2013-2014 TITANS WATER POLO ASSOCIATION REGISTRATION INFORMATION Date: August 2013 To: All Returning and New Titans Athletes From: Ken Young, Registrar TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Message What s New this Season Practice Schedule Registration Fees 2013-2014 Payment Options General Registration Information How to Register Police Records Check Code of Conduct Photography and Media Children s Fitness Tax Credit Club Communications Supervision Mandatory Volunteer Requirements for Each Family Uniform Policy Upcoming AGM Contact us WELCOME MESSAGE Welcome to the Ottawa Titans Water Polo Association. Established in 1984, the Club offers recreational, developmental and competitive water polo programs across the greater Ottawa area. These programs promote a healthy lifestyle for ages seven through adulthood. Please read through this information package as it contains important information about registration, fee structure, important policies and samples of available volunteer positions. 1
WHAT S NEW THIS SEASON The Titans are pleased to introduce two changes this year, as follows: Water Fun a new program targeted at kids ages 5 to 9 who are not yet strong enough swimmers to join the ILWP program. Water safety and swimming strokes are taught in a fun, informal setting and each session will include about 30 minutes of free play with the ball to develop some basic water polo skills. One 60-minute session per week in the shallow end of the Pinecrest pool on Saturdays from 6pm to 7pm. The season will be divided into separate sessions of 9 practices each. New players are welcome throughout the year. Third ILWP pool As soon at the new Richcraft Recreational Center (Kanata) opens, currently expected to happen before the end of 2013, the Titans will offer an ILWP practice on Mondays from 4:30pm to 6pm. Families interested in practicing at the Richcraft pool have the option of joining one of our other two practices (Walter Baker or Pinecrest) until the new pool opens, or they can wait to join until the pool opens, in which case their fees will be pro-rated accordingly. PRACTICE SCHEDULE Practice times and locations vary throughout the year. Athletes are advised to check the calendar located on the Titans website regularly. Cancellations may occur when pools become unavailable due to a variety of reasons, most often beyond our control. The Titans reserve the right to occasionally cancel practices or collapse practices into mixed-group practices to minimize pool and coaching costs, especially when attendance is low (e.g. when some teams are at out-of-town tournaments and towards the end of the season). Replacement practices are offered when practical. The Ottawa Titans make every effort to provide practices during time slots which are reasonable for most of our athletes. Planning for each season starts well before the previous season ends; in fact, we continually lobby all pools for more and better time slots throughout the year. However, most pools have limited time slots available. Also, some pools are considerably more expensive to rent than others. The practice schedule for the 2013-14 season that is shown below is based on a number of planning assumptions as to the number of athletes that will join our programs. The Ottawa Titans may have to make adjustments to this schedule in order to adapt to the actual number of registered athletes. If this occurs, any change will be communicated ahead of time. 2
Schedule from Sep 9 to Nov 3 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Carleton University University of Ottawa Nepean Sporstplex Walter Baker University of Ottawa University of Ottawa Adult Learn to Play Competitive Boys + Girls Competitive Boys + Girls I Love Water Polo Competitive Boys + Girls Competitive Boys + Girls House League Academy 8:15pm 10pm 7:30pm 9pm Academy 4pm 6pm 7:30pm 9pm 6pm 7:30pm 1 st session 17 Sep 1 st session 11 Sep 7pm 8:30pm 1 st session 14 Sep 1 st session 15 Sep 1 st session 16 Sep 1 st session 12 Sep Nepean Sportsplex University of Ottawa University of Ottawa I Love Water Polo Adult Semi-Competitive Academy 6pm 7:30pm 8:30pm 10pm House League 1 st session 22 Sep 1 st session 12 Sep 6pm 8pm 1 st session 14 Sep Nepean Sporstplex Pinecrest Pool Academy I Love Water Polo 7:30pm 9pm 6pm 7:30pm 1 st session 22 Sep 1 st session 14 Sep Pinecrest Pool Water Fun 6pm 7pm 1 st session 14 Sep Schedule from Nov 4 to May 11 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Carleton