Presidents Open letter to all Thunder Families

August 18, 2020

To the younger players who go to school and the shopping centre and see life pretty close to normal and then who keep being told these confusing rules for soccer. Or it’s been raining so the fields are closed for training: We do know that all you want to do is just play soccer, kick that ball and run with your friends (like at school) but there are special rules for soccer because Covid19 is out there and school is compulsory but soccer is voluntary and we need to obey the special rules;

So try not to give your parents backlash and that little bit of cheek every time they tell you that you can’t just run on the field and play soccer because of the rain or because of the special rules. Be kind to them and smile at them. They are doing everything they can so you can play.  They really are!

To our older players I understand that many of you are exposed to tight workplace laws or working from home and so you really do understand it more: we understand that it probably gives you a higher level of frustration because what you would really love to do is just play that game and burn out all that energy and forget for just five minutes about Covid19. And then it rains and you really don’t want to hear that your game is off, or moving, just let us play and keep playing;

Please enjoy the games you are getting…..Try to know that we all just want you to be able to play, and help other teams, getting you an extra game, then a BBQ and a beer afterwards. No-one wants anything other than for it to all be simple for you. The club is just trying to let you have the fun you want to have.  They really are!

To the parents and family of players who are doing all you can to roll with every change and get your players to all the games;

Well done to you all. Please do smile to your managers and coaches and know they’re having to do so much more communicating this year. You have been more flexible than ever and had more changes than anyone would ever wish for. You’ve been very accommodating. You really have!

To our managers and coaches: we do understand that all you really want to do is for the season to run with as few changes to anything as possible, so that you do not have to convey every little change to your team, and to the parents and to the players. I understand that at the beginning we didn’t know if we would get to play, and then we had to train in crazy ways at distance with no contact, and then we get to play and now the rules are changing constantly; and then it rains and every little change is a change you have to know about and a change you have to tell someone about.

And I know that looking out for those changes, and checking Facebook posts, and reading all the emails must be driving you crazy. And then with the best of intentions you pass that along the chain to your team and they really are at the stage, where all they want to do is have no change, and the last thing they want to do is hear about it all and what’s changed from you;

And so from time to time, probably more frequently now, and probably more than you would like, you’re getting little snipes and unwarm fuzzies back occasionally, from people who don’t mean to be a little bit mean, but you catch them when they weren’t expecting it, with yet another change, that they have to tell their kids and they are all just over it. They just want simple Soccer and unfortunately you’re the one who has to keep updating them. And now you sometimes are a little over it too.  You really are!

To the wonderful committee, who signed up to just be on the committee and do their bit, and then along came Covid 19 which has literally continued to change everything week by week: You signed up to do the role that you nominated yourself for and now you are embroiled in every aspect of this pandemic; its all consuming;

And you’re a committee trying desperately to keep people on the field. And you are facing a situation where we are probably doing a lot more Covid19 proper stuff than many of our fellow clubs, because it’s a choice, to keep Thunder Families as safe as humanly possible.And you’ve done your bit to help everyone else; you’re amazing.  You really are!

To our wonderful sponsors, who’ve stuck by us through these torrid times, whilst your businesses have also been torn apart, and you try to work out how to keep being in business. And you’re propping us up financially in a year we are doing our best without our food revenues;

And yet you’ve found the money to get training shirts on peoples backs and more importantly to be there for the club, and posting lovely things about our culture and how proud you are to be sponsors because you really care.  You really do!

To all of you in this incredibly caring and active Thunder Family, we didn’t think we would play at all! We’ve got some games in. We’re asking you to enjoy every game and enjoy every training because we are doing our best to get soccer played. And it’s getting tougher! And we don’t know how long we will be allowed to play. So enjoy every minute;

So please do smile and be patient and be extra nice to your managers and coaches and committee because they are doing so much extra just to get the season to happen. They really are!

Make every minute fun, & please do Be nice to the volunteers, without whom we would not have a round, let alone a Covid season! We really wouldn’t!

GDK