Managers Manual

03 May 2010

Welcome to the Michigan Wolves-Hawks Managers 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:

Important Contacts you will need:

Wolves-Hawks contact:	Amy Richters	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Field Scheduler:	Bob Wolfbauer	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Uniform and Merchandise Manager:	Jerry and Amber Townes	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Webmaster:	Heather Prince	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Ref Assignor	Erich Shrewsberry	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Total Soccer Fields	Dave York	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Ultimate Soccer Fields		248-648-7000

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’s” 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 in club soccer.

TEAM MANAGER RESPONSIBILITES:

Every soccer team has at least one designated team manager responsible for administration and coordination of the team’s activities and communication between the families and the coach(es). The team manager is critical to the success of the season and directly impacts the positive experience of the families involved. The coach is to instruct the players in their soccer skills and direct the players at practices and at games. The team manager handles the “off the field” activities. All coaches and team managers need to be registered with their corresponding league, which is the Western Suburban Soccer League (WSSL), the Michigan State Premier Soccer League (MSPSL), the Midwest Regional League (MRL), Midwest Developmental League (MDL), US Soccer Developmental Academy, or the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). In addition, coaches’ and managers’ risk management screening and cards are processed through their respective registration house which is the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA), US Soccer, or US Club Soccer.

FOR IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION:

Send Amy your name, team you will be managing, address, phone and email address to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

TRYOUTS:

Tryout day is hectic for everyone. Preparation before hand will make the day go smoother. If you have volunteered to help with the registration process please read over the tryout procedure document to familiarize yourself with the process. To prepare for tryouts we suggest that you prepare individual folders with all of the necessary paperwork, and distribute them to the families after a commitment has been made by the coach. Fill in all the information you can ie. correct team name before you hand out the forms. You will want to assist families with filling out the paperwork to avoid having to make corrections later. You may find it helpful to bring extra pens, extra copies in case of errors, a calculator and a bag to keep everything in.

Recommended Paperwork:

Welcome Letter (modify with your team information ie. correct contract name, payment amount)
Signed Contract - print the contract your team needs
- WSSL Contract (You may recieve 3-ply forms from Amy or print this form and then photocopy twice after completion. Old Contracts will not be accepted)
  - WSSL Manager Instructions
  - Please print WSSL Parent Instructions for folder
- MSPSP Contract
  - MSPSP Manager Instructions
  - Please print MSPSP parent instructions for folder
- MRL or MDL Contract (modify team name and League name)
- Academy Contract (modify team name)
MSYSA Medical Release Form that is NOTARIZED with raised seal
MSYSA Parent or Guardian Consent to Travel Form
MSYSA Code of Conduct Agreement Form
MSYSA Waiver Form
US Club Release/Medical Waiver Form #R002
Player Information Form - every team will need this form completed fully
Player Uniform Order Form or Goalie Uniform Order Form (See below for Team Order form instructions)
Financial Expectation Sheet and you could provide a copy of your team plan accessible from the tryout page.

Your welcome letter will have asked for the parent to provide the following:

Copy of player's Birth Certificate
Two small photo’s (1.5" x 1.5")
Down payment of $400 - $800 with a check made payable to the team account depending on the team budget.

It is helpful for the manager to have a tryout check list form. As the parents return the required information you can check off the pieces of information and make sure you have collected everything you require before the parents leave.

At the end of tryouts, the coach should hold a parent/players meeting to welcome them to the team and club. The coach and the team manager should have an ongoing dialogue about roles and expectations for your team.

We have tried to write the managers manual to cover issues as they occur. After tryouts you will have a lot of organizational needs and some of our sample forms used by other managers may assist you. Use what works best for you!

The first thing to accomplish is to double check that you have all the forms you require from each player and follow up to obtain any missing items. Separate your forms into categories and alphabetize them and place them in your team binder (see recommendations for team binder below). It is recommended that you update your email address book and send a welcome email to your new team. Ask them to verify that all of your contact information does not have any mistakes. This will ensure that you have all of the information correct before creating your league rosters! The players will also be pleased to have contact information for other players over the summer.

