Challengers Coaches
Challengers’ Coaches have the responsibility of serving as the figure head of the committee of the team's parents. The coach sets goals and direction for the team after polling team members and helps the parents work as a team as well as the kids. (Some coaches also serve as a trainer. However that roll will be covered separately). The coach is responsible to creatively lead the team but at the same time see that the team operates within the general philosophy and rules of the league and the club. The coach guides the player and their families towards success. The coach must protect the health and safety of players by insisting that all of the activities are conducted for players psychological and physiological welfare, rather than for the vicarious interests of the coach or other Adults. Being a Challengers Soccer Coach is a wonderful responsibility but it is not a right to team ownership or a business opportunity.
In the Challengers Club most teams hire a trainer who is accountable to a volunteer coach. If a coach is to serve as a trainer this must be discussed and endorsed by the age group coordinator and the Club President. The coach reports to the team and the team manager and IWSL accountable to that team. However the Club also must approve team coaches and enroll them in the league system. All coaches in our league must be certified by the national organization for their team's age level and be a current member in good standing of the IYSCA who verifies the coaches criminal background check and provides some basic levels of insurance protection at a reasonable cost.
Coaches must communicate with the team clearly with the assistance of the team manager. Coaches must not be actively involved in the team check book. Coaches working with the check book reflects poorly on the club and the team therefore is not allowed. All teams must have checkbook ledger and budgets open to inspection from the club and the team members themselves.
The coach must work closely with the team on issues of league rosters and game by game rosters to insure that they have adequate players for the game.
Communications with the parents and Team Manager:
Good coaches know that their team managers are the glue that keeps a team moving and working together. Ideally team managers also sit with the other parents during games gathering feedback for the coach and who is stuck on the other sidelines and may be missing feedback from the parents. The team manager can help the trainer coach and parents know when it is time to address an issue or tune into relevant feedback. Coaches must keep the parents feeling like they have opportunities to give feed back on schedules, tournaments, trainers, finances and team related logistics. In the end the coaches and team Managers will make many final decisions but parents that do not feel heard and respected will leave your team.
Communications with the Trainer: The coach and team manager are an essential link between the parents and the trainer insuring good feedback from the parents. Trainers and coaches should seek time and feedback from the parents and especially the team manager. In many cases, the team manager is the head of the team and makes selects the team coach and Trainer. Other times the coach has good communication with the parents so is in a good position to make trainer decisions. Your coach and team manager should decide how parent and trainer relations will be handled for your team.
Team Finances: The team manager keeps the team budget and plans team fees accordingly. The coach should not be writing checks or accepting cash payments for the team manager. When ever a coach had run the team finances it has almost always lead to problems and questions bout if the money is being as advertised and with full disclosure. Having a team manager is essential and keeps an appropriate level of financial checks and balances. Coaches should also know that commingling team funds will not be allowed.
Communications with the parents:
Set up a protocol of with your parents about how and when they can give and get feedback about how the team is being run. You may have a couple crazy parents but most other parents have helpful questions and good communication makes your team successful. The Team manager will help with email communication etc but do not make the mistake of assuming that that can take the place of one on one communication.
Coordination with your age group team managers and potential players: A coach must cooperate with the he age group coordinator on recruiting and tryouts. These can become sensitive issues if coaches put their own needs or bias ahead of the individual players. Keeping good relations with other teams at your level is the only way to optimize player development at you age level. For this reason coaches selfishly recruiting players from other teams or to other clubs may be suddenly retired from our club.
In general all interested players who are not carded with another team should be invited to attend a practice or game to work out with the team. From there recommendations can be made to the player’s family on how they may fit into the club on a long or short term basis. In May potential players and returning players should be encouraged to attend a scheduled tryout session. Team managers or coaches should meet to coordinate rosters for the next season. Every effort should be made to represent our club to the soccer community in a professional manner in our methods and communications. Issues should be brought to the attention of the club staff immediately.
