WHATCOM FC Rangers Parent Handbook
HOW DID WFC RANGERS COME TO BE? The WHATCOM FOOTBALL CLUB (FC) organization was started during the mid-1980s with three boys teams. With the tremendous growth of the game and a desire for players in our region to test themselves against the very best in the state, the Rangers program was formed. We are now an organization consisting of 43 teams (boys and girls ) with over 650 players. HOW ARE OUR TEAMS ORGANIZED? Our teams are first organized by gender and then by age. There are up to three teams (White, Blue, Gold) in each age group for each gender. Teams may roster up to 18 players but average 15-16 players. Age groups are organized in an under age grouping. The child s age group is determined by their age prior to January 1st of the competing year. For example, a player who was born in 2003 will compete in the U15 age group throughout this competitive season. HOW ARE OUR TEAMS FORMED? Each year the state governing body, the Washington Youth Soccer (WYS), dictates when tryouts for each age group are held. They typically occur in February (boys high school) and in April and May (all other ages). Each age group will go through a two-day review. It is mandatory that the athletes participate in at least one of these days, though attendance at both tryout days is strongly recommended. Special arrangements can be made to accommodate players who are injured, ill, or unable to participate due to extraordinary circumstances. Overseen by our Technical Director, Rangers coaches, and at times impartial evaluators from outside of the club, the tryouts are conducted to evaluate each player. Within this group, a consensus is formed and the player is placed on the team where it is felt they will have the best chance of success. Our policy is that we find the spot that is best for the child, not what is best for a particular team. PARENT HANDBOOK 1
HOW ARE OUR COACHES SELECTED? The Club s Technical Director is responsible for recruiting, assessing, and matching the coaches and assistant coaches with teams. ARE COACHES AND ASSISTANT COACHES PAID? Yes, our coaching staff are paid. The Technical Director determines each coach s stipend based on multiple criteria. Stipends range from $3,000 to $11,000 per year for head coaches and $0-$2,000 per year for assistant coaches. Our fees are comparable with those being offered around the state. WHOM DO WE PLAY? The majority of the Rangers teams play in the Regional Club League (RCL). This league is populated by the top 20 select soccer clubs in the state. The Rangers are ranked in the Top Ten among clubs in Washington. Within each gender and age group, there are up to five divisions with each division ideally comprising of 8 teams but sometimes up to 12 teams. The top divisions contain the 8 most competitive teams in the state, the second division contains the next competitive 8 teams, and so forth. Thus, the teams each Ranger team plays could potentially hail from anywhere in the state. Travel will depend on which teams end up in your division. We also play in the North Puget Sound League (NPSL), with travel in North Puget Sound. In general, though, gold and blue teams tend to require more travel than white teams. Summer tournament competition is dependent on what other teams decide to participate in the tournament. Tournament participation is decided based upon input from the coaches and the Technical Director. All tournaments chosen must be approved by the Technical Director. COSTS TO PLAY WFC RANGERS: For the 2017/2018 season, the expected per player cost is approximately $2000-$3750. Families with players on Gold or Blue teams will almost always have greater costs than White teams due to coach s stipends and travel costs. The cost is broken down below, with explanations of the varying fees following: PARENT HANDBOOK 2
Club Registration Fee: $450 - paid to Rangers Head Coach Stipend: $200-$750 - paid to Rangers Assistant Coach Stipend: $0-$200 - paid to Rangers Uniform: $275 - paid directly to ProStock (our uniform vendor) Team Fees: $1000-$2000 - paid directly to your team treasurer Financial Policy: The WFC Rangers Financial Policy is attached to this Handbook. Please also see the Rangers website for details. Club Registration Fee: The Club Registration Fee covers administrative costs of the Club, which includes league fees. This fee is due at the time of registration in May 2017. Head Coach Stipend: The head coach stipend can range between $3,000 and $11,000 based on criteria that includes: coaching/playing experience, licensing, history, and club ethos. This cost is shared by each member of the team, and is paid directly to Rangers. Assistant Coach Stipend: The assistant coach stipend can range between $0 and $2,000. Not all teams will have a paid assistant coach. The assistant coach stipend is based on criteria that includes: coaching/playing experience, licensing, history, and club ethos. This cost is shared by each member of the team, and is paid directly to Rangers. Uniforms: The 2017/2018 season marks the beginning of a new 3- year uniform cycle for WFC Rangers. All players will be required to buy a full uniform kit (shirt, shorts, socks, backpack, training t-shirt, training jacket and pants). The approximate cost is approximately $275.00. The uniform must be purchased from ProStock in May 2017. Players wear their black shorts and training tee to all trainings and provide their own ball. Team Fees: Team fees are paid directly to your team treasurer. Team fees cover other expenses the team will incur throughout the year, including tournament fees, field rental fees for practice and games, coach s travel, food, and lodging expenses for away events. Also, travel expenses for the individual family are not included. The team budget will be discussed at your team meeting. PARENT HANDBOOK 3
