Granby Rovers Team Manager Guide

Granby Rovers Team Manager Guide September 2015 www.granbyrovers.com

Contents Coaches/Manager Roles & Responsibilities... 3 Additional Items for Coaches/Manager to Consider... 3 Team Registration Process (Manager & Registrar)... 4 Roster & Player Passes... 4 Equipment... 4 Uniforms & Extras... 5 Website Access... 5 Coaches & Manager Email Distribution Lists... 5 Coaches & Managers Background Checks... 5 Coaches & Managers Attendance at Monthly Rovers Meetings... 6 Recruit a Team Treasurer... 6 Estimating Team Player Costs... 6 Scheduling Friendly & League Games... 6 1. Friendly Games (Typically Saturdays)... 6 2. League Games (Typically Sundays)... 7 3. CT Cup Games... 7 4. Securing a Field... 7 5. Referees... 7 Required Player Forms... 8 Initial Team Meeting... 8 Team Emergency Call Tree... 8 Spring/Fall Field Clean-up:... 8 Snack/Orange Schedule... 8 Confirm Game... 9 Paying Referees... 9 Recording Game Scores... 9 Team Pictures... 9 Tournaments... 9 Plan the End of Season Gathering... 9 Indoor Soccer & Spring Season... 10 UCONN Fall Soccer Games... 10 Ball Boys/Girls for High School Soccer Games... 10 Manager Fall Checklist... 11 Manager Spring Checklist... 11 References... 12 List of Important Websites:... 12 Indoor Soccer Facilities:... 12 Key emails Addresses:... 12

Coaches/Manager Roles & Responsibilities The Manager should schedule a meeting/call with the Coach and Assistant Coach(s) before the season starts. The purpose of the meeting is to talk about roles and responsibilities for the season and gain consensus on how the team will be run. Here is a list of items to be discussed: Tasks Needing Assignment (additional details on each task are in this document) 1. Recruiting a Team Treasurer. 2. Status and purchasing of team equipment needs (as applicable). Who is Responsible 3. Submitting requests to the Facilities Director for practice times (see Rovers website for name of current Facilities Director). 4. Scheduling friendly/league games & coordinating referees with the Assignor (see Rovers website for name of current Assignor). 5. Entering the team s game schedule on the Rovers website. 6. Confirming weekly games with the opponent and verifying referees have been assigned. 7. Responsibility for the player s passes, medical bag & medical forms. Coach 8. Recording weekly game scores into the bysa.org website. 9. Research tournament options and coordinating tournament registration. 10. Tracking game/practice attendance. Coach 11. Setting up and leading the parent meeting. 12. Attending the monthly Rovers meetings. Additional Items for Coaches/Manager to Consider The following are some items the Coaches and Managers may want to discuss in addition to the items above: Things to discuss Decision 1. What level will the team play at? CJSA uses a 1-6 rating scale with 1 being the most skilled team. The Registrar will need the team rating when registering your team. 2. When/where will the parent meeting be and do you want to invite the Rovers President, VP and Boys/Girl s Directors? 3. Will practice/game attendance be taken? 4. Will the team play in any tournaments? 5. Will the team practice during the winter months? 6. Will the team participate in indoor soccer? Who is on point to request Indoor practice space? Page 3 Rev. 9/15

