Northwood Soccer Club

BYLAWS OF THE NORTHWOOD SOCCER CLUB

ARTICLE 1 – NAME

The name of the organization is Northwood Soccer Club (NSC). Membership is voluntary. The scope is limited to boys and girls engaged in youth soccer on the amateur level.

ARTICLE 2 – LOCATION

The organization shall include all youths less than sixteen years of age (16) residing within the boundaries of: Northwood local public school districts. Outside participation is permissible if space is available on a team.

ARTICLE 3 – VISION

NSC is a non-profit organization dedicated to youth development and community service through excellence in soccer. The organization is founded on the belief that participation in youth soccer nurtures personal qualities. Physical fitness, self-esteem, commitment, perseverance, teamwork and emotional stability are qualities that ultimately help young people become responsible adults and productive citizens.

ARTICLE 4 – PURPOSE

The purpose of theNSC is to promote recreational and travel soccer programs for area youth as an air to fostering the development of sportsmanship and the betterment of player’s physical and social well-being within the boundaries established in Article 2 of these bylaws. To this end, the NSC organizes sponsors and administers teams, competitions and programs to assure the highest possible level of soccer competence and sportsmanship of which it is capable. The NSC is not formed for pecuniary of financial gain and no part of the assets, income or profit of the organization is distributable to, or ensures to the benefit of its members, directors or officers.

ARTICLE 5 – AFFILIATIONS

The Northwood Soccer Club supports and subscribes to the regulations and jurisdiction of the ESSL Recreational Program, Soccer Association for Youth (SAY) and Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) as well as Northwest Ohio Youth Soccer League (NWOYSL) and Ohio Youth Soccer Association North (OYSAN).

ARTICLE 6 – EXECUTIVE BOARD

The terms of all elected members of the Executive Board shall be two (2) years – January to December calendar year.

a)Each Executive Board Member shall serve a two (2) year term, unless the Executive Board Member tenders his or her resignation at an earlier time.

b)The annual election for Executive Board members will be held from the list of applicants submitted to the Executive Board from interested parties. The Northwood Soccer Club may publish vacancies in the local press or other suitable means deemed fit by the Executive Board.

c)Members of the same family unit shall not hold voting Executive Board positions simultaneously.

d)No more than 2 Executive Board members shall be from the same team.

e)Regular meetings should be held on a monthly basis, at a time and place set by the Executive Board.

f)A special Executive Board meeting can be called at the request of the President or at the request of any (2) Executive Board Members. Whenever possible, such meetings shall be preceded by notice to the members of the Board at least two (2) days prior to such meeting. The business to be transacted, or the purpose of any meeting of the Executive Board, need be specified in the notice of such meeting.

g)A majority of the members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum. Each voting member shall have one vote, which may be made by an alternate person chosen by that member and approved by the Board, if the voting member is unable to attend an Executive Board meeting.

ARTICLE 7 – OFFICERS

The officers of the Executive Board shall include, but are not limited to: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Volunteer Coordinator, Fundraising Coordinator, Registrar and Field Manager. The Board may elect or appoint such other officers as it shall deem desirable, such officers have the authority to perform the duties prescribed, from time to time, by the Board.

a)The officers of the Executive Board shall be elected by the Board at its November general meeting or as soon thereafter as possible.

b)The term of each officer shall be two years. The President, Secretary, Fundraising Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator shall be elected in odd numbered years. The Vice President, Registrar, Field Manager and Treasurer shall be elected in even numbered years. Years are based on year as of January of the term (i.e. President elected in 2001, serving in 2002 is considered an even year).

c)Only uncompensated officers are eligible to be voting members of the NSC board.

d)Removal. Any officer elected or appointed by the Board may be removed by the Board with a two-thirds vote of the remaining members, whenever in its judgement; the best interests of NSC would be served thereby. Such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the officer so removed.

e)Vacancies. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, or otherwise, may be filled by the Board for the remaining portion of the term.