SCHOLARSHIPS: We have a scholarship program set up to help families with some of the expenses of Rangers soccer. Our current scholarships cover the Club Registration fee of $450 and if our fundraisers are successful, monies will be available to provide scholarships for full or partial Coach Stipend fees. Eligibility is based on the criteria used by the United States Federal Government guidelines for free and reduced school lunch program. Our scholarship funding comes from our registration fees, dedicated fundraising, and corporate sponsorship. Please note that we do not provide scholarships for team fees or uniforms, so even if you receive a scholarship for the Club Registration Fee and Coach Stipend, you will be expected to pay your uniform and team fees, an amount totaling approximately $1500-$2000. The WFC Rangers Scholarship Packet is attached to this Handbook. Please also see the Rangers website for details. OTHER SPORTS: WFC Rangers encourages its players to participate in other sports, activities, and endeavors. Families with player(s) who participate in other sports, activities, and endeavors need to work closely with their player s coach to make proper arrangements that work for the player, the team, and the coach. Such arrangements will be made on a case-by-case basis. PARENT EXPECTATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: We want you to be the best advocate and supporter for your child. This includes being a good role model for your child and his/her teammates. In youth soccer, unlike some other sports, verbal outbursts, especially referee abuse, is not tolerated. There is no need to speak with the referee or other team. Both team and coach may be penalized for the behavior of their poorly behaved supporters. Offending spectators may be ejected from games by the referee for offensive behavior. As a member of the Whatcom Rangers we ask that you behave in a manner that adheres to the values of the club. From a technical perspective, we ask that you refrain from giving your child or other players instructions from the sideline. Although we can appreciate that we may have knowledgeable soccer parents, the instructions you are giving the players, might in fact contradict what the coach has asked them to perform. Thus, leading to the player losing focus and confidence while playing. PARENT HANDBOOK 4
The WFC Rangers Player and Parent Code of Conduct is attached to this Handbook. Please also see the Rangers website for details. TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOUR RULE: In the event a parent has an issue with their child s coach, we strongly enourage the parent to wait for TWENTY-FOUR (24) hours before communicating with their coach. If after the TWENTY-FOUR (24) hour period, the parent feels the need to communicate with the coach, that parent may do so. If the parent s issue with the coach is not resolved, the parent may speak with the Technical Director about the issue/concern. We ask parents to go to the coach first, before going to the Technical Director. HOW DO I PARTICIPATE IN RANGERS AS A PARENT? There are many opportunities to support your child, their teammates, as well as the team. Parents may serve each team in the following positions: Team Manager: This person is a critical component to a successful team. They coordinate all communication between the club, coach, and team. During the season they will be responsible for arranging hotel and travel plans and communicating with opposing managers to coordinate game times. Team Treasurer: This person is responsible for managing the team s finances. They are in charge of the team bank account and manage the document flow of team funds. They work hand in hand with the team manager. Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Representative: Each team shall have one parent attend the PAC meetings (held once every month). The PAC is the connection between the parents and the WFC Board. The PAC representative is responsible for electing 4 of the 14 board positions. Fundraising/Volunteer Coordinator: This person coordinates the fundraising for the team and acts as the liaison between the team and the Club for fundraising events (see below). PARENT HANDBOOK 5
