Youth Club Management

[nostopping]

Can anyone suggest to me a good resource for youth soccer club development guidance and information?

My situation is this: I have coached youth soccer for seven years at both the rec and club levels. In the fall of 2003 I started a rec league in the rural community I now live in and the program has done quite nicely over its first two seasons. What I would like to do this fall is create a club to compliment the league and take the stronger players to participate in two late season club tournements. I plan to start with two boys teams and two girls teams. I will serve as the Director of Coaching and oversee training sessions and support to the individual team coaches in developing their team practice session plans. My reasons for this is to give the kids a taste of that level of play and hopefully continue the development of the game in the community.

The trouble is, I would like to have more information and insight into the creation and maintenance of the club organization itself. My club level coaching has consisted of coaching one independant team and coaching a team that was part of a club that really just a conglameration of independant teams (no club developed training or inter-team communication). I am looking for generic information about how to establish a non-profit group, as well as developing a set of bylaws for the club, creating a board of directors, etc. This club will start off small, but I hope that it can grow such that we can have state cup competetive teams in 10-15 years time. I want to start it right, because I have enough management experience to know that if it doesn't start off right, it's much more difficult to fix it after the fact.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance. (I will also be posting this same thread on the Youth boards as well).

[Ray Luca]

Well you are way a head of the game.

You started a rec league which means you have home field to play on.

Depending on the age of the club team most young teams play on Saturday 16 and up on Sunday but it all depends on the league. So you might have to change the days and hours of your rec team games.

To me having a home field is the hardest part when forming a club you need a home field.

Having a rec league also means you already have the odds and ends goals , uniforms or a sauce for uniforms, ladder, nets, water jug, first aid kit, cold packs etc etc etc and field paint and paint machine more etc.

I started two clubs never did non for profit get your accountant to set that up for you. Actually should have done that when you started your rec league.

I would try to keep your rec league and your club seperate from each other. You can still use your rec league as a source for your club. I think you should also use other rec leagues as a source of players for your club.

First thing to do is not go in tournaments. The first thing to do is join a travel league in a lower division to get your feet wet. Travel leagues are all different join the best travel league you can. Maybe there is only one that touches your area join that one.

They have a book of rules read them and be an expert on them.

I guess you have some money or have some money behind you because your going to need some start up money, but you know that because you needed start up money to start your rec league.

You had to have bylaws with your rec league. You also need club bylaws. Use your parents for club jobs like transportation of players and anything else you need done. Why should you do it all?

Rules of player behavior, rules of parental behavior. Rules for the coach. Don't follow any of these rules means loss of playing time for the players and the coach being released. Once the player gets his club player pass isssued by the league you have them for the season you can't let them go. On the other hand if they want their release they can get it unless you like going to court. Your league doesn't so becareful who you take on your club and the parent before they are issued a pass. If they seem wrong go with that feeling and not take them because again after they get that pass your stuck. Better to be safe then sorry. I would not take Pele if I thought him or his parent might be a problem.

Most likely your club has to put down a performance bond with the league 500 or more. Also you pay a certain amount per team could be any amount.

After you join the league you can play in the state cup it is a cheap tournament 50 dollars plus official fees each game if you want.

Any other questions just ask if I remember the answers I will answer :-). Insurance is covered by the league in the price of each players pass what ever that is and in the team cost.

Good luck and never harm a player to win a game. Rule you should live by.

[DUTCHVIZ]

nostopping, just go straight to your state youth association.

http://www.mysa.org/

That's why they get paid the big bucks.

Good luck.