Team Manager Info
Welcome to the Vardar East Soccer Club Team Manager page. This page is designed to provide our team managers with guidelines and resources to assist them in their manager role. Many of the following suggestions/guidelines are from current or previous managers:
INTRODUCTION:
Thank you for volunteering to serve as a team manager. Your role as team manager is instrumental to the success of your team and the club. We want you to be successful and we have put together this manual to give you the necessary tools and 'how to' do so. These are only suggestions; please do what works best for you and your team. This is also a 'working' manual; it will be continually revised.
The team manager role is a commitment. If you feel you cannot fulfill the responsibilities alone, please enlist another parent to share the responsibilities with you or talk with the coach to see if another parent would be better suited to assume the role. In an effort of continuous improvement, if you discover short cuts, helpful information, or other successful ways to improve the Team Manager responsibilities, please share them with us so we are able to share best practices with other managers. Remember, that while your role entails a great deal of managing, organizing, and paperwork, always consider the well being of your players first.
Thank you again for volunteering and for helping to make this a great year at Vardar East Soccer Club.
FOR IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION:
Send Patty your name, team you will be managing, address, phone and email address to pcasagrande17@gmail.com
TEAM MANAGER RESPONSIBILITES:
Communications - Communication within the team is vital.
Create a list of parent names, phone and cell numbers and email addresses and give this list to all parents. Information on practice schedules, field and time changes, and indoor teams may need to be relayed to parents by phone or email. It is the job of the coaches to work with your children and it is your responsibility to facilitate communication to help in that endeavor. Most business can be taken care of via email or after a game when all players are present.
At the end of tryouts, the coach should hold a parent/players meeting to welcome them to the team and club, as well as, outline the coach's expectations for the season and set practice and training schedules. The coach should introduce the team manager and allow the team manager to address the players and parents of his/her role as well as outline the information needed for the upcoming season. The coach and the team manager should have an ongoing dialogue about roles and expectations for your team.
We have tried to write the managers manual to cover issues as they occur. After tryouts you will have a lot of organizational needs and some of our sample forms used by other managers may assist you. Use what works best for you!
The first thing to accomplish is to double check that you have all the forms you require from each player and follow up to obtain any missing items. Separate your forms into categories and alphabetize them and place them in your team binder (see recommendations for team binder below). Check the Players information form for jersey number requests. Current team players receive their top choice, current club players receive their choice based on seniority in the club and then you need to determine the jersey number of the new players based on their requests. The team uniform order form is due right away so this should be a priority.
It is recommended that you create a contact information form, update your email address book and send a welcome email to your new team. Ask them to verify the contact information form does not have any mistakes. This will ensure that you have all of the information correct before creating your league rosters! The players will also be pleased to know their jersey number and have contact information for other players over the summer.
LEAGUE REGISTRATION:
Risk Management:
PLAYER PASS CARDS:
The easiest way to keep your player cards together after they are laminated is to place them on a labeled key ring or binder ring by punching a hole in the upper corner opposite the photo. Generally, organizing them in alphabetical order so that they match the roster sheets is best. It will save time during check-in before games and at tournament registration.
PRE-SEASON ORGANIZATION:
A. Team Binder
You will be the keeper of a lot of information and gear. We've found that the best way to keep all of it organized is to create a team notebook. A 3 ring binder that has a zipper to keep everything inside and dry is best. Otherwise it is recommended to use sheet protectors to protect rosters, birth certificates, medical releases, etc. A zipper pouch is useful to hold pens and keep pass cards secure. You will need to carry all necessary forms while traveling with the team. Keep them in your notebook. Here are some suggested tabs for your notebook:
Contact Information
Make a spreadsheet with contact Information for all players and parents
Contact information for coach with home address/phone numbers
Risk Management Cards for Coaches and Managers
Schedules
A calendar of all practices, games, friendlies, ODP etc, should be made available to all parents. Via email or hard copy.
Copy of game schedules
Check Lists
You may have questions for the parents. Have a form or paper available when checking email responses. For example if you ask the parents a question you now have a spot to write down each response so that you know you have heard from everyone and have a record of response that you can refer to later without looking at every email again.
Results
Throughout the year you will be asked either by the coach or parents what was the result of a game you played previously. It is helpful to have a snapshot of your yearly results. Have a team record (W-L-T) for every league and tournament for at least a year and a half in order to fill out tournament paperwork.
Club Information
Copy of Club Directory (managers, coaches, administrative contacts)
Copies of maps/directions to game locations
Manager meeting minutes
League Info
Official State Roster. Make several copies, but keep your original on file
Copy of League Rules
Copy of Referee fee schedule if not noted in rules
Contact info for other teams
Medical Releases
Forms signed, notarized and in alphabetical order. (Make an extra copy for the coach to carry at all times. Most parents come to games, but many do not stay at practices.) These will be required at most tournaments.
Birth Certificates
Forms in alphabetical order
Tab for each Tournament planned
MSYSA Consent to Travel Forms for out of state tournaments
Travel permit from MSYSA for out of state tournaments
Tournament rules
Copy of tournament registration
Hotel Information
We suggest that you have a binder at home to put the rest of your forms that you do not have to carry with you but have collected at tryouts. As you finish tournaments you will want to move them out of the binder you carry into the binder at home. You may also want to carry a backpack or have a tote container in your car for extra items such as an extra pair of shin guards, socks, hat, gloves, sunscreen, bug spray and a first aid kit. Some recommended items for your first aid kit are athletic tape, pre wrap, band-aids (various sizes), Motrin, antiseptic cream, paper towels, water bottle for rinsing, hydrogen peroxide to remove blood, scissors' and instant ice.
