The first few months are spent getting the team organized. It can be daunting, but it isn't insurmountable, and there are several kinds of support in place. If you get stuck, text SBV Support and we'll walk you through it. And if we can't, we'll find someone who will.
Your role
- Assist the coach as needed.
- Communicate with parents about team matters: fees, schedules and so on.
- Complete or submit club, league and tournament paperwork.
- Keep a positive attitude. Your role is positive administrative support ONLY: if someone has a coaching or technical issue, send them to the coach or the Age Group Director.
- Communicate well with the club office staff and the Club Administrator.
Keeping your team informed
- You're the team's main spokesperson: how well you communicate shapes the whole team's atmosphere.
- Talk with your coach regularly and pass relevant information on to your team.
- Pick the best way to reach your families (email is usually the most effective) and stick with it. All team communication goes through Sprocket and the Sprocket app.
- You'll get regular emails from the Club Administrator: use good judgment about which to forward to your parents.
Step by step
- Meet your coach: how you'll communicate, fall tournaments, any fall conflicts, and what the coach likes to handle versus what you'll handle. If your coach has more than one team, hold a joint meeting so everyone's on the same page.
- Build the budget with your coach (and your treasurer, if you have one). See Budget and collecting team fees. U8 to U10 teams don't play State Cup.
- Email your team about the meeting: the time, date and place, and the forms to bring. Medical release forms are updated every year; an out-of-state tournament may need that state's forms.
- Get ready for the meeting: find out the jersey number each player wants, remind families who haven't paid their club fees or accepted their spot, plan how you'll collect documents and fees (and a payment plan for the year), learn the uniform process, and get your binder ready.
- Hold the team meeting: uniforms are sized first, then the meeting. Set your expectations and ask for volunteers (travel, social, photography, tournaments): people who won't volunteer in a group will often help when asked. You are not a collection agency: payments are expected on time. The coach talks about their expectations and philosophy.
- Collect all the forms and payments and file them in your binder. Make sure families understand ordering uniforms through Soccer.com.
- Prepare for the season: apply for tournaments and register with Heartland by noon June 24 (get your conflict dates from your coach first).
- Tie up loose ends: fees collected, schedule sent, ready to go.
The June team meeting
- Each team gets 20 minutes in the uniform area first, then 50 minutes of classroom time with the coach: practices, league games, tournaments, travel and expectations.
- Talk about team communication (the Sprocket app), ask for help, and collect medical release forms and checks for team fees.
- Tell families: payments are due on time; volunteers are needed (treasurer, social, photographer, tournaments); questions about soccer go to the coach, questions about anything else go to the team admin.
- Coaches should cover what happens when players miss practice.
Your team binder
- Medical release forms in sheet protectors, in alphabetical order.
- Tabs for the KSYSA roster (the "state roster"), club rosters with contact information, budgets and player forms.
- Pens and supplies in a zip pouch.
- Every receipt, kept in order.