President Update - Refunds / 2020 Season Update

Dear Minchinbury Jets Soccer Club Members,

I hope that you and your loved ones are keeping safe and well during this difficult time.

I would like to update you on the present status of the 2020 season. Whilst the COVID-19 situation is constantly changing we feel that it is important that we keep in touch with our members.

Our club, as have many others, has received numerous queries about the possibility of members receiving refunds for their registration fees in the face of developments with the Coronavirus Outbreak.

At a recent online meeting our board has acknowledged the challenges that members currently face but noted that the club must follow the advice of the sport’s governing bodies, including that of the Blacktown Soccer Association (BDSFA), Football NSW and football Federation Australia (FFA)

At this stage, our parent bodies (BDSFA, Football NSW and FFA) have advised that the season is delayed, not cancelled. It is therefore premature to contemplate refunds. Members should also note that there are a lot of elements that contribute to the fees that we charge, such as Insurance, Registration, Ground Hire Fees, Playing and Training Kits etc......and until we know how long it will be until we can recommence our sporting activities and the breakdown of the aforementioned costs and refund advice received from the BDSFA, we won't be able to formulate all the elements required to make an educated calculation. Once we have a clearer picture of what will happen in 2020 we will, as a club, be fair and just to our members, players and their families in respect to when we can give a refund and what that refund amount will be.

Blacktown Association is in constant communication with both Football NSW and FFA regarding the ever-changing nature of the situation and are endeavouring to come up with a solution that is satisfactory to all concerned. Obviously, the main concern is the safety and health of everyone and then, if possible, a return to soccer activities for the 2020 season.

Information on this can be found on the home page of the BDSFA website www.bdsfa.com

To help BDSFA understand the feelings of the players in the Blacktown area towards the 2020 season’s developments, they have sent out a survey to all registered players in the association. They have requested that this be completed online by 5:00pm this Friday 24th April. We encourage all players to complete this survey in an honest and timely manner. The information gained by this survey and similar surveys conducted by other associations will then give the associations an informed opinion on what their members are expecting out of the 2020 soccer season. This will then be presented to Football NSW and FFA in future meetings

On a more positive note, you may have noticed that the fences have finally come down from around Minchinbury Reserve. We have also had some long overdue lighting upgrades done to the second field / MiniRoo fields so that when we do get back on the ground your training will be much more comfortable (no more hiding in the dark!).

Whilst FFA’s current position is that all soccer activities are on hold until 31st May 2020 we expect to receive updates to that status before the end of May. We understand your frustration and anxiety with the current situation and ask all our members to be patient and bear with us during this difficult time. We will do our best to keep you informed. In the meantime, keep safe and well.

Kind regards

Stephen Bradbury

President – Minchinbury Jets Soccer Club Inc.