President:

  • Shall be a resident within Northwood Local Schools boundaries as described in Article 2 of these bylaws and be at least 25 years of age at election.
  • Presides over all ESSL & NWOYSL business.
  • Presents an annual report of the work of the organization. Shall see that all books, reports, and certificates, as required by law, are properly kept and filed, and shall have such powers as may be reasonably construed as belonging to the Chief Executive of any organization.
  • Casts the deciding vote at Board meetings.
  • Sets the agenda for monthly meetings.
  • May remain in an advisory capacity to the Board for one year after term (see Advisor – Article 9b).

Vice President Rec:

  • Shall, in the event of the absence of the president or in the event of the president’s inability or refusal to act, perform the duties of president along with VP of Rec. When so acting, shall have the power of and be subject to all restrictions upon the president.
  • Coordinates and manages the Recreational League Divisions and game schedules.
  • Attends the ESSL Board Meetings and serve as District Representative for Northwood Soccer Club
  • Shall be in charge of all team rosters and making sure they are submitted to the ESSL and SAY Offices on time.
  • Vice president shall perform such other duties, as from time to time, may be assigned to him/her by the president or Board.

Vice President Travel:

  • Shall, in the event of the absence of the president or in the event of the president’s inability or refusal to act, perform the duties of president along with VP of Travel. When so acting, shall have the power of and be subject to all restrictions upon the president.
  • Coordinates and manages the Travel League Divisions and game schedules.
  • Attends the NWOYSL Board Meetings and serve as District Representative for Northwood Soccer Club
  • Shall be in charge of all team rosters and making sure they are submitted to the NWOYSL Offices on time.
  • Vice president shall perform such other duties, as from time to time, may be assigned to him/her by the president or Board.

Secretary:

  • Takes and distributes minutes and records of the organization.
  • Files any certificate required by any statue, federal or state.
  • Gives and serves all notices to members of this organization.
  • Attends to all correspondence of the organization and shall exercise duties incident to the Office of Secretary.

Treasurer:

  • Handles all monies and financial matters belonging to the organization.
  • Must be one of the officers who will sign all checks or drafts of the organization.
  • Works with VPs to register teams in corresponding leagues.
  • Should render at all Board meetings written account of the finances of the organization and such report may be physically affixed to the minutes.

Referee Coordinator:

  • Must be certified by any league in which a team is registered and/or USSF certified.
  • Shall oversee all law interpretations and that the laws are applied equally and fairly.
  • Will be responsible to obtain a list of referees.
  • Track and notify the ESSL of all red and yellow cards,preferably within 24 hours of incident.
  • Chairs and Protest Committee
  • Yearly may provide the Board with a report regarding referee statistics and disciplinary actions.

Field Manager/Equipment Manager:

  • Maintain fields.
  • Coordinate volunteer to help with field up keep (painting, measuring, etc.)
  • Advise Board of items needed such as paint, nets, etc.
  • Maintains all equipment.
  • Provide coaches with balls, first aid kits, etc.
  • Advise the Board as to what equipment is or will be needed

Registrar:

  • Maintains all registrations (paper or online)
  • Responsible for registration of teams with league or Tournament

Coaches Coordinator:

  • Hold a coaches meeting at least once per season.
  • Attend practices at random and provide coaches with instruction.
  • Create and revise a coaching manual.
  • Provide a foot skills camp for the winter and summer.

Fundraising Coordinator:

  • Plans and chairs events for parties and fundraising.

Website / Social media Director:

  • Prepares and maintains the clubs documents (ex. donation letters, registration forms)
  • Maintains website / Social Media, keeps all information up to date.

