Dear Parents & Players
2012 USA MetroGirls Tour; Thursday 19th July to 3rd August 2012
With MetroGirls first training date on Sunday 15th April 2012, we are looking forward to commencing regular contact with the players in the months leading up to the tour departure date.
In recent weeks have been busy organising insurance, host gifts and travel bags, and researching clothing items. The group travel and sports insurance has been taken out with SportsGuard, underwritten by Lloyds. The host family gift we have sourced, is a pair of official Olympic mugs in a presentation gift box, particularly appropriate we feel, as the London Games will be underway when we arrive in the ‘States’. The Travel bags comprise of a large bag, to provide for the US Airline’s allowance of one 23kg bag weight per person, (goalkeepers kit excluded), and a back pack capable of the carry-on weight allowance of 18kgs, both sourced from a former MetroGirl’s parent, Andy Smith and his company, William Turners Ltd of Stockport. The bags will have the girls playing number and initials respectively.
MetroGirls Training: The 2012 pre-tour training is to be a compact number of all-day Sunday sessions, 10.00am to 4.00pm, and players are expected to attend all the scheduled sessions, with no exceptions, (save for pre-agreed circumstances) as these dates have been set since the February Newsletter. The dates being: –
Sunday 15th April 2012, Team Building & Game
Sunday 22nd April 2012 Training
Sunday 20th May 2012, Training & Game; Sunday 27th May 2012 Training;
Sunday 10th June 2012, Training; Sunday 24th June 2012 Training;
Sunday 8thth July 2012, Final Training, Alumni Game, Parents Meeting and Kit hand-out
Players MUST bring with them to the team building, training and game days the following items:
Stick(s), gloves(if worn), gum guard, both trainers & cleats/boots, sports underwear, two training shirts & shorts, two extra pairs of socks; Sweat top & pants, water proof jacket, a complete change of travelling home clothes, towel, and a large plastic bin liner capable of holding all your kit and kit bag. Large Water bottle, plus an additional 1 litre bottle of water; lunch with carbohydrates, & energy snacks. Please use this as a check list prior to each session.
Player Fitness: We are outstanding a number of MetroGirls ‘typical weekly’ sports fitness/activity diaries, and these need to be emailed to Tony, copying Michelle (see addresses below) and also coping in your parent(s), listing your current weekly school, club and individual sports activities.
USA ‘ESTA’ Immigration ‘on-line Visa Waiver’: A number of these are outstanding also. Please visit www.usembassy.org.uk and follow the Site’s instructions; Note the US Airline flight number is US735 and you are not required to fill in the ‘where you are staying’ section. When you have registered your daughter, please email us a copy of their acceptance reference code page.
Tour Payments: Thank you for the interim payment which was due 29th February 2012. Your daughter’s tour balance is required by 31st April 2012 in order for us to be able to pay the balance on the flight costs, and the USA bus and tour activities. Please make cheques payable to ‘MetroGirls Lacrosse’ or send Bank bill payments to HSBC MetroGirls Lacrosse, please contact us for the account details.
With regard to your daughters spending money, we offer (and recommend) that it is deposited with MetroGirls for internet transfer to the States’, thus saving on commercial exchange rates and commission charges; and avoiding the risk of loss in carrying large sums of money with us. Your daughters are then are able to draw their money from us when they need it or alternatively receive it on three pre-arrange dates during the tour
If you have any questions at this stage please contact us.
Michelle & Tony