B. Communication
Email is the quickest, easiest and most efficient way to communicate with your families. Please ask parents to provide an email address that they read daily. This will help in the event of a last minute schedule change or cancellation. This distribution list should be set up through the Team website. It is usually best to ask for work addresses as well as home addresses. If the message is something of an urgent nature (needs to be read in a couple of hours or is an important change in schedule, etc.) you should ask for a return message from the receiver and then follow up with calls to those who did not reply.
Distribute a copy of the roster to each family. Players' name, birth date, parents' names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. It's good to get this to families early so that they can familiarize themselves with names.
You may want to consider creating a "phone tree" for last minute changes. Please make sure that the people helping with calls understand the message that they are to convey.
It is helpful to create a laminated buisness card size listing of each player's name, player jersey number, parents' names, and parents' cell phone numbers. This is helpful if people are lost; a car breaks down, or in an emergency situation.
Ensure that all parents know where to find the club website www.vardareastsc.com and that they know to look there for current new bulletins.
For organizing on your computer, create a team soccer folder and keep a copy of all correspondences sent to the team with possible sub-folders for organizing things like tournament information, league information, etc.
When you have items to hand out to your players, it is helpful to write each player's name on the handouts. That way you will know exactly who has, and who has not, received that particular information.
Scheduling Games:
MYSL Teams
- Manager and Coach attend game scheduling at Carpathia Club.
- It is a good idea to bring a calendar with club tournaments, etc. so there are no conflicts with games. Bring copies of Whispering Woods map with contact information for you and coach on the map to distribute to opposing team managers. Communicate team schedules to players/parents.
- The schedules are usually posted on MYSL or Vardar East towards the end of August for the fall season and the end of March for the spring season. Please provide parents with maps for all away games.
- All league rules and guidelines are posted on the league website. Please familiarize yourself with the club pass card player rules, small sided game formats, minimum and maximum roster sizes, etc. prior to the start of the season.
MSPSL (Premier) Teams
- All premier scheduling is done online. Please see the premier website for instructions. Club Administrator will register teams online and input games on gotsoccer.
IN-SEASON
Inform the club registrar if there are any changes to your team roster. Inform the club field scheduler, Patty at patty@vardareast.com of any changes in games. Inform the league of game scores.
League Websites
MYSL, MSPSL, are overseen by MSYSA. Their website is www.michiganyouthsoccer.org
Teams that play in the Michigan Youth Soccer League (MYSL) can access all forms rules, maps game schedules, results and league standings. You can get to their site by clicking www.michigansoccer.com. This is also a great site to share with parents so they can access information as well.
Teams that play in Michigan State Premier Soccer League (MSPSL) can access at www.mspsl.org. Here you can also follow results and standings, get schedules, and access forms and rules. Parents will want to know about this site.
MRL Midwest Region League, www.midwestregionalleague.com/about.htm
Referee Fees
A check will be given to the Coach or Manager of each team for all the ref fees for the season. Each team is responsible to pay the referee fees. Make sure you divide the fees into the correct denominations for each referee at the game. 11 v 11 games will have 3 referees, one center and two line referees. Be sure you understand the correct fees for your age group and league. Small-sided games may use fewer referee or have different fees structures. For MYSL teams, you can get the referee fees at the referee website www.michigansoccer.com
Be ready in advance of your games, it is easiest to prepare all referee payments at the same time by preparing envelopes for each game. Each envelope should be labeled with the game date, the game number, the team names, the referee it is intended for, and the dollar amount.
Pre-Game
Please read through and understand the league game packet.
Game reports will be given to you from the league.
Prepare the team roster/game report sheets. This form will be given to the main referee at the game.
Prepare referee payment envelopes.
If home team, prepare mailer envelope for game reports.
At-Game
Give the prepared team roster/game report sheet to the main referee.
Give the 3 prepared referee payment envelopes to the main referee.(depending on # of referees)
Give the player pass cards to the referee to check-in the team.
If home team, provide game ball to the main referee.
Post-Game:
Remember to get player pass cards back from the referee.
Check to make sure the game report is signed by the coach confirming that the scores are accurate.
At the end of the game, the referee will need you and the opposing manager/coach to sign the game sheets and then the referee signs them. Make sure he fills in the correct score at the bottom of the game sheet.
Make sure that the field is cleaned up after the game (no left over water bottles, Gatorade containers, wrappers, athletic tape, etc.)
MYSL Games: The WINNING TEAM MUST report the game score ONLINE within 48 hours of the end of their game. HOME teams will report the score for tied games.
MYSL Scores should be submitted on the MYSL website. Go to the game you wish to submit the score for and click "Submit Score." Enter the four digit code given to you by your coach. Enter the score and hit "Submit."
Instructions for the scoring systems can be found on the league website. NOTE: You should check the results web page for your respective league to make sure that it is updated with game scores. At the end of the season, if a game has gone unreported (even if you were the losing team), both clubs are fined. If you find that a game has gone 2 weeks without being updated, please contact the league with the score.
Reschedule of Game
If a game needs to be rescheduled due to a rainout, it is the home team's manager's responsibility to coordinate the make-up game with the opposing team manager.
To coordinate a make-up game, you will need to contact the club field coordinator, Patty Casagrande at pcasagrande17@gmail.com to obtain and "book" game times.
It is strongly discouraged to reschedule games "just because". Both MYSL and MSPSL have guidelines as to acceptable reasons from rescheduling. In any event, opposing teams need to be contacted prior to the game to request a schedule change. If the opposing team is unable to reschedule, you will need to still play or you must forfeit the game.
Our club tries to work with the opposing team as much as possible when asked to reschedule home games, however field availability may dictate that we can not change. In the event there is agreement to reschedule, you will need to follow the same steps as for a weather make-up.