Team Managers

Quick Links

• 1. Pre-Season Information
• 2. Team Manager Duties
• 3. Game Cancellation Policy and Procedures
• 4. Parents First Meeting
• 5. Out of State Tournament Procedures

1. Pre-Season Information

We have enclosed a variety of information that you will need prior to the beginning of your season. The best on-line reference for most of your soccer questions can be answered at www.mnyouthsoccer.org and most rules and regulation questions can be found in the MYSA rules manual at http://www.mnyouthsoccer.org/publications/rules_manual.pdf.

Initial Parent Team Meeting: Each team needs to have an initial/first meeting in which the coach and team leader can become acquainted with all of the parents. A team manager/team parent leader needs to be selected in order to help in the selection of tournaments, plan for the whole season and assist the coaches in the pre-game routines.

District Coaches Meeting: This meeting is mandatory! Typically on the first Saturday in May, the district hosts a coaches / team meeting. This meeting will provide you with all of the MYSA items that you require to begin your season. It is mandatory that either the coach or the team manager attends this meeting to pick up all details for your season. Game schedules will be distributed, the MYSA Coach Handbook will be distributed and a general rule update will be discussed.

Director of Coaching and Player Development Meeting: The current Director will meet with all coaches prior to the CGSA scheduled clinics.

Uniforms: The club organizes the uniform purchase and issues them to teams. You will be contacted when the uniforms are sorted and ready to be distributed.

Out of State Tournaments: If you are planning an out-of-state tournament, please be aware that you have to apply to MYSA for permission to go.

Birth Certificates: Tournaments do require them! You will want to ask for a photocopy of the player's birth certificate for tournament needs.

MYSA Liability/Medical Forms: Please have each parent complete the MYSA Liability/Medical form each season. The team manager will be responsible for keeping these on hand for games and tournaments. Many tournaments request these when you check in, so keep them available. Please note that parent signatures should be notarized.

Field Director: Contact the current Field Coordinator if you have any questions concerning what fields are available and to arrange practice times and field location. Please note that there is no field usage until approx. mid-April.

District-State Tournament Registration: At this time registration for districts and state is via the telephony system. Please pay close attention to the deadlines. Failure to meet the deadline will result in your team not participating in the end of the season tournaments.

Equipment: The current Director of Equipment will be in contact with your coaching staff to make available game balls and corner flags for each team. Each team is responsible for keeping and turning in the corner flags at the end of the season.

Referee Money: We pay our referees for home games.

Playing-Up Policy: We do encourage the use of "playing up" when the situation warrants it. This is a great opportunity to challenge younger players from time to time. Please be considerate of other coaches and other team's needs as you consider "playing up" a selected player.

If you play up, both coaches must be consulted.
The individual "playing up" must put their rostered team first.
Premier level players may only play up to Premier Teams at an older age level.

Roster Sheets: You will receive these at the District Mandatory Coaches Meeting on the first Saturday in May. You will need a separate copy for each league game and tournament game. We would recommend that you have the team manager handle this job. This roster and player passes will need to be delivered to the center referee prior to each game. Following each game this form must be MAILED to the appropriate district representative. The home team needs to provide the referee with a stamped envelope addressed to the appropriate District Coordinator.

MYSA Telephony System: These calls must be placed following every single game. Non-compliance may result in a forfeited game.

Player Passes: You will receive these from our Registrar. Remember that a current picture will be needed for each player pass; this includes coach, assistant coach and team manager. The passes must be laminated.

back to top

2. Team Manager Duties

It is the Team Manager's role to handle the administrative duties of a traveling soccer team, to free the coach's time for coaching, and to be the focal point for communications between the parents, the Coach, and the Granit City Soccer Assoaciation.

General Responsibilities:

Create and manage the team budget.
Organize and run fundraisers for your team.
Provide a team roster with names, addresses, phone numbers and parent's names to all players.
Create a calling tree and e-mail list for team communications.
Act as a conduit between the team and coach.
Receive uniforms and distribute to the players
Provide printed practice and game schedules, and distribute any other communications as may be necessary during the season.
Register for year-end District/State Tournaments.
Plan end of the season party for the team.
Collect and have available notarized MYSA Liability/Medical Release Forms.
Collect and have available photocopies of each player's birth certificate
Distribute Coaching Evaluation form for parents and Player Assessment to Coaches.
Assist the team Coaches in any way needed to assure the smooth operation of your team and an enjoyable soccer experience for the players and parents.
Have required adults complete the Adult Consent Form

Tournaments:

Along with the coach, fill out and submit tournament applications, providing the necessary rosters, documentation and fees, by the specified deadlines (usually Feb - March for summer tournaments).
Coordinate hotel reservations and/or travel arrangements for tournaments asap.
Submit travel authorization form to MYSA. For out of state travel, fee is $25 and must be submitted at least 30 days before travel. For out of country travel, fee is $75 and must be submitted at least 60 days before travel. Most tournaments in western Wisconsin (MYSA territory) are not considered out of state.
Check in at tournaments, providing copy of official MYSA Roster, laminated player passes, tournament confirmation letter, travel permit (if out of state), and MYSA Liability/Medical Release Forms.
Provide schedules for games and tournament events and any other tournament books, etc. to parents and players.