Team Uniform Orders:

Team Uniform Order Forms are due by June 22nd, 2011 therefore you must place this as a top priority. Check the Player information form for jersey number requests. Current team players receive their top choice, current club players receive their choice based on seniority in the club and then you need to determine the jersey number of the new players based on their requests.

On the Team Uniform order form there are 4 workbook tabs. Fill out the first tab labelled TEAM ORDER SUMMARY with the player's names, jersey numbers and sizes. Now that you have your communication lines working you should verify your team uniform order with your parents in case they have any changes or additions. Give them a deadline for response for example Noon on June 20th. Once your parent deadline for uniform changes has past you will need to complete the next tab of the excel worksheet labelled WOLVES or HAWKS 2011 ORDER FORM. You need to fill out the white sections on the order form to match your uniform totals. Email this completed form to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by June 22nd, 2011. The form incorporates the customization and shipping charges and provides a total amount of the uniform order. You will need to write a check payable to Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer Club for this total amount and mail it to Amber Townes (Address on top right of form) so that it arrives by Friday June 24th, 2011.

You have a very tight deadline to submit your uniform order. If you do not meet these dates, there is no way we can guarantee you will receive your order before your first game. If you order any items requiring customization (i.e. jersey, warm-ups or bag) after the deadline there will be a $25.00 late charge per item throughout the entire season. To avoid this late fee charge for orders placed after the due date it was strongly suggested that each team order a blood jersey that could be purchased from the team by a late add player.

Once you have these things accomplished you will want to close last year’s financial records and mail out any residual funds. If you are a new manager you will want to open a business account. Please make sure you have read the club guidelines:

CLUB GUIDELINES FOR INDIVIDUAL TEAM FINANCES

Individual team finances will be maintained in a bank account set up solely for that purpose. The bank account shall have two signatures, the team financial manager and the team manager. If the team manager is also the team financial manager, another parent on the team shall be a signature on the team bank account.

To open a bank account, you should first apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service www.irs.gov. The team does not fall under the club tax id. Many banks also require that you obtain a Certificate of Assumed Name, from the County Clerk/Register where you live, before you can open a business checking account.

The financial manager will maintain throughout the soccer year a team financial statement that provides a detail of all expenses incurred by the team as well as a detail of the deposits received into the team account by the individual players. A team financial statement that reflects the current status of the team finances shall be provided to the parents of the players on a regular basis throughout the soccer year but no less than the following: beginning of the fall season, during winter/indoor training, beginning of the spring season, and the final statement for the soccer year. Older teams that only play half a year do not have to provide a financial statement for the season that they are not playing. You can use one of these blank Team Financial Spreadsheet that generates individual statements. A sample invoice is also provided to provide a receipt for cash expenses.

Valid expenses to be paid by the team account are those in accordance with club policy or those requested by the club, for example but not limited to club fees, coach’s fee, uniforms, indoor training fees, field rental, and coach per diem for overnight tournaments or out of state league games. Other valid team expenses are tournament fees including tournament insurance, league fees, team fees for leagues or soccer organizations, referee fees, hotel/travel cost for the coach, extra uniform items or spirit wear that was requested by the player, postage, copy charges, and bank fees. It is the responsibility of the team financial manager to have in his or her possession a receipt and or supporting documentation for all the expenses that are paid from the team account. Any expense other than mentioned above must be mutually agreed to as a team prior to the expenditure.

Any residual funds remaining in a player’s account, no matter how insignificant shall be returned to the player no later than thirty days after the completion of the soccer year, Regionals or Nationals whichever is the latter.

The club reserves the right to request and obtain for review any or all documents relating to the individual team finances, including bank statements. If so requested, the documents must be surrendered upon notice. Failure to adhere to any part of the Club Guidelines for Individual Team Finances may result in removal as the team financial manager.

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), by US Club Soccer, and by US Soccer. 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. To obtain or renew your Risk Management Card you must login to your Coach/Manager GotSoccer account. If you are new Manager please contact the webmaster to obtain your GotSoccer login.

For teams that are registering for US Club Soccer (i.e. ECNL teams) you need to complete a background check after July 1st, Please visit the US Club Soccer section directly to check on current process.

