Our Coach-Club contract
Coaching at Lewes FC Juniors
At Lewes FC Juniors, we believe that football should be for everyone. As part of Equality FC, we are committed to building a club that is inclusive, inspiring, and fair—where every player, coach, and volunteer is valued.
Our coaches are central to this ethos. They create safe, supportive, and enjoyable footballing experiences that allow players to develop, thrive, and love the game.
This Coach-Club Contract sets out the expectations we have for our coaches and what they can expect from the club in return. By volunteering as a coach, you are agreeing to these shared responsibilities. In return, the club will support you every step of the way.
Together, we are building a club where every child has access to high-quality football in a safe, respectful, and well-organised environment.
Our Core Values
As a coach, you are a role model, and we expect you to uphold our three guiding principles:
⚽ Equality
Every child deserves fair access to football, and every coach deserves support in delivering their sessions.
⚽ Inclusion
We are an open and welcoming club, ensuring that all players, regardless of background or ability, feel valued.
⚽ Inspiration
We want every child to love football, to be encouraged, challenged, and supported, and to develop confidence through the game.
What Coaches Can Expect from the Club
1. Training and Development
✔ Access to FA-accredited training courses, including safeguarding, first aid, and coaching certifications.
✔ Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and mentoring.
✔ Support with booking and funding training courses required for your role.
2. Equipment and Resources
✔ A full set of essential coaching equipment (balls etc.) annually, with access to reimbursement for additional equipment.
✔ Access to training pitches and facilities, including Priory School and the Rookery 3G pitch.
✔ Storage provision for equipment at the Rookery 3G.
✔ Provision of changing rooms for home and away teams at the Rookery 3G.
3. Administrative Support
✔ League registration support to ensure all players are eligible to play.
✔ Access to Full-Time and Results SMS systems to report match results.
✔ Guidance on safeguarding issues and support from the Welfare & Safeguarding Officer.
✔ Full insurance coverage for all official coaching activities.
4. Volunteer Support
✔ Dispute resolution support from the Club Chair/Vice Chair where necessary.
✔ Help from the Welfare & Safeguarding Officer in maintaining safe and inclusive coaching environments.
✔ Assistance from the Membership & Registrations Secretary for player registrations and fees.
✔ Support from the Club Secretary for FA and league communications.
5. Reimbursement and Financial Support
✔ Reimbursement for essential expenses and approved training equipment.
✔ Payment for league registration fees and FA coaching courses (as agreed with the committee).
What the Club Expects from Coaches
1. Player Development and Wellbeing
✔ Plan and deliver engaging training sessions appropriate for the age and development of players.
✔ Prioritise player development over match results.
✔ Ensure player safety at all times, following FA welfare and safeguarding guidelines.
✔ Support player inclusivity, encouraging participation for players of all abilities.
2. Communication and Respect
✔ Maintain clear and respectful communication with parents, players, and volunteers.
✔ Be a positive role model, demonstrating respect for referees, opponents, and players.
✔ Use Spond as the main communication tool, ensuring updates are timely and clear.
Please refrain from Whatsapp as we move towards parents using Spond for all club communications.
3. Administrative Responsibilities
✔ Confirm team attendance on Spond before matches and training sessions.
✔ Report match results via Full-Time or SMS, as required by the league.
✔ Manage kit levels appropriately.
✔ Coaches must familiarise themselves with all matchday tasks and admin, which are outlined here.
4. Safeguarding and Welfare
✔ Complete DBS checks before starting your role.
✔ Attend FA safeguarding training and ensure certification is kept up to date.
✔ Follow FA adult-to-child ratio guidelines during training and match days. This includes Cancelling Training or Matches when you cannot provide 2 or more coaches to support your team.
✔ Report any safeguarding concerns directly to the Welfare & Safeguarding Officer.
Coaches must adhere to all club policies and processes. Please read through and understand our Safeguarding Policy. Failure to do so may lead to you being asked to leave the club.
