Team Manager Role
1. Team Advocate - Your primary responsibility is to assist the coach in making this a positive experience for all involved. If anyone associated with your team, including parents, coaches, or family member/guest are exhibiting behavior that is not in line with AYSO philosophies, you should bring it to the coach's attention immediately. If the coach would prefer support from board members, please contact your Division Commissioner, Safety Director, CVPA OR the Regional Commissioner.
2. Team Communicator - You are responsible for all communications with your team. Create a web-based team site (or a form of communication that works for you) to include your team’s contact information, to notify and remind parents of games dates/times/locations, and snack responsibilities/duties. Coordinate the end-of-season celebration date/location, practice schedule changes (if needed), banner costs (not required), and coach / referee and key volunteer’s gift’s costs ( not required).
3. Game Schedule - Assist coach to share the season's game schedule to parents, and provide reminders in advance of each game. Ask parents to review the schedule and inform you when they are expected to miss games due to schedule conflicts, so coach will have plenty of notice. Parents are responsible to notify you or coach in advance on attendance to games/practices.
4. Snack Schedule - Create a snack schedule and add to the game schedule. Referees and the coach should be included in your count if they have a child on the team. Some appropriate snacks for games include:
· For half time: fresh fruit including orange slices, grapes or bananas
· After game snack: should be simple. A drink of water, juice with one additional item such as crackers, cookies, fruit snacks, etc.
· PLEASE be SURE to check with parents for any team allergies or foods to avoid (such as dairy or peanuts).
5. Child Safety - a child should NEVER be left alone on the fields at anytime during games or at practices. Parents should walk their children onto the field and pick them up from the field. The coach should not dismiss children to cars in the parking lot by themselves. Coaches are not there to babysit but to coach. No child should go to the bathroom by his/herself. Children should always go in groups of three or more, and ideally with a Safe Haven approved adult.
6. First Aid Kit - The Region provides the Coach with a First Aid Kit. Players cannot play if they have blood on themselves or their uniform, Its important to have this kit readily available.
7. Water - Please require parents to provide water for their children during games and practices to keep them hydrated.
8. Special Events – Opening Day, Picture Day. Please be sure to notify parents of these events so they can plan accordingly.
9. Set-Up/Take down of fields - if you are the first or last game of the day, you are expected to gather your team's parents to put up/take down the nets and corner kick flags. The Coach should be warming up the players and the team referee will also be busy with referee duties.
10. Field Operations - Please keep parents on the sidelines. According to the AYSO guidelines, spectators should be 9 feet from the sideline and not beyond the 18 yards line on either end of the field. Remind family members and spectators that their job is to cheer (adjectives such as Good Job!) whereas the coach is the person to give direction to the players. Players can become confused if they're receiving instructions from someone other than the coach.
11. Team Banners – To ensure player safety, banners should only have player names printed. Do not identify the player to their jersey number. The region does not reimbursed or pay for the banner. This is a team decision and payment amount from all parents should be agreed on before purchase is made. Parents are not REQUIRED to contribute towards the banner.
12. Kids Zone – Please enforce Kids Zone program to eliminate negative sideline behavior by producing a positive impact on everyone involved in youth soccer. You are responsible for ensuring that everyone on your team is aware of the Kids Zone Parent Pledge. Reminders might be necessary throughout the season.
14. Positive Support - This goes along with being the team advocate. Things like line of high-fives or "the tunnel" at the end of each game, planning team party, potlucks or other get-togethers go a long way to help morale.
MOST OF ALL... BE SURE TO MAKE IT FUN!!