No experience or soccer training needed for this role, just enthusiasm! The Team Manager/Team Parent/Team Administrator (all terms mean the same thing) is the Coach’s administrative partner, handling team organizational needs so the Coach can be free to coach. The Team Manager organizes and manages the other parents to maximize the kids’ enjoyment of their AYSO experience.
The overall responsibilities are:
- Remind parents of the importance of “VOLUNTEERISM” in Region 20 AYSO. It is their responsibility to contribute/participate to the team that their child is a part of.
- Ensure at least one parent from EVERY family volunteers for a role (Referee, Chaperone, etc) on the team or the region.
- RECRUIT Volunteer Referees; center referees and assistant referees are some of the most important volunteer roles in AYSO. Without them we can’t conduct the games. Instruct/coerce prospective parents to register as a volunteer, choose the referee role in their Volunteer Preferences, persuade them to take the referee training appropriate for your age division. The Region will offer courses and seminars to help prepare them for this important (and fun) role. Send them to the “Becoming a Referee” link. Any questions or need help? Contact Regional Referee Administrator at: rra@ayso20.org
- Schedule (and alternate) parents to provide snacks, bring water and half-time refreshments for every game.
- Help the Coach with making sure the team has a Game Card printed up for each weekend game. Here is a link to a great two-sided fillable Game Card. Be sure to print them on good stock (not flimsy or they get messed up in the Assistant Referee’s pocket). The Game Card is presented to the Referee before each game.
- Liaison with the division commissioners regarding information the team may need to know.
- Organize an occasional after-game activity, the team awards and photos.
SPECIFIC TEAM MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES (BY WEEK)
WEEK 1
- Inform Division Commissioner (DC) of player status as soon as you know (drops, confirmations, no responses).
- Solicit volunteers to staff required roles (see “Team Manager Document Checklist” in the Miscellaneous section on the Manager Resources page).
- Make sure volunteers such as Team Manager, Referee, Coach, Assistant Coach, Chaperone have all registered/re-registered as a volunteer with InLeague–they need to do this EVERY year.
- Check on status of your “referees.” Make sure they have started their online safety courses and online referee training modules/exam. Then there is the in-person classroom session that they need to attend. If you/they have questions: rra@ayso20.org
- 10U/12U/14U teams need to earn “15 Referee Points”
- Collect appropriate paperwork from coaches, referees, & practice chaperones and check their photo IDs.
- Get your Game Card ready for the game. The card has players listed numerically by jersey number (and name). These will need to be provided to the Referee before each game.
- Submit to DC your completed “Team Manager Document Checklist” (found in the Miscellaneous section on the Manager Resources page) and collected paperwork in exchange for uniforms.
WEEK 2
- Distribute team roster to team.
- Develop snack schedule.
- Check on status of your “new referees.” Make sure they have started their online safety courses and online referee training modules/exam. Then there is the in-person classroom session that they need to attend. If you/they have questions: rra@ayso20.org
- Are there any prospective candidates that haven’t stepped up? Do you need to work on recruiting more parent referees? More is better so the workload isn’t on the same people every weekend!
WEEK 3 AND ONWARDS
- Keep track of “Referee Volunteer Points” during the season earned by the team’s volunteers; 10U/12U/14U teams need to earn “15 Referee Points”
- Inform & remind your families about Silent Saturday.
- Recruit players for 5v5 tournament and submit application (U10 and above).
- Facilitate Picnic in the Park team volunteers (all divisions).
- Inform families of team photo time (and 5v5 game times for U10 and above).
- AFTER THANKSGIVING
- Inform families of playoff game times (9U/10U and above).
- Organize end of season party (many teams contribute for coaches gifts; don’t forget to recognize the referees on your team too).
- Pick up photos and medals for team for distribution at your end of season party.
ON-GOING ACTIVITIES
- Recruit more referees/assistant referees
- Make a team banner.
- Report scores to the Division Commissioner.
- Help recruit parents to be the referees for your team games. Region 20 AYSO provides uniforms and training. Each team is required to have a minimum number of trained & certified referees available.
- Remind snack family on Thursday or Friday of each week.
- Pick up and return balls and cones for the team.
- Find “net parents” to put up or take down nets when the team has the first or last game at the field.
- Print out Game Card (from Manager Resources page) and give to Coach and Referee at each game (U8 and above).
- Find someone to administer the team website with team news & updates.
- Have someone take action photos of the team and distribute or post to the team website.
- Inform team of any field closures (school holidays, school events, air quality, rain …) and/or practice or game changes (LINK ON WEBSITE and Twitter Feed).
- Liaison administrative needs with Division Commissioner.
- Review “Volunteer Referee Points” total (9U and older) throughout the season so you know where you stand come Playoff time – This “total” can be found on game schedule: Select “View Division Standings” at the top. The first column is “VPts” (i.e., Volunteer Points earned by referees).
HOW TO BECOME A SM AYSO TEAM MANAGER
Volunteers are the lifeblood of AYSO. To ensure the safety of both children and volunteers, each volunteer is required to take a short online training session called Safe Haven™. It focuses on safety and appropriate behavior with children as well as first aid and other on-field issues. Agreeing to a background check is also required for each volunteer, annually.
Becoming Safe Haven™ certified may take a few minutes of your time, but AYSO families know their children’s safety is worth it. Safe Haven™ is both a child and volunteer protection program. It was the first of its kind in youth sports.
For that reason, we require all Team Managers (as well as Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Referees, & Practice Chaperones) to take Safe Haven training and recommend it to everyone else in our region. We should all be cognizant of procedures that will help ensure the safety of our children.
To become a team manager, go to the Complete Adult Volunteer Registration page.