|
|
VISITATION BVM CYO
COACH'S MANUAL
(Unabridged)
Introduction: The Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) is a parish based program which provides opportunities for youth to grow in faith and understanding of their Church through involvement in parish, regional, and Archdiocesan life. The CYO's five phase approach to youth ministry - athletic, social, cultural, service, spiritual - is a model of youth ministry which involves youth from grades five through twelve in youth related activities and programs.
Through a total youth ministry concept, the CYO collaborates on all youth related programs offered by the parish. The emphasis of the CYO is to enable and empower youth to become responsible participants in their faith community.
As a coach for one of the Visitation CYO programs, you and your assistants have a unique opportunity to help our children grow in the CYO spirit through participation in one of the finest grade school athletic programs in the area.
Working with youth is certainly a very challenging yet rewarding experience. While you will probably be spending numerous hours throughout the season with practices, games, and tournaments, the greatest satisfaction will come when you see the healthy development of fine Catholic youth: competitive, yet respective, energetic, yet disciplined, not overly proud in victory nor completely rejected in defeat.
It is the coaches and their staff who set the general tone and atmosphere for their particular sport. Therefore, it is imperative that a Christ-centered attitude prevail. While particular situations may cause impatience or frustration, the coach is charged with being a moderating influence in maintaining civility and a solid Catholic approach.
It is the official policy of the Visitation BVM CYO that character building, not the number of victories is the primary goal of our athletic program. Coaches are to aid in the development of our children's physical potential, while at the same time refining their spiritual, social, and personal traits. While we want all of our teams to be competitive, we must first of all teach our children true sportsmanlike behavior. There is nothing wrong with wanting to win, it's needing to win that's futile.
The purpose of this Coach's Manual is to help you become familiar with some of the responsibilities of your position as well as outline the expectations of a Visitation BVM coach.
May the grace of God continuously shine upon you as you lead our youth in this athletic phase of our CYO program. The Priest Moderator reserves the right to modify any policy stated within coach's manual.
Appointment Guidelines for Visitation B.V.M. Head Coaching Positions (Effective 10/03)
6 weeks before tryouts, all available head coaching positions will be posted in the Visitation B.V.M. Sunday church bulletin.
Anyone interested in volunteering for any available head coaching position must complete and submit the following information to the Athletic Director Mailbox at the Rectory.
- Application to Coach in the Parish Athletic Program form;
- SP4-164 background check, if not already on file;
- CYO Archdiocese Coaches Accreditation. All coaches and assistants must attend an Archdiocese Accreditation Program within 1 year on initial appointment;
- Three personal references
At least 4 weeks prior to tryouts, the Personnel Committee shall interview all candidates and review all applicant information, including any past surveys for applicants who may have prior coaching experience at Visitation B.V.M.
The Personnel Committee shall make a recommendation to the CYO Priest Moderator.
The CYO Priest Moderator and the Athletic Director shall appoint a head coach and notify the selected applicant.
After the team is selected, the coach shall submit a list of all assistant coaches. The Athletic Director and the Personnel Committee, based on a review of the SP4-164 background check and any historical surveys, may approve assistant coaches. The CYO Priest Moderator shall, in his discretion, make all coaching appointments.
Explanatory Note: Participation, as a head coach in the Visitation BVM CYO organization is strictly on a volunteer basis. All efforts will be made to follow these guidelines but the CYO Board recognizes that circumstance do exist that may preclude the timeframes set forth in this document. The selection of coaches will not be based solely on the applicant's knowledge of sports, but also as a potential youth minister who will reflect and model good Christian values.
Retention Guidelines for Visitation B.V.M. Head Coaching Positions (Effective 10/03)
At least 1 week before a team's final game or competition, a coach shall distribute to all players' parents a Coach's Survey form. It is the coach's responsibility to advise all parents that the Coach's Surveys must be completed and returned to the Athletic Director within 2 weeks. The coaches shall advise parents that the Coach's Survey form is confidential and only the Athletic Director will know the identity of any particular response.
All coaches within 2 weeks of the conclusion of their season shall submit to the Athletic Director a letter indicating his or her intention to return as a coach the following season. If a coach wishes not to return, he or she should likewise advise the Athletic Director of such a decision.
Within 8 weeks after the conclusion of a sport's season, the Athletic Director and Personnel Committee shall meet to review all completed Coach's Surveys and any other information received from parent representatives or from any Board Member's personal observation. The Personnel Committee may request that any parent who timely completes and submits a Coach's Survey, on a voluntary basis, be interviewed by the Personnel Committee. At the conclusion of a coach's review, the Athletic Director shall advise the coach of its recommendation regarding the coach's retention. Any coach may submit a written response to the Personnel Committee or may request a personal interview with the Personnel Committee to address any and all coaching issues.