Other Team Roles: Keepers of the first aid kit, team tent, and team bench; Social Events Coordinator; Travel Coordinator; and the like. Parents may serve the Club in the following positions: Board of Directors: The Board of Directors, positions discussed, below, oversees the general governance on the Club. Board of Directors Committees: The Board of Directors may create individual committees, and parents who are not a director on the Board of Directors may serve as committee members. CLUB FUNDRAISING: Our club has three major fundraising events throughout the year. Funds raised by these events allow us to keep our fees down, provide scholarships for players who need it and support coaching development as needed. Our three big events are: Car Wash Tickets: This fundraising activity is required for all players. Each player (even if your family has more than one player) is asked to sell seven (7) car wash tickets at a cost of $9 each. This is done in early summer. There is a buyout option (should you not wish to participate) which is $35. We usually raise about $10,000-12,000 annually by the entire club. Each player is responsible for returning all unsold car wash tickets. Failure to do so will result in you paying for any unreturned tickets. The Bellingham Bay Marathon: This fundraising activity is required for all players. Some parent volunteers from each team are also required. This event is sponsored by both the WFC Rangers and the Bellingham Bay Swim club. The bulk of the volunteer work will occur in the days leading up to and the day of, the marathon. Each team s volunteer coordinator would be asked to participate in an informational marathon meeting and coordinate the teams participation in the event. Golf Tournament: This event is focused on our business community. Individual player participation is not required. However, players can get involved by obtaining sponsors for the event. Any player obtaining a sponsor will receive a credit to that player s Ranger account in an amount equal to PARENT HANDBOOK 6
10% of the sponsor obtained. All funds raised by this event go toward our scholarship fund. Additional Fundraising Activities: Each team may organize its own additional fundraising opportunities provided it has been approved by the WFC Ranger Board. Please contact Jenny Kapp (see contact information on Rangers website) two weeks in advance of the event. WFC Ranger Development Program (RDP): RDP is the first opportunity for soccer players in our community to be a Ranger. It is our select program for U12 players and younger made up of approximately 50 players of each gender. The season is 8 weeks in the Fall and 8 weeks in the Spring. Games are played weekly, against one another at Phillips 66 Soccer Park. RDP is coached by professional staff from the WFC Rangers program. Tryouts for the RDP program are held in May of each year. Costs: The cost of the RDP program for the 2017/2018 season breaks down as follows: Registration Fee: $500.00 ($250.00 for the Fall season and $250.00 for the Spring season). Your registration fee pays for the Head Coaches stipend and the Assistant Coaches stipend and the players uniform. Uniform Cost: The cost of the uniform of $35-$40. Uniform: Each player will receive a uniform that consists of: 2 shirts Short Socks The shirts are to be worn at all trainings. Players/parents will be allowed to purchase extra training tops/socks and other items as they deem necessary for an additional cost. Training balls are provided by players. Fundraising: RDP players are required to participate in the mandatory fundraising activities, set forth above. PARENT HANDBOOK 7
GOVERNANCE: The Club is governed by a Board of Directors. All members of the board are volunteers. Board Composition: There are fourteen (14) voting directors, as follows: President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: PAC Rep: PAC Rep: PAC Rep: PAC Rep: At Large Rep: At Large Rep: WCYSA Rep: WCYSA Rep: WCYSA Rep: WSR Rep: Brad Swanson Kirsten Barron Jenny Kapp Amy Alexander Vacant RJ Knuutilla Jen Larmer Nancy Schubeck John Knies Suzanne Munson Kirk Kamrath Vacant Maureen Hodge Chris Fowler Non-voting Members: There are four (4) non-voting members, as follows: Past President: Keri Snodgrass Technical Director: Derrick Ayers Assistant Technical Director: Noah Braun Administrative Officer: Charleen Wallace Board of Directors Role and Responsibility: The Board meets once a month, or more, and is responsible for the operation of the club, and individual directors support many other Club functions year-round. The board monitors the financial health of the Club, sets policy, and organizes and oversees the various committees. Currently there are committees working on sponsorship, fundraising, and parent advisory. PARENT HANDBOOK 8
Technical Director: In addition to the other roles described in this Handbook, the Technical Director oversees the Technical Staff (consisting of the Assistant Technical Director, the Goalkeeper Coordinator, and other Technical Coordinators). These individuals are our higher-level coaches who mentor and assist in the development of our Club coaching staff. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Please find additional information at our website: http://www.wfcrangers.com The WFC Rangers address is as follows: P.O. Box 1481 Bellingham, WA 98227 Please contact our Administrative Officer, Charleen Wallace, at: charswfc@comcast.net Please contact our Technical Director, Derrick Ayers, at: derrickayers@gmail.com Please contact our Assistant Technical Director and RDP Director, Noah Braun, at: braun.nb@gmail.com Please contact our President, Brad Swanson, at: rydersdad2005@hotmail.com PARENT HANDBOOK 9