Central Virginia United Inc. Handbook January 2013
CONTENTS:
Mission Statement
Club History
Club Structure (Organizational Chart, Board, Staff Positions)
Tryout Process
Training Curriculum
CVU Coaches
CVU Players
Role of CVU Parents
Process of Concerns
Club Facilities
Expenses (Club Fees, Uniforms)
CVU Player Scholarships
Volunteers
Cancellation Policy
Mission Statement
Central Virginia United Inc. (CVU) is a nonprofit, 501 (c)(3), educational organization that fosters the physical, mental, and emotional growth and development of all participants through the sport of soccer at all levels. Our mission is also to make soccer fun and instill in young players a lifelong passion for the sport.
Club History
Central Virginia United was founded in 1977 to serve the City of Lynchburg. CVU has grown to over 1000 participants annually from Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell, Halifax Counties and the City of Lynchburg. We offer recreation, academy, and competitive travel soccer for players’ ages 4-19. CVU additionally offers clinics and camps for participants as well as recreational adult soccer leagues.
Since 1992, CVU has worked with the City of Lynchburg and its Park and Recreation Program Department to administer recreation soccer programs throughout the city of Lynchburg. Along with the recreation program, CVU seeks to impact the local community through soccer. We work with inner city youth during the summers, and have supported city center programs after school for 7-16 year olds throughout Lynchburg City. We strive to make a difference in the lives of our children and our community.
CVU is a multi-cultural club with a diverse staff and player base. We maintain a policy of open membership regardless of residence or economic status. We are proud to represent central and southwest Virginia and are committed to achieving positive recognition for Region 2000 and our club.
Club Structure
Central Virginia United is overseen by a Board of Directors, which meets every month. The club also has an Executive Board that consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Technical Director. The club’s full time staff includes the Technical Director, Assistant Technical Director, and Administrative Assistant. The part time staff includes Directors of Coaching, Director of Recreation, Director of Goalkeeping, and Staff Coaches.
The Executive Board, as well as full Board members, serve a two year term. The Board of Directors is responsible for recommendation and nomination of new candidates as well as officers to the Board of Directors and the Executive Board. CVU board meetings are closed to the general public without previous consent from the President.
The President of the Club is responsible for formation of committees to oversee and execute the strategic vision and goals of Central Virginia United.
Technical Director
The Technical Director (TD) reports directly to the President of the Club and the Board of Directors. The TD is accountable for the administration and operations of the Central Virginia United Inc., the delegation of duties to the appropriate employees and volunteers, and working within the boundaries of the Board approved fiscal budget. The TD is also accountable for player development, team organization and coaching selection, coaching placement,coaching development and retention.
Assistant Technical Director
The Assistant Technical Director is accountable for the administration of the CVU Academy (U8-U10) and CVU Recreation Programs. The Assistant TD is also responsible for assisting in the overall player development, team organization, coaching selection, coachingplacement, coaching development and retention, and is the primary contact for players, parents, and coaches for all soccer issues.
Age Group Directors of Coaching
All Age Group Directors of Coaching (DOC’s) are responsible for the evaluation of the CVU coaching staff and player placement during the tryout process. DOC’s are responsible for assisting in team training sessions and providing advisory council to coaches for continued education and development.
Director of Goalkeeping
The Director of Goalkeeping provides technical and tactical assistance to CVU coaches, teams and players. This assistance is aimed at the goalkeeping position, but will include advice on how the goalkeeping position works within the framework of the team.
Director of Recreation
The Director of Recreation is responsible for the operations of the recreation program which include providing qualified training to both recreation players and coaches, field coordination of all recreation games, and team formation.
The Try-Out Process
To be selected for a CVU team, players must first attend our annual try-outs. Try-outs are held in the spring each year beginning in April and ending in May. The club advertises the open try-outs to inform interested participants of the times, dates, and location.
Player performance will be evaluated by observing the player during the annual try-outs. These try-outs are open to all and are conducted under the supervision of the Technical Director, Assistant Technical Director and Directors of Coaching.
Selection decisions at tryouts are based upon the individual players ability to perform soccer related skills and tasks. Selection based on personal relationships, financial contributions, and/or community stature will not be tolerated. CVU staff is responsible for making decisions based on what is in the best interest of the individual player, team and club. CVU staff is given the freedom to work objectively, and each player will be given a fair opportunity to make a team within the club. Consideration will also be given to a player’s previous CVU experience.