ARTICLE 8 – VOTING MEMBERS

a)President as described in Article 7 of these bylaws

b)Vice President as described in Article 7 of these bylaws

c)Secretary as described in Article 7 of these bylaws

d)Treasurer as described in Article 7 of these bylaws

e)Coaches Coordinator as described in Article 7 of these bylaws

f)Equipment Manager as described in Article 7 of these bylaws

g)Fundraising Coordinator as described in Article 7 of these bylaws

h)

ARTICLE 9 – NON-VOTING MEMBERS

a)WEB Site Manager

  1. Co-ordinates Web site updates and activities

b)Team Representatives

c)Advisor – Previous NSC President may remain in an advisory capacity to the Board for one year after term

ARTICLE 10 – COMMITTEES

Member committees of the NSC Board shall be established by resolution, with approval of the majority of the Board. The majority of the Board, thereof, may remove any member, from said committee, whenever, in their judgement, the best interest of NSC shall be served by such removal. The Board may establish the following committees:

Standing Committees:

a)Publicity

  1. Will consist of one or more members of the Board.
  2. Will handle all publicity of the league, with Board approval.

b)Budget

  1. Will consist of at least three (Treasurer to be one) voting members of the Board.
  2. The president, with Board approval, will appoint chairperson.
  3. Will provide a budget (pending approval of the Board) by the November meeting, for the next fiscal year starting January 1st through December 31st.
  4. Requests fee increases by April for fall season and December for spring season.

c)Discipline Committee

  1. Will consist of three members of the Board, appointed and approved by the Board.
  2. The committee chairperson shall be one of the approved Board members.
  3. Is responsible for keeping the correspondence and a historical record of all disciplinary actions. Reports will be attached to the minutes of the next Board meeting.
  4. Is charged with following all rules as established in Articles 18, 19 and 20 of these bylaws.

ARTICLE 11 – VOLUNTEER SCREENING

a)Intent and Application of Volunteer Screening

  1. It shall be the intent of the Northwood Soccer Club to offer a degree of protection for youth involved in our program; for the well-being of volunteers and for the protection of the area and national organization by establishing procedures to be followed for the volunteer screening. Such procedures, as outlined in this article, are intended to comply with the “Best Practices for Screening Volunteers who Work with Children in Ohio” as set forth in section 121.401 of the Ohio Revised Code.
  2. Any person desiring to serve as a Coach or Assistant Coach is recognized as potentially having unsupervised access to children and is therefore required to comply with the volunteer screening procedures outlined in this article. Referees do not have the potential of unsupervised access and as such are not subject to volunteer screening.
  3. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance and every effort should be made to maintain such confidentiality throughout the screening process.
  4. Provide the ESSL Volunteer Screener with the results of the background check.

b)Procedures for Volunteers

  1. Any person desiring to serve as a Coach or Assistant Coach shall do the following in accordance with the time lines established by the Executive Board:
  2. Complete in its entirety, the S.A.Y. Volunteer Application Form, including the S.A.Y./Volunteer Authorization & Consent. All information requested on the Application Form should be provided by the applicant. Submitting false information on the Application Form is grounds for disqualification as a volunteer.
  3. Forward the completed S.A.Y. Volunteer Application Form to the NSC Board who shall review it to ensure proper completion and commence a background check.
  4. In the event that a Coach or Assistant Coach has submitted to a background check, for purposes of coaching with NSC, within the previous calendar year, such check shall be waived (subject to random testing as outlined in this article). The volunteer is required however to complete the Volunteer Application Form. If the volunteer checks “Yes” to the question related to criminal history and checks the box indicating his or her personal history has changed since last year, then the volunteer will be required to undergo an immediate background check regardless of when the volunteer last submitted to a background check.
  5. All Coaches and Assistant Coaches shall submit to background checks, at a maximum of, every other calendar year.
  6. In the event that any Coach or Assistant Coach is arrested and charged with any offense outlined in section 109.572 of the Ohio Revised Code, such volunteer shall notify the Area Volunteer Screening Coordinator immediately.