University University of Ottawa Nepean Sportsplex Walter Baker University of Ottawa University of Ottawa Adult Learn to Play Academy + Comp. Girls Competitive Boys + Girls I Love Water Polo Academy + Comp. Girls Competitive Boys + Girls House League 6pm 7:30pm 8:15pm 10pm 7:30pm 9pm 7pm 8:30pm 4pm 6pm 7:30pm 9pm Nepean Sportsplex Nepean Sportsplex University of Ottawa University of Ottawa Academy Competitive Boys Competitive Boys Academy I Love Water Polo 8:15pm 10pm 7:30pm 9:15pm House League 6pm 7:30pm 6pm 8pm Nepean Sportsplex Richcraft Rec Centre University of Ottawa Pinecrest Pool Academy ILWP Adult Semi-Competitive I Love Water Polo 7:30pm 9pm 4:30 6pm (start date TBD) 9:15pm 11pm 6pm 7:30pm Pinecrest Pool Water Fun 6pm 7pm 3
REGISTRATION FEES 2013-14 The Ottawa Titans are a not-for-profit, volunteer-run sport organization. The Titans programs are not subsidized and we must be self-sufficient. Our registration fees are set to cover our operating costs. Our costs include Ontario Water Polo membership fees, administrative expenses, pool rental, lifeguards, coaching staff and equipment such as balls, caps, nets, etc. A family discount is now available for those families who have more than one family member paying registration fees to the Titans. One family member will continue to pay full price (the member whose fees are the most expensive) and additional family members will be entitled to a 10% discount on their registration fees. Please contact us at INFO@titanswaterpolo.ca to confirm your discounted fees. Please note that tournament and league fees, where applicable, are not included in the registration fees. The registration fees for the 2013-14 season are: Program Cut-off Birth Year* Program Fee OWP/WPC Fee Total w/o Tax HST** Grand Total Water Fun (first 9-week session) 2003 $67.51 $27.49 $95.00 n/a $95.00 Water Fun (each additional 9-week session) 2003 $75.00 n/a $75.00 n/a $75.00 ILWP (pre-registered) 2000 $572.51 $27.49 $600.00 n/a $600.00 ILWP 2000 $597.51 $27.49 $625.00 n/a $625.00 Academy A (pre-registered) 2000 $1,497.32 $102.68 $1,600.00 n/a $1,600.00 Academy A 2000 $1,697.32 $102.68 $1,800.00 n/a $1,800.00 Academy B (pre-registered) 2000 $1,103.86 $96.14 $1,200.00 n/a $1,200.00 Academy B 2000 $1,178.86 $96.14 $1,275.00 n/a $1,275.00 Competitive (pre-registered) 1996 $1,882.32 $ 102.68 $1,985.00 $244.70 $2,229.70 Competitive 1996 $1,947.32 $102.68 $2,050.00 $253.15 $2,303.15 House League 1996 $722.51 $ 27.49 $750.00 $93.93 $843.93 Adult Learn to Play n/a $297.51 $27.49 $325.00 $38.68 $363.68 Adult Semi-Competitive n/a $347.51 $27.49 $375.00 $45.18 $420.18 Adult Semi-Competitive (FT student) n/a $162.51 $27.49 $190.00 $21.13 $211.13 * HST of 13% must be added to the registration fee for anyone who is born in 1998 or earlier. ** Must be born on this year or later in order to be eligible for this program. 4
PAYMENT OPTIONS All payments must be made by cheque, payable to Titans Water Polo. A single, upfront payment of the registration fees at the time of registration is always welcome as it makes managing our cash flow much simpler. The Titans also offer the following payment options: Program 1 st payment 2 nd payment 3 rd payment 4 th payment Due Date 30-Jun-13 15-Sep-13 01-Dec-13 01-Mar-14 Water Fun n/a $95 n/a n/a ILWP (pre-registered only) $100 $250 $250 n/a ILWP n/a $375 $250 n/a Academy A (pre-registered only) $100 $600 $550 $350 Academy A n/a $700 $700 $400 Academy B (pre-registered only) $100 $450 $450 $200 Academy B n/a $575 $450 $250 Competitive (pre-registered only) $100 $750 (no HST*) $994.7 (with HST*) $735 $400 Competitive n/a $775 (no HST*) $1028.15 (with HST*) $775 $500 House League (pre-registered only) $100 $275 (no HST*) $368.93* (with HST*) $375 n/a House League n/a $375 (no HST*) $468.93* (with HST*) $375 n/a Adult Learn to Play (pre-registered only) $100 $263.68* n/a n/a Adult Learn to Play n/a $363.68* n/a n/a Adult Semi-Competitive (pre-registered only) $100 $320.18* n/a n/a Adult Semi-Competitive n/a $420.18* n/a n/a Adult Semi-Competitive (full-time student) n/a $211.13* n/a n/a * HST of 13% must be added to the registration fee for anyone who is born in 1998 or earlier. Should these payment options prove to be challenging for your family, please contact us at INFO@titanswaterpolo.ca to see if we can find a way to accommodate your unique situation. 5
GENERAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION All registrants are required to be in good financial standing with the Ottawa Titans in order to be covered by our mandatory insurance through Water Polo Canada. Registration is not final until all the forms are completed and submitted to the Club along with the required post-dated cheques. Returning athletes must also complete and sign all the forms. Note that there is always a chance that some of our Programs will reach their capacity limit. To avoid any disappointment, it is recommended that you reserve your spot by registering as early as possible. Athletes must be fully registered and must be members in good standing to participate at practices, unless they are participating on a free trial basis. Any returning athlete that has not submitted their registration material and post-dated cheques by October 15, 2013 will not be allowed to participate in further practices until their registration is complete. Links to the registration form and complete program information are currently available on the main page of our web site (www.titanswaterpolo.ca). If you would rather receive the information and registration material by mail, or if you are having difficulty accessing the documents on-line, please contact our registrar at registrar@titanswaterpolo.ca. HOW TO REGISTER There are up to three registration options available: Formal Registration Session: This is the preferred method of registration. The Ottawa Titans will hold a formal registration session at the Annual General Meeting which will be held on Sunday the 8th of September from 1pm to 4pm at the Ottawa Central Library Auditorium (lower level) 120 Metcalfe Street. Registration forms, Police Records Check forms and post-dated cheques will be collected at that time. Registration by Mail: This method is recommended if you are registering for a Program that might reach its capacity limit and you want to reserve your spot ASAP. In order to ensure that your registration is recorded as early as possible, we suggest that you take the following two steps: 1. Mail in your completed registration form, Police Records Check form(s) and post-dated cheques to: Ottawa Titans Water Polo 1568 Merivale Road, Suite 223 Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5Y7 IMPORTANT: New Competitive Athletes, you must also provide a copy of proof of birth date. 6
2. Send an email to our Registrar at registrar@titanswaterpolo.ca, confirming that you mailed your completed registration form, Police Records Check form(s) and post-dated cheques to the Titans. Registration at Practice: This method is only available for our recreational programs. You can submit your completed registration form, Police Records Check forms and post-dated cheques to the coach. POLICE RECORDS CHECK Because our athletes are all minors, any volunteer working with our athletes must have successfully passed a Police Records Check. As such, and in support of our expectation that every family will take on its fair share of volunteer duties, we require that every parent and adult Titans staff member complete and hand-in a Police Records Check form along with the registration form. Note that a Police Records Check is valid for two years and if you still have a valid Police Records Check, simply hand in a copy of the Police Records Check instead of the form. The Police Records Check form can be found on the Titans website (www.titanswaterpolo.ca) under About Titans / Admin / Documents. It is each member s responsibility to submit their Police Records Check form to the Ottawa Police. Send a request to INFO@titanswaterpolo.ca to receive a letter from the Titans confirmation that your records check is being performed in support of a non-for-profit organization. Without this letter, you will incur a fee to have your police records checked. CODE OF CONDUCT The Titans Code of Conduct approved in August 2008 by the Board of Directors is in effect. All members will be required to sign that they have read and understood the terms of this document. The Code of Conduct can be found on the Titans website (www.titanswaterpolo.ca) under About Titans / Admin / Documents. Parents are members of the Titans and as such, are also expected to comply with the Code of Conduct. In case of any alteration to the Code of Conduct, all members will be notified via the newsletter and it will be their responsibility to read and understand those changes. All Titans members are also members of Ontario Water Polo and Water Polo Canada and thus are also subject to their policies and code of conduct which can be found on their respective websites (www.ontariowaterpolo.ca and www.waterpolo.ca). 7