Unless otherwise instructed by the Technical Director or the Assistant Technical Director, players must try-out for their age appropriate team. If considered appropriate, the CVU staff may consider recommending a player to “play-up” an age group based on individual player ability and with consideration of overall player and team development at the forefront. The decision of the Technical Director or Assistant Technical Director is final.
Shortly after the completion of try-outs, selected players will be invited to join a team based on performance. A quick response to the invitation to join the club is required.
Training Curriculum
The CVU training curriculum is designed with maximum development of both technical and tactical aspects of the game of soccer as well as with increasing player enjoyment of the sport while participating. The training curriculum is an all-encompassing document that outlines specific areas of focus for all age groups (4-19) and levels (recreation, academy, travel) within the club.
Training sessions will be determined and announced by the club. Teams typically train two to three times a week either on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday. CVU also offers additional functional training for players which aids in developing more well-rounded soccer athletes. These additional training opportunities include: speed and agility training, ball mastery training, and goalkeeper specific training.
Recreation Program
The recreation program is for players of all skill and interest levels between the ages of 4-15. The purpose of the recreation program is to encourage individual player development and increase players’ enjoyment of the sport. The programs U6 and U8 teams play all of their games in-house against other CVU recreation teams while the clubs U10, U12, and U15 teams compete in the Central Virginia Regional Soccer Association league against other local recreation teams.
Academy Program
The Academy Program is designed with the development of young soccer players in mind from the ages of 7-10. The program emphasizes player development over results. Our philosophy is to encourage the development of techniques and skills required to play the game of soccer. Players will be pushed to improve technique, improve teamwork, and play with high standards, while at the same time encouraged to explore creativity with the soccer ball. The CVU Academy teams compete against other local teams 3-4 times per season in a festival style format maximizing different opponents in a short period of time.
Travel Program
The travel program encompasses the best players from central and southwest Virginia ranging in ages from 10-19. CVU has travel teams at all levels giving all players an opportunity to make a team and further their individual development.
U11-U19 Classic Teams
CVU U11-U19 Classic teams compete both in the Blue Ridge Soccer League as well as the Skyline Classic League. Teams are placed in leagues and divisions determined by the CVU Technical Director and Assistant Technical Director in accordance with strength of the team and the quality of opponents in both leagues and divisions. Each Classic team has a professionally licensed coach.
U11-U19 Premier Teams
CVU U11-U19 Premier teams compete in the Skyline Premier League. The Skyline Premier League offers the highest level of competition in central and southwest Virginia. CVU Premier teams also compete in Virginia State Cup as determined by the Technical Director and in tournaments across the state of Virginia. Each Premier team has a nationally qualified coach.
CVU Coaches
The variety of coaches within the club exposes players to different personalities and coaching styles within the club’s overall player development philosophy. CVU works diligently to provide the highest quality coaching staff which is dedicated to providing each player the best opportunity for maximum development. It is the responsibility of the Technical Director and Assistant Technical Director to ensure that the club meets the highest possible coaching standards throughout all of its teams and programs.
CVU coaches are instructed to conduct themselves as positive role models and display appropriate behavior both on and off the soccer field. Coaches are expected to contribute to the personal development of each player along with improving soccer ability while making the players overall welfare their first priority. With this priority in mind, please know that coaches are responsible for the conduct of the team on and off the field when the team is together at training, matches and tournaments. Coaches have full authority to discipline players as they see fit for behavior that is detrimental to the individual player, team and/or club. CVU coaches will be professional, consistent, reliable, and respectful to players, parents, opposing team members and officials.
Each CVU coach has received or is working toward receiving a coaching certification from either the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) or the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Many have received certifications from both. A number of CVU coaches have also played at the collegiate and/or professional level. Many CVU coaches have attended a course at the national level that includes an intense residency program. The CVU full-time technical staff and Directors of Coaching hold either the highest or second highest licensures available within the United States.
Our coaching staff has been responsible for developing state, regional and national caliber players. Many of these players graduate to play college soccer and potentially receive athletic scholarships. How successful each player becomes largely depends on his/her desire to succeed and commitment to the game. It is the desire of all CVU staff to see our players reach their full potential and every effort will be made to aid and facilitate this process.