ARTICLE 12 – RECREATIONAL PLAYING PROGRAMS

a)NSC administers a recreational soccer league for the enjoyment and development of its participants.

b)The organization recognizes recreational soccer as a benefit to the area citizens and encourages participation by all members of the community, irrespective of experience or skill.

c)There are no tryouts required, and all players in good standing who provide their registrations on time are assured a position on an available roster. If there is not enough NSC players to create a team, those players shall be given the option of a full refund or placement on another ESSL district team if available.

d)Team selection and draws are to be held at an Area meeting in accordance with SAY bylaws.

e)All residents within the Northwood Local School District boundaries are eligible to participate in NSC programs. In addition, non-residents may participate in NSC programs subject to team availability.

  1. Team Management
  1. Coaches of all teams playing under NSC affiliates will be appointed and supervised by the NSC Board.
  2. NSC encourages coaches to attain a Coaching Certificate, which shall be reimbursed by the club.
  3. Those individuals who have a coaching Certificate will receive first consideration.
  4. The coach has sole authority and responsibility for the team, subject to the standards of the NSC and ESSL.
  5. Coaches and assistant coaches must follow and abide by the S.A.Y. Code of Ethics.
  1. Team Sponsorship
  1. The NSC can accept community, commercial, and individual sponsorship for its programs.
  2. Such sponsorship shall be consistent with the purpose, goals, and policies of the NSC.
  3. Districts may have individual sponsorship of teams

ARTICLE 13– TRAVEL PLAYING PROGRAMS

f)The purpose of the NSC Travel is to promote youth soccer player development through the offering of advanced, competitive soccer program, to promote the sport of soccer in the community, and to develop positive competitive attitudes and the spirit of teamwork and good sportsmanship.

g)Tryouts are required for all Travel teams as described in Article 14.

h)All residents within the Northwood Local School District boundaries are eligible to participate in NSC programs. In addition, non-residents may participate in NSC programs subject to approval.

  1. Team Management
  1. Coaches of all teams playing under NSC affiliates will be appointed and supervised by the NSC Board.
  2. All Travel coaches must have or acquire a minimum U10/U12 coaching Certificate(as required by NWOYSL)
  3. All coaches will be reimbursed for any required coaching class.
  4. The coach has sole authority and responsibility for the team, subject to the standards of the NSC and NWOYSL.
  5. Coaches and assistant coaches must follow and abide by the USYSA Code of Ethics.
  1. Team Sponsorship
  1. The NSC can accept community, commercial, and individual sponsorship for its programs.
  2. Such sponsorship shall be consistent with the purpose, goals, and policies of the NSC.

Article 14 – Tryouts

A tryout is any act of a coach observing a player in action, formally or informally, or a player participating individually or in the context of a team or group of players which leads to a mutual decision to roster that player to any team. This definition specifically includes, but may not be limited to such acts as a coach observing the player in a match or practice, or a match with another team, the player 5 participating as a guest player with another team, or the player participating in any indoor activities with a team other than the one to which he/she is initially rostered during the seasonal year.

  1. Unrestricted Tryouts (Permitted only from June 1st through July 15th of each year.)
  2. Used to form teams for play in the upcoming seasonal year.
  3. Players currently rostered or un-rostered may participate.
  4. Any currently rostered player who is selected for a new team that will play in the next seasonal year may not train or participate with their new team until all activities of their current team have come to an end for the seasonal year.
  5. Restricted Tryouts
  6. According to Ohio North, there are no restricted try outs.
  1. Recruiting of Players No coach, player, trainer, manager, sponsor, parent, or any other person from a team or Club may, either directly or indirectly, ask a currently rostered player to leave their present team in order to join another team. Such activity constitutes the illegal recruitment of players. OYSAN and NWOYSL consider recruitment of currently rostered players to be illegal in any and all circumstances. Any person or organization found to be illegally recruiting rostered players during the same seasonal year shall be subject to disciplinary action which may include, but are not limited to suspension, fines, or limited or revoked travel privileges. The Executive Board may take disciplinary action against any Club, coach, player, team or team representative who does not adhere to this policy.

ARTICLE 15 – FEES