THIS COACHING REVIEW PROCESS SHALL NOT BE ADVERSARIAL. RATHER, THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE SHALL, IN A NEUTRAL AND OBJECTIVE MANNER AND CONSISTENT WITH THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CYO BOARD AND STUDENT ATHLETES, GATHER INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AND RENDER A RECOMMENDATION TO THE PRIEST MODERATOR. THE PRIEST MODERATOR SHALL HAVE ABSOLUTE DISCRETION IN ALL DECISIONS INVOLVING THE RETENTION OF ANY COACH.
COACH'S MEMO FROM THE DEAN OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
As you are aware, the CYO Board has adopted new rules regarding student eligibility. This is a brief summary of certain duties which coaches must perform to ensure proper student compliance.
- Any student who has been suspended from any sport activity during this academic year may only participate if the Dean of Human Development has approved that student's participation. (This paragraph applies only to students who were removed from a team, not students with progress reports alone).
- All CCD students must be actively enrolled in the Visitation CCD Program.
- All CCD students must provide their coach with a copy of that student's report card within three days after the student received his or her report card. Coaches are responsible to inquire from each CCD student the date on which the report cards are issued. All coaches with CCD participants must immediately notify the Dean of Human Development of any students who have received failing progress reports or failing grades on their report card (see attached Guidelines).
- Coaches must remember that they as coaches have the responsibility to report any participant misconduct by providing a Delegate Report to the Dean of Human Development (see attached Delegate Report). Coaches must also be aware that as a coach, you have the authority to discipline and/or suspend any participant so long as you prove the participant's parent(s) with a Request for Review Form (see attached).
- All coaches are responsible to select either a parent or assistant coach to serve as a delegate for the Dean of Human Development. This person is responsible to complete a Delegate Report for any misconduct that they observe at any game or practice. This form is necessary so that the Dean of Human Development can have an accurate record of what occurred in order to determine if any disciplinary action is necessary.
If you have any questions regarding any information contained in this packet, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you have any questions during the season involving eligibility or disciplinary action, please do not hesitate to call.
Background Check: All coaches and assistants will undergo a background check by submitting form SP4-164 to the PA State Police as well as a Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance Form. Results are to be returned to the Priest-Moderator for file. Failure to satisfy the background check requirements may result in dismissal. Coaches will be reimbursed by the CYO for the fees required for these background checks.
Coaches Meeting: A coaches meeting will be held at the beginning of each season to establish tryout and practice schedules, review the coaches manual and archdiocese handbook, and to address any issues. All coaches are required to attend.
Sign-ups/Tryouts: Sign-up/Tryout dates must be published in the Sunday Church Bulletin for three consecutive weeks prior to their being held. When school is in session, coaches should arrange for an announcement and/or take home flyer to be distributed at Visitation School (including CCD students) with all pertinent information relating to sign-ups/tryouts. Tryouts should be scheduled over a two week period to minimize absences due to illness.
Since this is a Parish program, tryout times must be scheduled to accommodate both Visitation and Public or Private schools.
Roster Size: Roster sizes for each sport are as follows:
- Football (min 22 - no max) Cross Country (unlimited)
- Soccer (min 15 - max 22) Volleyball (10)
- Varsity Basketball (12-15 at coach's discretion)
- JV Basketball (min of 8)
- Cheerleading (min 15 - max 22) Field Hockey (TBD)
- Baseball/Softball (15) Track (unlimited)
With the approval of the CYO Priest-Moderator, roster size can be adjusted by the coaches depending on the nature of the sport.
If more students sign-up/tryout than the maximum size allowed, the coach must utilize a systematic method to pare the size down to roster limit. Use of independent judges is encouraged in accomplishing this.
Results of tryouts must be made known to each child before the last tryout session is completed. In no instance should a cut list ever be posted
Students who are not properly rostered, with fees paid, will not be permitted to practice.
All final team rosters will be completed by the Registrar and signed by the Coach, Athletic Director and Priest-Moderator.
NOTE: No student will be prevented from participating in any CYO activity because of financial difficulties. This need must be made known to the Priest-Moderator.
Team Manager: Coaches may select up to (2) Team Managers to assist them during the season. Team Managers will be rostered with the team as the "Team Manager," are allowed to practice with the team, but are not allowed to play in any games. The duties of the Team Manager are left to the discretion of each coach (i.e. scorebook, run the scoreboard clock during practice, maintain ice and first aid kit, etc.) Team managers do not pay a registration fee.