League games:

Always have pink "Red Card" forms on hand and available at each game. Be sure to obtain the Referee's signature (who gave the red card) and the referee at each subsequent suspended game, as that is required by MYSA. Refer to page 37 of the MYSA rules manual.
Coordinate refreshments for each game.
Have the first aid kit on hand and stocked. Provide bagged ice or other means for icing injuries.
Place the corner flags and check the goal nets for fit and condition (home games).
Provide to the center Referee before each game:

A completed MYSA game roster. This must be completed for each game!
Your laminated player passes (on a ring), make sure there is a contact card attached to your ring.
A pre-stamped, addressed envelope for the referee to mail in the game reports to the district director or age group leader (home games only).
Referee fees (GCSC Referee Coordinator will take care of this. Home games only).
Game ball (home games only).

back to top

3. Game Cancellation Policy and Procedures

The following guidelines should be followed when rescheduling a league game:

Complete the MYSA rescheduling games from and fax to your MYSA Age Group Director.

Away Games:

Contact opposing team coach or manager, provide an explanation as to why the game must be rescheduled and agree on a couple of alternative dates and times. Please allow enough time to prevent last minute problems.
Once you hear back from the opposing Coach/Manager with confirmation of date and time, notify your District Director of the changes via the provided form.
If you are unable to come to an agreement on a date the coach will need to contact the appropriate boy's / girl's District Directors
Notify your team!

Home Games:

Contact opposing team coach or manager, provide an explanation as to why the game must be rescheduled and agree on a couple of alternative dates and times. Please allow enough time to prevent last minute problems.
Contact Referee Coordinator to cancel the referees for the originally scheduled evening;
Contact the Field Coordinator to arrange for a field, giving all of the date and time options;
Once a field is rescheduled, contact the Referee Coordinator to reschedule the referees
Notify your district director of the changes via the provided form.
Confirm final arrangements with opposing Coach/Manager
If you are unable to come to an agreement on a date the coach will need to contact the boy's / girl's District Directors
Notify your team!

Non-cooperative Coach or Board Member

Call the GCSC President or
Appropriate MYSA District Boys Director - current name and info at the MYSA web site.
Appropriate MYSA District Girls Director - current name and info at the MYSA web site.

Critical Issues:

If a team refuses to play a game against a particular team, they will forfeit the game and be assed a fine. This team will then be ineligible for post season play.
All rescheduled games must be completed by the official end of the MYSA Summer league season.

back to top

4. Parents First Meeting

Meeting should take place in November to organize winter indoor play, January for tournament decisions.
Introduction of Granite City Soccer Club and our philosophy
Introduction of Players and Parents
Role of the Director of Coaching and Player Development clinics and participation requirements
Head Coach Introduction (background, history and philosophy)
Player commitment and playing time
Assistant coaches Introduction
Selection of Team Manager
Gather Birth Certificate copies and small player photos for player passes.
Have Medical Release forms filled out and signed by player's parents.
Equipment needs (sports bag, cleated shoes, soccer ball, shin guards, water bottle, mouth guard (optional), athletic supporter (optional), extra shoe laces, team shorts (provided), team jersey (2 provided), socks (provided)
Practice times
Tournament reservations and costs
Games scheduled to be distributed to coaches on or about the first Saturday of May
Build calling tree assignments
Elect parent rep to the soccer tournament
Address the various levels of play (Premier, C1, C2 and C3)
Affiliation with Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA). Organizes and controls the competitive soccer program for the State of Minnesota

back to top

5. Out of State Tournament Procedures

The following guidelines should be followed when playing in a tournament outside the state of Minnesota.

Obtain a form from MYSA.
Complete the USYSA Application for Travel and mail this to MYSA along with a check for the appropriate fees.
This should be done a minimum of 30 days prior to travel.
MYSA will return your signed authorization for travel, which you must present to the tournament officials where you are playing.
Forward a letter of intention to the Granite City Soccer Board
Destination and dates of tournament
Trip funding
Coaches and parents that will be representing your team.
Travel methods
Designated Chaperones