Team Registration Process (Manager & Registrar) Roster & Player Passes Finalizing the roster and creating player passes are a multi step process. Player passes are good for one year - fall/spring seasons. The name of the Granby Rovers Registrar and Boys & Girl s Directors can be found under Board Members on the left hand side of the page at www.granbyrovers.com. 1. For the fall season, after tryouts/assessments in June, obtain the Player listing from Boy s/girl s Directors (or Coach). (For the spring season, work with your Coaches to identify which returning players to roster.) 2. Ask players, Coaches and Managers for a 1x1 head shot photo for their player pass. 3. For all 1 st time Rovers players, obtain a copy of their birth certificate. Keep a copy for your records and give a copy to the Rovers Registrar. 4. Registrar will generate and send to the Manager and Coaches the official Roster. You must validate that all players, Coaches and Managers are listed. Once the Roster has been approved, the Registrar will print the player passes and email the final Roster for you. 5. Paste the 1x1 photo into the appropriate pass. 6. Once all passes are signed and photo s attached, get the cards laminated, punch a hole in the corner and place the passes on a ring. Staples can laminate, cut and punch the cards if you do not have access to a laminator. As long as a player has a valid player s pass, they are eligible to play with the exception of the CT Cup and tournaments which require all players to be listed on the team roster. Only adults with a current player pass are allowed on the bench during games. Remember: At the end of the fall season, the Coach or Manager should hold on to the player passes. This way they will have them for the spring session. Player passes will be reissued by the Registrar for the fall season. Equipment Coaches may need to purchase team equipment at the beginning of the season. They will be reimbursed by the team once the team fees have been collected by the Treasurer. Coach s Equipment Game ball & some extra team balls (U9-U12 use size 4 balls; U13+ use size 5 balls) Cones First aid kit Pinneys Ball bag Clipboard White board & dry erase marker Player Equipment - Each player is expected to have their own: Properly inflated soccer ball Shin guards Soccer cleats Water bottle Page 4 Rev. 9/15

Uniforms & Extras Each Rovers player is required to have: Home jersey (white) Away jersey (blue) Rovers adidas blue shorts Rovers adidas blue socks During the time that uniform ordering is available, a link, along with directions, will be posted on the home page of the Rovers website entitled Uniform Ordering that can be used to access the Soccer & Rugby uniform ordering website. The link will always be on the Rovers website but will only be live during specified uniform ordering periods. Instructions on how to use the site are on the website. In summary, Managers set-up and activate players in Soccer & Rugby s uniform ordering website system, communicate the process and send the ordering link to parents and monitor order status and send reminders as necessary to help parents meet order deadlines. Parents are responsible for placing orders on-time and paying for the apparel they order. If you have questions regarding uniform ordering, contact the Uniform Coordinator listed on the Rovers website. All other items such as backpacks, warm up sweats and sweatshirts are optional. On the left hand side of the Rovers website there is a Granby Rovers Fanwear link that will direct the user to the Soccer & Rugby specific site for Rovers apparel. Each parent is responsible for selecting and ordering whichever of the items they desire on a discretionary basis. Note that these items are customized with the Rovers logo and are not subject to return or exchange so remind your parents to order carefully. Website Access You will be able to email the team, enter the team game/practice schedule, post pictures, and obtain player contact information from the Granby Rovers Website. To obtain a password, contact the webmaster@granbyrovers.com Coaches & Manager Email Distribution Lists Coaches and Managers are encouraged to use the website capabilities to send out emails to their teams. The website is the master database of players and therefore should be the sole originator of Granby Rovers communication. This will ensure that emails are sent privately and securely. There is also helpful functionality, including an I have read this email option. This option can be included at the bottom of the email and helps to ensure that all of the parents on your team received and read the email. If a Coach or Manager is in need of emailing the board, or Coaches from other Rovers Teams, they can go to the Board Members page or the specific team page on the Granby Rovers Website and email directly from there. Coaches & Managers Background Checks The Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (CJSA) requires any person involved in CJSA, state, district, club, or any of its teams, (recreation, classic, premier, ODP), as a Coach, assistant Coach, Manager, volunteer referee, official, administrator, board member, or director, etc. to complete the online CJSA background check every two years. If you are unsure if you need to do the background check this year, check with the Registrar. To do the background check, go to the CJSA website www.cjsa.org. Page 5 Rev. 9/15