Season Schedules: At the beginning of each season, the coaches will meet with the Regional Commissioner of their respective sport to review guidelines for the upcoming season. Coaches should bring a copy of available gym/field time to this meeting. Once a season schedule has been established, a copy should be given to the Director of Scheduling, Ways & Means Chairman, Visitation School Principal, Priest-Moderator, Athletic Director, and Program Coordinators.
When the Regional Commissioner schedules the use of Visitation facilities for other schools on the same day a Visitation team is scheduled to play, be sure that a Visitation team is scheduled last for that day. This will help the coach in facilitating coverage and clean-up of the facility for that day.
Every attempt must be made to stick to the schedule once it is published.
Any changes in home game schedules must be communicated to the Ways & Means Chairman so that coordination of snack stand inventory is maintained and to the Director of Scheduling to eliminate any possible facility use conflicts.
Uniforms and Equipment: Once rosters have been established, coaches should contact the Uniform & Equipment Managers to arrange a time and date for the distribution of uniforms and equipment. Each coach will receive a list of and sign for all equipment given to them. This list will be used to check return of equipment at the end of the season.
Each player is responsible for the care and condition of all uniforms and equipment assigned to them. Uniforms must be returned washed and equipment cleaned. Parents may be charged for uniforms/equipment that is lost or damaged beyond normal wear and tear. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in the player being prohibited from participation in future CYO activities. The coach is ultimately responsible to ensure that all uniforms and equipment are returned to the Equipment Manager in proper condition within two weeks after the end of their season.
Gym Equipment: Coaches are responsible for setting up and putting away the all gym equipment (i.e. scoreboard, volleyball nets, etc.) and having someone operate same for all scheduled games (including games not involving Visitation teams).
The only balls (basketball, volleyball, etc.) allowed in the gym during games are those brought in by the respective coaches. Coaches are asked to remind their teams of this rule. Lobby monitors are to be on the lookout for this and to deny access to anyone with such equipment
Archdiocese Athletic Handbook: Each coach will receive a copy of the latest edition of the Archdiocese Athletic Handbook. Visitation B.V.M. CYO completely endorses this handbook and considers it the "governing guide" for all coaches and their staffs.
CYO Archdiocese Coaches' Accreditation: All coaches and their assistants must attend an Archdiocese Accreditation Program within 1 year of their initial assignment. Failure to do so may jeopardize the team's eligibility in the Archdiocese league.
Practice: Practices must be limited to a maximum of 3 per week and should not last longer than 2 hours while school is in session. Team meetings count as a scheduled practice. Practices should be held at a time and location which is accommodating to all players. At the beginning of each season the coaches, Athletic Director/Coordinators and Director of Scheduling will meet to schedule tryout and practice times.
Reassignment of previously scheduled practice times can be coordinated between coaches.
Service Duty: Each team is expected to complete various service requirements as required (i.e. set-up/knock-down of tables for Sunday donuts, etc.) in support of the CYO Youth Ministry service phase.
Budgets: The Athletic Director/Coordinators will work with the Coaches and Equipment Managers to develop and submit a budget for all sports.
Referee Fees: Prior to the start of each season, one check will be given to each coach to cover any applicable referee fees. The coach is then responsible for making sure that each referee is paid during the course of their season and for returning any unused funds. Additional fees for playoff games will be covered as needed.
Parents' Meeting: At the beginning of each season (Fall, Winter, Spring), a general meeting is held with the parents of all students who are rostered to play CYO athletics during that particular season. At this meeting, the Priest-Moderator and Visitation Principal will review the Spiritual and Academic requirements for participation in the CYO athletic program (reference "CYO Guidelines and Regulations" handout attached).
This is also an opportunity for each coach to meet the parents of his players, outline his coaching philosophy, and reinforce his expectations of the parents during the upcoming season. Coaches should also reinforce that the purpose of our program is not to create high school athletes but to formulate better Catholics.
If not already determined, team parents will be selected at the Parents' meeting.
Keys: Keys for access to the school/gym and equipment rooms are available at the rectory. Each coach is responsible for signing out and returning the keys when finished. Only adults may pick-up and return keys.
Facilities: All events sponsored by the Visitation CYO are to take place on the fields and/or in the facilities owned, operated, and maintained by Visitation parish.
All use of the Visitation BVM facilities must be scheduled with the Director of Scheduling.
In the event that our facilities are inadequate for the program being offered, or if the parish facilities are not available to accommodate certain practices or games due to scheduling conflicts, arrangements may be made for specific and limited practices and/or games to take place at another site/facility. Location, cost and availability of outside sites are factors which must be considered when choosing another site.