PHOTOGRAPHY AND MEDIA From time to time, our organization requires photographs of our athletes. These could be used for purposes such as advertising, media news reports, Titans events hand-outs, or on our website. Names may appear, particularly if the athletes have won awards; or if a photo is taken by a newspaper photographer who will usually ask for the athlete s name. If you do not wish your child s photograph to be used and/or his or her name to appear, please indicate this on your registration form. Otherwise, permission is assumed for reasonable use of your child s image to promote the Ottawa Titans. CHILDREN S FITNESS TAX CREDIT Receipts for the Children s Fitness Tax Credit will be issued by the Ottawa Titans by the end of February 2014, for eligible payments received during the 2013 calendar year. Please note that only athletes born in 1996 or after are eligible for the 2013 taxation year. For further information, consult the following website: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/whtsnw/rgn-eng.html CLUB COMMUNICATIONS Email is the primary mode of communication for the Ottawa Titans. Team Managers use email regularly to communicate with their teams. A periodic newsletter is sent out to members to communicate recent developments/activities, or to update our members on club news. The first email address provided on the registration form should be one that is checked frequently by at least one parent or adult player. If your contact information changes during the season, please inform both the Titans Registrar at registrar@titanswaterpolo.ca and your Team Manager. SUPERVISION Athletes are supervised by Titans coaches once the athletes enter the pool area only. Full lifeguard services are provided at each pool, as required by Ontario pool regulations. However, the Ottawa Titans cannot provide supervision of athletes in the change room area or in the pool lobby before, during or after practices. Supervision of athletes outside the pool area remains the responsibility of the parent/guardian. 8
MANDATORY VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH FAMILY The Titans rely on volunteers to keep fees as low as possible and to ensure the success of our events and programs. Each family must take on its fair share of volunteer positions and duties, some of which are listed below. Where applicable, training will be provided. IMPORTANT NEW VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENT FOR WATER FUN AND ILWP PARENTS Each parent will be expected to assist the coaches at least once during the season. A volunteer schedule will be prepared by the recreational programs coordinator. Parents should come on the pool deck, ready to provide assistance under the guidance of the ILWP coaches. At their discretion, parents will be welcome to get in the water to help out. This will be especially helpful for the Water Fun program. If you have serious concerns about your ability to provide this type of assistance, please contact the recreational programs coordinator at Pierre.Tremblay@Titanswaterpolo.ca. ALL PARENTS, please review the list below and notify us at INFO@titanswaterpolo.ca as to which position you wish to volunteer for: Team Manager - EACH of our competitive teams requires a parent volunteer to manage email communication, to set up team meetings, and to coordinate logistics for tournaments. In terms of tournament planning (travel, budget, accommodations, player fees, etc.), Team Managers can choose to do tasks themselves, or can delegate tasks to other parent(s) on the team. Teams who don't have a team manager will not be able to participate in tournaments. Merchandise Coordinator - position already filled. Tournament Chairs - We require a parent Chair (or two co-chairs) for Titans-hosted tournaments. These individuals are responsible for working with the Competitive Program Manager to set the budget, to recruit key volunteers, to liaise with visiting teams, and to generally oversee the event. Hospitality Room Coordinators We require a parent to run the hospitality room (food and drink donations are used to feed participating officials/ volunteers/ coaches) at each Titanshosted tournament. The Coordinator manages the hospitality room by soliciting and organizing all donations of food and other items (sorry, donating to the hospitality room does not count as a volunteer commitment) and is responsible for set-up and clean-up and organizing volunteers. Minor Officials Parents are needed to volunteer at Titans-hosted tournaments to work as minor officials, running the shot clock and game clocks and being game secretary. Training will be provided to ensure volunteers are comfortable with their roles. We expect that ALL parents of participating Titans athletes will help out. Parents are also needed to help with set-up and take-down of all equipment prior to tournaments. 9