Coaches & Managers Attendance at Monthly Rovers Meetings Each team is expected to have at least one Coach or Manager at every Rovers board meeting during the playing season(s). The meetings are typically held monthly on the first Thursday of the month. For the exact day, time and location, check the club website www.granbyrovers.com. At a minimum, sending a team representative to vote on behalf of the team for board nominees at the November meeting is necessary. Recruit a Team Treasurer Each team needs a Treasurer to collect team fees, pay expenses and prepare annual tax reporting. In addition, for new teams, the team Treasurer will need to open a team checking account at Windsor Federal. For additional guidance on the Treasurer s responsibilities, reach out to the Rovers Treasurer (see website for contact name). Estimating Team Player Costs The team Treasurer will be responsible for calculating the player fee which is calculated at the team level and divided by the number of players on the team. Here are some past fees just to give you a general idea of what the cost will be. Uniform costs are borne by parents and therefore not included. Rovers Player Assessment (fee set by Club Treasurer in fall) $46 for U16-U18 $59 for U12, U13, U14 $51 for U11, U10, U9 CJSA Team Fee (applies to U11 and up teams) $30 (fee is set by CJSA) CJSA Player Fee $11(fee is set by CJSA) x # players CJSA Coach Manager Fee $2 (fee is set by CJSA) x # Coaches & Managers Referee Fees See schedule issued by referee coordinator Year 1 Team Supplies Expense Varies by team Year 2+ Team Supply Expenses Varies by team Tournament Fees $500 Tournament Patches $100 Coaches Gifts Varies by team Year End Party Varies by team Scheduling Friendly & League Games It is the responsibility of each team to schedule its own Friendly games. Rovers home games typically start at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00 or 4:00. Talk to your Coach about who will be handling scheduling. Some Coaches prefer to do it themselves; others don t have the time and would appreciate your assistance. If the Coach wants you to do the scheduling, read the Rovers Scheduling and Referee Policies document on the Rovers website for current year information and refer to the summary below: 1. Friendly Games (Typically Saturdays) Go to the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association website (http://www.cjsacentraldistrict.org) and click on Districts. It should bring up a list of the teams. You should be able to drag down and get the Coaches contact information. Contact the opposing Coach in late July/August for fall season and March/April for spring season to make game arrangements. Rovers typically stay within the North Central and Central divisions to minimize driving but you can go outside these areas, if desired. Page 6 Rev. 9/15

2. League Games (Typically Sundays) The CJSA typically schedules the dates for all league and CT cup games. Once they have published the schedule you will need to secure a field for all home games. Check with the opposing Coach to make sure the time slot works for them. The home team has the final say in the start time of home games. Again, Rovers home games typically start at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00 or 4:00. For away games, contact the opposing Coach for game locations/times. 3. CT Cup Games If your team is going to play in the CT Cup, the team Manager will need to register the team by the state deadline. You may use the same team roster used for league games or choose to add players from the B team, if there is one. Cup games generally start around the second Saturday in October. You may need to cancel/reschedule a friendly game to play your Cup game. Expect opponents to do the same. 4. Securing a Field Find out who the Assignor is. They are responsible for assigning fields (and referees) for games. You can find their contact info on the Granby Rovers website (www.granbyrovers.com). Follow the procedures in the Rovers Scheduling and Referee Policies 201x guide, including using your team name (i.e. U12 Boys) in the email subject line. 5. Referees The Granby Rovers Assignor is also responsible for securing referees based on field assignment. Typically on Friday you will receive the listing of referees assigned to games for the upcoming weekend with their phone numbers. Forward the info on to your team s Treasurer so they will have the correct spelling of the Referee s names. Bring the names and phone numbers of the refs to the game in case communication becomes necessary. Standard Granby Rovers Referee Fees for Friendly & League Games for 2015-2016 Season Team Age Referee Fees AR Fees U-19 $ 56 $ 34 U-18 $ 56 $ 34 U-17 $ 56 $ 34 U-16 $ 50 $ 30 U-15 $ 50 $ 30 U-14 $ 42 $ 27 U-13 $ 40 $ 25 U-12 $ 38 $ 25 U-11 $ 35 $ 24 U-10 $ 32 $ 23 U-9 $ 32 $ 23 Page 7 Rev. 9/15