CLUB REGISTRATION

MSYSA changed their registration process in 2010 and now use Got Soccer to create rosters and passcards. The most efficient way to facilitate this new process is to collect all the information required in an excel file. The parents should have completed the Player Information Form at tryouts which will provide the necessary information for the registration file. Please complete the registration file and email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by June 26th, 2011. Once the file has been uploaded into Got Soccer you will need to check for any changes.

WSSL REGISTRATION:

WSSL Registration instructions were provided in the tryout section. If you have a WSSL question which cannot be answered from their website, please contact Amy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). I am the WSSL representative for the club. Please do not contact the administrator from WSSL directly, or have any of your team families contact WSSL directly. If you have an issue that I can't answer, I will contact WSSL. WSSL is one of the largest leagues in the state. If managers and parents are contacting her directly, you can imagine the overload and therefore the lack of efficiency

MSPSL REGISTRATION:

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

MRL REGISTRATION:

All teams looking to play in MRL for either the Fall 2011 or Spring 2012 season must apply online from their GotSoccer team account no later than June 22nd, 2011. The $350 check must physically be in the MSYSA State Office by 5:00pm on June 22, 2011. Credit card payment will NOT be accepted. Postmarks will not be accepted. Fall 2011 teams must also submit the online MRL application by June 22. Spring 2012 teams must sbmit the online MRL application by November 9. *U14 teams who played MRL in the fall must still fill out the online MRL Application by November 9 and they must submit another payment of $350 (MRL Application Fee) by November 9.

Instructions for finding the form and completing it are located at this link. Please keep in mind that by completing the GotSoccer application, you are applying for a spot in the Midwest Regional League but you are not guaranteed a spot, and that division placement of teams within the Midwest Regional League is at the discretion of the MRL Technical Committee. Only those teams who have adhered to the June 22 deadline will be considered by MSYSA for endorsement to the MRL. If accepted, teams must register their teams and pay the remaining balance of $900 by August 12th, 2011.

Please work on getting color headshots of your players uploaded into GotSoccer. Passcards for teams accepted into the MRL will ultimately be printed with the pictures you have uploaded into GotSoccer.

Sarah Shiguango at the State office ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 734-459-6220 ext. 204) provides a MRL Manager 101 to assist managers. Please read over this valuable resource.

US SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY:

For U16 and U18 CSA Wolves Academy participants. All registration information can be found online at www.ussoccer.com or check our Academy web pages. For US Soccer Development Academy, managers in conjunction with the designated academy administrator must create a team profile for each player.

US Club Soccer Registration:

For US Club Soccer, the pass cards will be created for you after you have completed your online roster, and you have notified Amy that your team’s pass cards are ready to be requested. In order to request pass cards, the team’s credit card information must be submitted. The information required is the type of credit card (VISA or MasterCard), name on the card, credit card number, and three digit security code. Please do not send this information via email; it must be done by phone or in person. Amy will receive the pass cards from US Club Soccer in an Adobe Acrobat format. Amy will then forward your pass cards to you, and you will print them on the specified cardstock. You will then affix the player photos and obtain player signatures. You should keep this pass card file on your computer or disk. If your pass cards are lost or stolen you can reprint them without having to request and pay for new cards.

PLAYER PASSES:

Player passes are official identification and should never be copied or tampered with. Using illegal passes 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 passes to you or the coach after the game.
It is recommended that you laminate your team’s cards to protect them from wear and weather elements. There are office supply stores or copy centers that provide laminating services, or you can purchase self-laminating sheets. You will also need photo pass cards for head coaches, assistant coaches, and managers. 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

Calendar of all practices, games, friendlies, ODP etc.
Copy of game schedules

Check Lists

This form is suggested as a way to organize your email responses or team questions. 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 like this sample. Have one for each year that you know the results for. 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
Copies of maps/directions to game locations
Manager meeting minutes

Financials

We recommend carrying just your current statement, budget, notes etc. Have a separate binder at home for all of your receipts, bank statements etc so that your binder does not get too big and your records cannot be lost! Please see Financial section above for team financial spreadsheets and blank invoices.