5. Commitment and Availability
✔ Attend training sessions and matches as agreed with parents and the club. Available training times will depend on 3G availability at the Rookery. You should expect to spend 60-70 mins plus travel time, and around 20-30 minutes planning for Training sessions, and your match length plus travel time plus regular communications in preparation for matchdays. Your team's 3G training slot is available year-round, but training throughout the year is not mandatory. While many teams choose to train continuously, others opt to train only during the football season, from August to May.
✔ Notify the club in advance if you are unable to coach on a specific date.
✔ Plan ahead to ensure training sessions are structured and well-prepared.
6. Squad Size Management/Playing Times
Squad sizes will follow FA recommendations to ensure adequate playing opportunities for all players:
Mini-Soccer U7-U8s playing 5 vs 5 or 7 vs 7: Recommended 10-12 players.
U9/U10s playing 7 vs 7: Recommended 12-14 players.
U11/U12s playing 9 vs 9: Recommended 12-15 players.
U13/U14s 11 vs 11: Recommended 14-17 players.
U15 and above 11 vs 11: Recommended 16-20 players.
We do not offer any ‘Training Only’ membership discount as Saturday Rooks is for players who do not want to play for Lewes FC Juniors in league matches.
We do not set minimum playing time requirements for players, as selection is based on competition for places in matches. However, if you frequently bring squad members to games where they play less than a third of the total game time, we encourage you to reflect on your responsibility to them and their families.
7. Player Onboarding, ‘On Trial’ and Exit
Player Onboarding
The club expects you to:
Use the Spond Waiting List Group: Ensure you are a member of a waiting list group in Spond, as this is the primary method for introducing new players with membership potential.
Follow the Sign-Up Process: Require parents to sign up to Spond using the waiting list sign-up process before their child can train with your team.
Explain Club Responsibility: Communicate to parents that the waiting list is managed by the club, not by you. Let them know you are not solely responsible for deciding whether a player can join the club. The club will support you in your decision-making.
‘On Trial’
The club expects you to:
Set a 4 week Trial Period: Players on the waiting list are not yet members of the club. A four-week trial period is available to assess whether the club and team are a good fit for the player and their family, and vice versa.
Decide on Membership: At the end of the trial, if both you and the player’s parent agree, and squad sizes allow, email the Membership and Registrations Secretary to request the membership invitation process. Inform parents that you have received permission to initiate the membership process.
Trial Conclusion: If either you or the player’s parent decides that the child is not ready to join, they must cease attending training or any other membership-privileged activities but can remain on the waiting list.
Player Exit
The club expects you to:
Notify the Club: If a player decides to leave your team, email the Membership and Registrations Secretary immediately. This ensures the player’s membership and team registration with the FA are cancelled promptly.
8. Parent/Guardian-Team Contracting
We recommend you use a parent/guardian-team contract with parents to ensure that you get what you want from your volunteering. An example is here. You can circulate your version of this at the start of the season and then refer to it whenever you need to communicate your expectations to players and/or parents. Having a contract like this and getting parents to sign up to it also makes it easier for the club to support you in your decision making and communication.
✅ Coaches must ensure:
✔ Players wear appropriate footwear on the Rookery 3G. No metal studs or blades!
✔ The pitch is kept clean—no litter, tape, or food should be left behind.
✔ Players stay within their allocated time slots and pitch allocation of a third/quarter, exit promptly for the next group.
✔ Goals are moved back after use to prevent damage.
✔ Changing rooms are used appropriately, and no child is left unsupervised.
We expect all teams, parents, and players to follow these guidelines to ensure the 3G remains a safe, high-quality facility for everyone.
Inclusion & Coaching Autonomy
Inclusivity does not mean that every player must remain in a team at all costs.
We are here to help you coach in a way that works for you, ensuring that your team remains balanced, competitive, and enjoyable to manage. However, we do expect you to retain players that you have selected to work with.
Where necessary, the Chair/Vice Chair will support you in supporting players to find football elsewhere, but we will not do so without wanting to carefully talk things through with you and possibly the parents of the child too.
Sign & Agree
By taking on a coaching role at Lewes FC Juniors, you agree to these principles.
💬 Any questions? Contact the Club Chair/Vice-Chair for further discussion.
🚀 Together, we create a safe, fun, and inclusive football environment for every child.
Check out out volunteers page for vacancies.