All use of non-Visitation facilities must be approved by the Priest-Moderator.
A minimum of two (2) weeks notice is required to coordinate Certificates of Insurance with the Archdiocese for off-site facility use. Arrangements for use of off-site facilities are coordinated through the Athletic Director.
Each coach is responsible for seeing that all facilities they use are left in better condition than when they found them. This means that all trash, furniture, lights, locks, etc. must be attended to before leaving. Especially check the bathrooms before locking up to be sure they are in good order and the lights are turned off.
Coaches are responsible for setting up and putting away all equipment used during a practice or game. During practice sessions, if it is necessary to turn on the Visitation gym lights, only every other row of lights as marked on the circuit box are to be energized.
First Aid: Each coach will be supplied with a basic First Aid kit by the Equipment Manager when they receive their uniforms. First Aid kits are also kept in the equipment room at the gym and at the snack stand by the athletic field.
Under no circumstances should a coach administer medication of any kind to a player (even ”Tylenol"). Players may self administer doctor prescribed medicine if a release form from their doctor is on file at the school. Coaches should review the registration form of each player to familiarize themselves with any medical restrictions that may apply. It is the coach's responsibility to have the medical forms of all of his players with him at all practices and games.
Each coach is also responsible for bringing a small cooler of ice to each practice/game. Ice will be available at the snack stands and in the school cafeteria as a back-up. Coolers and ice bags will be provided to each team.
If a player is injured during a practice or game, the Priest-Moderator must be notified as soon as possible so that proper coordination of any insurance forms may completed with the Archdiocese. Every injury must have an insurance form filled out. Players must provide written approval from their doctor before they are allowed to continue to practice or play.
All coaches must be trained and understand their obligations related to the Exposure Control Plan for Blood Borne Pathogens. Coaches are also encouraged to complete a qualified First Aid course.
Publicity: The Director of Publicity is responsible for coordinating the publication of game/tournament results in the Sunday Church Bulletin as well as with the local media. Coaches should contact the Director of Publicity with all pertinent information.
NOTE: Deadline for publication in the Church Bulletin is 12 Noon on the Monday prior to the Sunday of distribution.
All teams/individuals that win at the Regional and Archdiocese level will be recognized at the annual year end Banquet as well as through local media.
Varsity Awards: At the end of each season, varsity coaches have an opportunity to select three (3) players to receive the following awards:
Coach's Award: Given to the individual who has contributed the most to the sport in all areas including morale, spirit, sportsmanship, and commitment.
Achievement Award: Awarded to the most improved player during the season.
Most Valuable Player: The player who contributes the most athletically to the team..
Selections must be submitted to the Athletic Director within two weeks after the completion of each season. Awards will be presented at the CYO Recognition Dinner which is held each year in June.
Junior Varsity Awards: At the end of each season, Junior Varsity coaches have an opportunity to select one (1) player to receive the "JV Spirit" award. The recipient of this award is not necessarily the best athlete on the team but rather that individual who demonstrates the fundamental attributes of teamwork, attitude, commitment, and an understanding of the sport. Selections must be submitted to the Athletic Director within two weeks after the completion of each season.
In addition, all JV players will receive "Certificates of Participation" designating the specific activities they participated in during the year.
Awards will be presented at the JV Recognition Assembly which is held each year in June.
Miscellaneous: Every practice/game should begin and end with a prayer.
If Visitation school is closed due to inclement weather, all other scheduled activities at the school are also canceled.
No games or practices may be scheduled during Holy Week (Thursday thru Easter Sunday), 40 Hours Devotion, before exam days, and any other special religious event designated by the Priest-Moderator.
No practices/games should be scheduled before 1:00 P.M. on Sundays. Use of the outdoor fields shall not be scheduled during 5:15 P.M. mass on Saturdays.
Basketball Tournaments: Each Visitation Basketball team may play in a maximum of (4) tournaments throughout the season. Playoffs are not considered tournament games.
Coaches and Assistants cannot train their team off-season. Coaches in violation of this rule are subject to removal.
Coaches and parents are responsible for the cost of any "additional" equipment or apparel that is purchased as either enhancements to uniforms or recognition for team performance. All designs (i.e. logos, wording, etc.) used on apparel and awards must be approved by the Priest-Moderator prior to ordering.
Each team must be represented at the monthly CYO Advisory Board Meeting by either the head coach or one of the assistant coaches during that sport's season. Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at 7:30 P.M. in the Larkin Center.
A child who is absent from school is not eligible to participate in any game/practice/try-out after school on that day.
|
|