CVU Players
The goal of the CVU coaching staff is to create a challenging environment on and off the field to develop well-rounded soccer athletes. We want players to be fully aware of the club’s policies and ambitions before a commitment is made. All players must read and sign the CVU Player/Parent Code of Conduct before each season. Once a player commits to CVU he or she agrees to abide by the policies of the club. Once a player has committed to the club, the club will commit to that player. No player will be cut from a team during the season unless it is for disciplinary reasons outlined in the CVU Player/Parent Code of Conduct. Players will also be given ample opportunity in accordance with the CVU Player Development Philosophy to display their talents and abilities in match settings.
As a member of CVU, a player is responsible for his or her own performance and conduct. The expectation of CVU players include: best efforts in training and matches, fair play and being a reliable team member. Our staff works diligently to provide a competitive soccer environment. We completely understand that there are more important things in life besides CVU soccer. Family and education should always come first. Our expectation is that all of our players commit to their team as their first recreational priority during the club’s fall and spring season.
During the course of the season, players will participate in training, league matches, tournaments and state cup matches. Tournaments and state cup participation will be decided after consultation between the coach and the Technical Director of Assistant Technical Director. The coach will make decisions on team line-up, player’s positions and playing time in compliance with the CVU Player Development Philosophy. Players are expected to arrive on time for training and matches with the required equipment which includes: proper cleats, shinguards, training gear, water and inflated ball. The club also expects our players to give their full concentration and efforts during training and matches.
At CVU, we strongly desire for our players to take personal responsibility for their development. The player, not his or her parents, should bring concerns directly to the coach. Some concerns may include: player time, playing position, suggested areas for improvement, etc. Some younger player may feel uncomfortable approaching the coach but should be encouraged to begin taking responsibility for their own development.
The club has full expectations of players to care about themselves, their teammates, the beautiful game of soccer and the welfare of the club. Players are expected to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Any use of drugs, alcohol or tobacco is deemed unacceptable and may lead to suspension or dismissal from the club. In addition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the club expects players to maintain a positive team attitude as well as a personal sense of fair play and sportsmanship. Verbal or physical abuse of teammates, opponents or officials will not be tolerated. Any type of player abuse may result in suspension or dismissal from the club. Players may also be suspended should the financial obligation to the club not be met. All decisions on suspensions and removal from the program are made by the CVU Technical Director and are final.
CVU players may be asked to guest play with other clubs or CVU teams. All guest play needs to be approved by the CVU Technical Director of Assistant Technical Director. Team managers are instructed not to give up player passes prior to TD or Asst. TD approval.
Role of CVU Parents
The full-time staff and coaches of CVU fully appreciate the contribution of parents and families to our club. We could not function without the unselfish volunteer work and support of our parents. Parental support, involvement and commitment to the club are essential. Parents are responsible for their child’s attendance at training, matches, meetings and any other function deemed necessary by the coaching staff. Parents are also responsible for completing their financial obligation to the club by the dates and times the club mandates.
The club expects both parents and players to abide by the CVU Player/Parent Code of Conduct. We expect our parents to be supportive, involved and committed. CVU encourages parents to attend both training and matches for their players. During training, parents must remain a safe distance away from the field and allow the coaches to train the players. During matches, all parents must sit on the opposite side of the fields from the players and coaches.
It is essential that all parents refrain from coaching their children during CVU training and matches. The club hires soccer professionals who will focus their full efforts on the development of each individual player and the team. All CVU coaches have the same philosophy regarding coaching our players and how we as a club want them to learn. Parents must accept that the soccer expertise lies with the coaches and staff.
There should be no coaching by parents at all. This includes phrases such as: “shoot it”, “pass the ball”, “work harder”, etc. The voice of the coach and staff will be the ones heard in a coaching capacity at all training and matches. Coaching from the sidelines by parents will only confuse and disrupt our players, even with the greatest intentions. Parents should also refrain from criticizing referees or communicating with the opposing players, parents or coaching in a detrimental manner. CVU does appreciate positive parent support and encouragement. We welcome both.
We ask that parents refrain from talking to the coach directly after a match. Emotions can be overwhelming at times and it is in the best interest of all involved to wait 24 to 48 hours before discussing potentially contentious issues. CVU coaches are instructed not to talk to parents concerning issues directly after a match. Many of our coaches work with multiple teams and their efforts needs to be focused on creating a positive soccer environment for all of their players. This also applies to the Technical Director of Assistant Technical Director. Parents should allow the full-time staff to do their jobs on match days. Parent interference on match days can affect other teams and players throughout the club.