Required Player Forms The following forms must be completed and signed by the parent/guardian before their child practices with the team. Both forms are available on the Granby Rovers Website. On the left hand side of the home page click on Forms/Documents and then click Forms. 1. Medical Form Coaches should retain these forms so they are on hand at every game and practice. 2. Waiver/Release Managers generally retain these forms; however, the Coach may elect to keep them with the medical forms. 3. Player Code of Conduct On an annual basis, each player, parent, Coach and Manager must sign the current Code of Conduct. The form can be retained by either the Coach or the Manager. Initial Team Meeting The head Coach, assistant Coaches and Manager should have an introductory meeting with parents/guardians at the beginning of the season. Teams should notify the Rovers President, Vice President and Boys or Girls Director of the date, time and location of the meeting. They will try to stop by to introduce themselves to the parents. Team Emergency Call Tree Create a call or email tree for last minute game cancellations. Ask the parents/guardians and Coaches for their home & cell phone numbers and email addresses. Spring/Fall Field Clean-up: Prior to the start of the spring season and near the conclusion of the fall season, the Facilities Director will send an email asking for volunteers (generally two) from each team to assist in field preparation and clean-up, which is generally held for three hours on either a Saturday or Sunday (weather permitting). The team will be fined if they do not meet the minimum number of volunteers needed. Snack/Orange Schedule Snacks are not required, but if the Coach agrees and the team desires, you may want to ask for volunteers to bring a healthy snack for halftime or at the end of the game. Oranges and watermelon have proven to be popular and appropriate. Coaches are appreciative when garbage bags are supplied for the clean-up. Page 8 Rev. 9/15

Confirm Game The Manager or Coach should confirm the game with the opposing team a few days before the game is scheduled to be played. Make certain you have a home & cell number of the opposing team Coach or Manager so that if a last minute cancellation is needed, you have a current number. Review the referee assignments provided by the Assignor to make sure you have referees assigned for your home games. Paying Referees This is the job of the team Treasurer. Your team is responsible for paying the referees for all home games. If the Treasurer is not going to be at the game, you may be asked to pay the referees. Referees need to be paid the day of the game. The cost of referees is different for different age groups (see page 7). The Assignor will send out additional information on the club s game cancellation policy. Recording Game Scores The Rovers Registrar will provide the head Coach with the team s password for entering scores into the CJSA website. This is something typically done by the Coach but may also be done by the Manager. The website is www.bysa.org. Scores need to be entered by the beginning of November for the fall season. The team will be fined if scores are not entered by the end of season deadline. As they ve agreed, either the Coach or Manager must enter game scores into the Rovers website weekly. Team Pictures Rovers no longer contracts with a photo studio for team pictures so that if one is desired, it is typically scheduled before a game when all players are available and taken by a parent. If pictures are desired, it is the responsibility of the team Manager to arrange a date and coordinate. Tournaments The Manager is typically responsible for completing the necessary forms to enter a team into a tournament. The forms are typically on the tournament site. The roster and players cards must be complete before playing in any tournament. A listing of local tournaments can be found on www.cjsa.org or national tournaments can be found on http://www.gotsoccer.com. Many tournaments include a club patch exchange. If you need Rovers patches, contact the Rovers Treasurer. There is a cost for the patches of about $1/patch. Plan the End of Season Gathering Most teams have some sort of celebration at the end of each fall/spring season. Talk to the Coaches and parents to see what suggestions they may have. Some teams have a small gathering at the field after the last game; others have it at a player s home or an alternative location like bowling, laser tag, a pizza place or Copperhill/Kick Golf, etc. You may want to get a small gift for the Coaches and Treasurer as a thank you for their time and commitment to the team. Page 9 Rev. 9/15