Newsletter Coordinator one or more parents are needed to coordinate the drafting of periodic newsletter to our club members. This is an excellent way of keeping up with the latest Titans news and provides a key service to all our members. Communications and Marketing Volunteers - a number of parents are needed to assist with Titans communications and marketing, including researching and writing short articles for the newsletter; researching and writing athlete and coach profiles for the website; becoming a media liaison, etc. If you like to write, please contact us, as we have a job for you! This is a 'less regular' volunteer role that we can build to suit your skills and availability. Communications and Media - We require a media person for each of the tournaments we are hosting to contact media and send them schedules. Also, general writers are needed to do regular press releases and start building relationships with the media (neighbourhood community papers, Citizen, Sun, radio, TV). We have templates and contact information ready to hand over. Chaperones - All teams will require chaperones (and drivers, if the team is not using a bus) for any out-of-town tournament. The team s tournament budget will pay for the chaperones transportation and accommodations (and in the case of drivers, cover gas and mileage). These volunteers will be recruited by Team Managers. If there are not enough volunteers for these roles, the teams will not be able to travel. Please make an effort to help out your son or daughter's team. Police Record Checks are required for chaperones and Team Managers and the forms are available on our website or through your Team Manager. End of Year Banquet Coordinator(s) - Plan and organize the June 2014 Awards Banquet, including sponsorship, tickets, budget, etc. Also, there are many instances where our athletes participate in league play, or in scrimmages within the club or with other teams, where we require some game set-up (game clock, shot clock, etc.) as well as people to run the clocks and keep score. We need parents for these roles, and would encourage everyone to do their share' as a family. We do realize that many of the above roles might seem intimidating. Don't worry, we have lots of other parents who are willing to help you learn the ropes! UNIFORM POLICY Coaching Staff For coaches representing Titans at Tournaments, a Titans Club Jacket with matching pants, and a Titans golf shirt along with the navy, black or khaki shorts/pants. The golf shirt and short/pants must be worn on deck while coaching. Coaches will be able to purchase up to 3 golf shirts, jacket and pants at cost from the Titans merchandise coordinator at the beginning of the season. 10
Athletes ALL Titans competitive athletes are required to wear the following clothing items for all Tournaments: Titans bathing suit (the new black/red/yellow version), to be worn during tournaments and games with other clubs Titans white and black swim cap (girls only) Titans jacket Titans T-Shirt All Titans clothing will be stocked and available during periodic merchandise sales throughout the season. All purchases are payable by cheque to Titans Water Polo to the Merchandise Coordinator. UPCOMING AGM The Titans AGM will be held on Sunday the 8th of September from 1pm to 4pm at the Ottawa Central Library Auditorium (lower level) 120 Metcalfe Street. It is absolutely essential that all our members, recreational and competitive, attend this very important meeting. For example, this year, the Board of Directors will propose a set of formal fundraising objectives. Without the benefit of your feedback, it will be impossible for the club to introduce a program with a high likelihood of success. CONTACT US If you have any question or concern regarding registration, your inquiries should be directed to our Registrar at registrar@titanswaterpolo.ca Inquiries should be directed to INFO@titanswaterpolo.ca Further Club contact information is available at www.titanswaterpolo.ca under Contacts. 11