For more details contact an experienced age group leader and the staff.
Balancing you time with your team. There is a special relationship between a team and their coach. Good relationships are cherished by both parties for years. It is difficult for a coach to have that relationship with more than one team. Further coaching multiple teams causes scheduling issues. It is recommended that coaches not coach more than one team. That one team should be the one with your child on it. To get approval for coaching more than one team please discuss this with the club officer appointed to be your Liason. Some people may love soccer so much that they want to be an assistant coach or trainer for several teams. This can be allowed if the following criteria are met.
There are active and effective Team Managers and Coaches for each team in regular contact with the parents and the club.
The coach is not routinely involved in writing checks or or accepting cash for team finances and is in full compliance and up to date with club financial guidelines.
Parents are polled by a third party age group coordinator or club staff about the issue of the coach working with multiple teams. Majority of the parents are in favor of using the assistant coach or trainer on multiple teams.
Player evaluations verbal and written player evaluations should be conducted at least 2 times a year.
Challengers Soccer Club Coaches Code of ConductCoaching Contract I understand that my responsibilities as a youth coach are of great importance and that my actions have the potential to significantly influence the young athletes whom I coach. Therefore, I promise to uphold the following rights of young athletes to the best of my ability. I. Right to participate in sports II. The right to a positive coaching environment (see PCA) II. Right to have qualified leadership IV. Right to play as a child and not as an adult V. Right of children to share in their sports leadership and decision-making VI. Right to participate in safe and healthy environments VII. Right to proper preparation for participation in sports VIII. Right to an equal opportunity to strive for success IX. Right to be treated with dignity X. Right to have fun in sports I also promise to conduct myself in accordance with the Code of Ethics for Coaches as given next. 1. I will never coach or appear in public under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 2 I will treat each player, opposing coach, official, parent and administrator with respect and dignity. 3. I will do my best to learn the fundamental skills, teaching and evaluation techniques, and strategies of my sport. 4. I will become thoroughly familiar with the rules of my sport. 5. I will become familiar with the objectives of the youth sports program with which I am affiliated. I will strive to achieve these objectives and communicate them to my players and their parents. 6. I will uphold the authority of officials who are assigned to the contests in which I coach, and I will assist them in every way to conduct fair and impartial competitive contests. 7. I will learn the strengths and weaknesses of my players so that l might place them into situations where they have a maximum opportunity to achieve success. 8. I will conduct my practices and games so that all players have an opportunity to improve their skill level through active participation. 9. I will communicate to my players and their parents the rights and responsibilities of individuals on our Team. 10. I will cooperate with the administrators of our organization in the enforcement of rules and regulations, and I will report any irregularities that violate sound competitive practices. 11. I will protect the health and safety of my players by insisting that all of the activities under my control are conducted for their psychological and physiological welfare, rather than for the vicarious interests of Adults. 12. I will serve as an positive advocate and ambassador of my team, club and sport. The Club reserves the right to terminate immediately any coach or volunteer if it deems it to be in the best interest of the Challengers Soccer Club. With my signature, which I voluntarily affix to this contract, I acknowledge that I have read, understood, and will do my best to fulfill the promises made herein. ____________________________________________________ ___________________________
coach date
Challengers’ team managers are the glue that keeps a team moving and working together. The best team managers have been most responsible for a team’s success. Success is all about maintaining positive relationships and diligent communication. They general insure communication for the team to all related entities including parents, league, trainer, coach, tournaments, and the Challengers Soccer Club. Ideally team managers also sit with the other parents during games gathering feedback for the coach and who is stuck on the other sidelines and may be missing feedback from the parents. The team manager can help ...<< MORE >>
I'm checking to see if there is interest in getting the boys together to watch the Chicago Storm play. The Storm is part of the Indoor Soccer League.
Date and Time: Saturday March 22nd at 7:00 p.m. (gates open at 6:00 p.m.)
Location: Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates
Price: Tickets are $16
If you are interested, please put your reply on this blog.