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
Hotel info for away MRL games

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 (if required)
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

Each team will have their own Wolves-Hawks Team page on the website. The team web-sites are created from data that you provide to the webmaster. During the year you need to remember to send an email to the webmaster with any updates. You will be responsible for maintaining a Google Calendar for your team. You will need to input any practices, games or additional events. The calendar allows you to type in the address so that it will map the event and you can add comments such as Uniform color. If you are a new manager please contact the webmaster to set up the Google calendar. You are also responsible for maintaining the GotSoccer Team Page and the College in Soccer Team Page. The team webpages are very important to the club, parents can check for schedule information on the Google calendar and prospective players can research a team.
Email is an important way to communicate with your families. Please ask parents to provide an email address that they read daily. 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 could text a message or you should ask for a return email message from the receiver and then follow up with calls to those who did not reply.
Texting has become a new way to communicate with your team. It is the fastest way of communication and will help in the event of last minute schedule changes or cancellations. You should check to make sure your families have a texting plan or are willing to receive texts. Devise a group distribution list for quick messages. Older players may appreciate receiving texts as reminders.
Distribute a copy of the contact information to each family. It’s good to get this to families early so that they can familiarize themselves with names.
It is helpful to create a laminated business 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.michiganwolveshawks.com and that they know to look for current news.
For organizing 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:

WSSL Teams

All WSSL scheduling is now done in advance of an official scheduling meeting. Following final divisioning, team representatives will be notified of the division opponents along with contact information. Scheduling should be done by phone or email with the opposing coach. All home games must be confirmed with the club field scheduler.

All schedules and game locations are on the WSSL website. Notify your team when the final game schedules are posted. Most maps are available via links on the WSSL website.

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.

MRL Teams

The MRL will notify you of your division opponents along with their contact information. Check the website for information and dates. Premier teams will be fined unless your whole division pre schedules by phone/email and is in full agreement before the meeting. First division teams schedule by phone/email.

IN-SEASON

Inform Amy and the webmaster if there are any changes to your team roster. Inform the club field scheduler of any changes in games. Inform the league of game scores.

League Websites

WSSL, MSPSL, and MRL are overseen by MSYSA. Their website is www.michiganyouthsoccer.org
Teams that play in the Western Suburban Soccer League (WSSL) can access all forms rules, maps game schedules, results and league standings. You can get to their site by clicking www.wsslsoccer.org. 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.
Teams that play in the Midwest Regional League (MRL) can access all information at www.midwestregionalleague.com or www.region2.com.
Teams that play in the US Soccer Development Academy can access all information at www.ussoccer.com.

Referee Fees

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.

To 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.

WSSL Fees for 2010-2011 Season:

11 v 11

Referee $36, AR $25, AR $25 for a TOTAL of $86

8 v 8

Referee $30, AR $20, AR $20 for a TOTAL of $70

6 v 6

Referee $26

Pre-Game

Please read through and understand the league game packet.
WSSL Teams refer to the Game Day Procedures Document
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.
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.
Call-in or enter the score in the e-scoring system as necessary. 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 to obtain and “book” game times.
It is strongly discouraged to reschedule games “just because”. Both WSSL 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

Please read through and understand the required paperwork for each tournament.
Handle tournament pre-registration – fill out and gather necessary forms and paperwork.
Obtain the State Permission to Travel (for out of state tournaments if necessary). This is done online through GotSoccer or MSYSA. You may be asked for Risk Management Cards.
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.
Print and retain a copy of the tournament rules in your team binder.
Provide schedule information as soon as it becomes available to the team and families.
Provide maps to tournament fields and hotels to all players.
Be responsible for team check-in and registration. This may require you going a day ahead of the team based on tournament schedules.
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.
Notify families when you will be collecting fees, how much they are, and who the check should be made out to.
When arranging hotels, some hotels provide a room for the coach at no charge depending on the number of rooms and their policy – ask.

OFF-SEASON TRAINING

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. Since the club has a long term agreement with Total Soccer Wixom, your team is advised to participate in their leagues. Any other winter training or league participation needs to be discussed with Brian Doyle. General coordination and notification of deadlines, options, rostering and fee collecting, etc. is the responsibility of the team manager.