Indoor Soccer & Spring Season Many teams like to continue to play during the winter months. Interest should be solicited around September/October with games typically starting in November. Work with your Coach to check with your team to see if there is enough interest to field a team during the winter and/or spring season(s), a time when players frequently play other sports. Make sure parents and Coaches are aligned with regard to player commitment. For more information on the schedule of the winter sessions, contact one of the local indoor soccer facilities. Sports World in Enfield: www.sportsworld.cc Farmington Sports Arena: www.fsasports.com UCONN Fall Soccer Games Try to coordinate at least one team trip to go see the UCONN Huskies play in the fall. Check with the Coaching Director, identified on the Rovers website, to see if free tickets are available as they usually are. UCONN typically asks for teams to play at half time and to be ball boys for their games and Rovers teams frequently get priority. Ball Boys/Girls for High School Soccer Games During the Granby High School's JV and Varsity soccer season in the fall, the High School student activities coordinator requests that the Rovers Organization select ball boys and girls to work at the games. It is a great way for our Rovers players to be involved with the high school soccer program and to aspire to play at that level. Expect an email from the Rovers' organization a few weeks prior to the beginning of the JV and Varsity games with information on this opportunity and please share it with your Rovers players. Page 10 Rev. 9/15

Manager Fall Checklist # Item Target Time Frame Completed 1. Player Birth Certificates Obtained June/July 2. Player, Coaches & Manager Photos obtained June/July 3. Preliminary Team Roster June/July 4. Monitor Team Uniform Order Placement by Family July 5. Team Supplies Purchased July/August 6. Final Roster Approved & Signed July/August 7. Player passes laminated July/August 8. All Player Medical & Release Forms Completed July/August 9. Roster Listed on Website July/August 10. Practice Scheduled & Loaded on Website July/August 11. Games Scheduled and Loaded on Website July/August 12. State Cup Application Submitted (optional) September 13. Tournament Application Submitted (optional) Depends on Tournament 14. Team Meeting Scheduled August/September 15. Have Treasurer send out Fall Player Fee Assessment September 16. Schedule Team Photo (to be taken by parent) September 17. Know who has Player Passes & Forms at end of the season November Manager Spring Checklist # Item Target Time Frame Completed 1. Player Birth Certificates Obtained (new players only) February/March 2. Player, Coaches & Manager Photos obtained (new players only) February/March 3. Monitor Team Uniform Order Placement for New Players February 4. Final Roster Approved & Signed March 5. Player Medical & Release Forms Completed (new players only) March 6. Roster Listed on Website March/April 7. Practice Scheduled & Loaded on Website March/April 8. Games Scheduled and Loaded on Website March/April 9. State Cup Application Submitted (optional) May 10. Tournament Application Submitted (optional) Depends on Tournament 11. Have Treasurer send out Spring Player Fee Assessment May 12. Return all Medical Forms and Waivers to Club Secretary June 13. Return all Player Passes to Club Registrar June Page 11 Rev. 9/15

References List of Important Websites: Granby Rovers: www.granbyrovers.com Connecticut Junior Soccer Association: www.cjsa.org Looking for Teams to Play: www.bysa.org. Entering Game Scores: www.bysa.org (contact the Granby Rovers Registrar if you need an ID and password) Indoor Soccer Facilities: SportsWorld in Enfield: www.sportsworld.cc Farmington Sports Association: www.fsasports.com Key emails Addresses: boysdirector@granbyrovers.com this will go to the boys director girlsdirector@granbyrovers.com this will go to the girl s director webmaster@granbyrovers.com this will go to the webmaster registrar@granbyrovers.com this will go to the Rovers Registrar Coaches@granbyrovers.com this will go to all Coaches Managers@granbyrovers.com this will go to all Managers CoachesandManagers@granbyrovers.com this will go to both Coaches and Managers Page 12 Rev. 9/15