Welcome to the Vardar East 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.

TEAM MANAGER RESPONSIBILITES:

CLUB GUIDELINES FOR INDIVIDUAL TEAM FINANCES:

This area is under construction for 2010

LEAGUE REGISTRATION:

Risk Management:

Risk Management is an essential aspect of all soccer programs and is overseen by the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA). All coaches, assistant coaches, and managers are required to have Risk Management cards before you create your roster for any league. Most tournaments will require a copy of these cards, and league referees may ask to see them. Please ensure that your team is in compliance. There is a $10.00 fee for Risk Management applications through MSYSA. The state no longer issues temporary risk management passes. All applications must be submitted well in advance of tournament or league play so check the expiration dates on your risk management cards.

Please visit the Risk Management section of MSYSA website directly. There are several articles and procedures to print, read, and keep in your notebook about Lightning, Net Safety, etc. There is also a process to get your Risk Management Card online.

MYSL REGISTRATION:

MYSL Registration instructions were provided in the tryout section.

MSPSL REGISTRATION:

For U13 teams, 'B' teams, and those who elect to play premier. MSPSP Registration instructions were provided in the tryout section.

PLAYER PASS CARDS:

Player pass cards are official identification and should never be copied or tampered with. Using illegal pass cards or illegal players can have severe consequences to the player, coach, team manager and the club. You or the coach MUST have the pass cards in order to play a game. Always make sure the referee returns your cards to you or the coach after the game.

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

• Contact information (form was recommended earlier) 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 2009-2010  (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.)

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.vardareast.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.

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.

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.
• MYSL Games: The WINNING TEAM MUST report the game score to the MYSL STATISTICIAN within 48 hours of the end of their game.  HOME teams will report the score for tied games.
• MYSL Scores should be submitted electronically via e-mail to: myslstat@comcast.net.  Include game number, age division, winning team name and score, losing team name and score. 
•  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.
• Make sure that the field is cleaned up after the game (no left over water bottles, Gatorade containers, wrappers, athletic tape, etc.).

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 patty@vardareast.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.

TOURNAMENTS

1. Please read through and understand the required paperwork for each tournament.
2. Handle tournament pre-registration - fill out and gather necessary forms and paperwork.
3. Obtain the State Permission to Travel (for out of state tournaments if necessary). This is done online through MSYSA. Go under forms and there you will see all forms needed to register a team to travel out of state and register guest players. You may be asked for Risk Management Cards.
4. Complete a Vardar East Player Waiver for all guest players.
5. Handle all hotel reservations or find a parent volunteer to help you. Create a rooming list with room preferences and credit card information to be sent to the hotel contact.
6. Print and retain a copy of the tournament rules in your team binder.
7. Provide schedule information as soon as it becomes available to the team and families.
8. Provide maps to tournament fields and hotels to all players.
9. Be responsible for team check-in and registration. This may require you going a day ahead of the team based on tournament schedules.
10. Calculate the total costs for the tournament (application fee, permission to travel, coaches' expenses, and any other related expenses), and divide the total equally between all players.
11. Notify families when you will be collecting fees, how much they are, and who the check should be made out to.
12. When arranging hotels, some hotels provide a room for the coach at no charge depending on the number of rooms and their policy - ask.

Football Mania Fundraiser (Optional):

Under construction

OFF-SEASON-- INDOOR LEAGUE

Most teams will elect to participate in additional training for the winter months. This may be playing in any or all of the three winter sessions. General coordination and notification of deadlines, options, rostering and fee collecting, etc. is the responsibility of the team manager or coach of that team.