environment. All our players are part of the Liverpool FC family while on our camp and are expected to uphold The Liverpool Way values of ambition, commitment, dignity and unity while having fun and enjoying their time with us.
To ensure the camp is a positive and enjoyable environment for everyone, we respond quickly to issues of fighting, verbal and physical intimidation or persistent bad behaviour. The use of alcohol, cigarettes or drugs is also strictly prohibited. More on this…