MANAGER GUIDE

(Revised 3/19/13)

Thank you for being a manager for your daughter’s Dover Sherborn Girls Lacrosse team for this year! The girls (and coaches) appreciate everything you do.

The purpose of this document is to provide a framework for the role of manager which should make it easier for you. Please refer to the DSGL website (www.dsgirlslacrosse.org) under “Who’s Who” for names.

BACKGROUND

DSGL helps girls grades 2-8 learn to play and enjoy lacrosse. We are part of the Founders Girls Lacrosse League (www.fgll.org) – 20 towns surrounding D-S.

COMMUNICATION

·  Website: Familiarize yourself with DSGL website www.dsgirlslacrosse.org

·  Encourage parents to get into the habit of using the website for:

1.  Info on rules, positions, equipment, summer camps, etc. – See “For players & parents”

2.  Practice and game schedules – Find their team under “Teams”

3.  Fields for away games (addresses and directions) – Under “Fields”

·  Note from FGLL: Games should only be rescheduled due to weather. They should not be cancelled due to a lack of players. Please contact the other team’s coach if it’s necessary to play smaller side or even share players using pinnies.

·  Any changes to practices or games will be generated automatically from the web site to the players of that team.

·  E-Mail: All communications are sent from the website. Please do a test to be sure that all parents/guardians are receiving your emails.

·  You have been given administrative rights to the DSGL Web site! To email your team:

·  Click on the little lock on the right of the top navigation (Administrative Login)

User name: the email that you have for yourself in the DSGL system

Password: created password

·  Once you are on, you can:

1.  Post a bulletin to the team page as follows:

§  On the Admin page, click Messaging/Team Bulletins or Teams/Post Team Bulletin (just be sure to pick which team you are posting for) or go to your Teams/Team page and click on the “Add New Bulletin”

2.  Print out the roster info

§  Go to your Teams/Team page and select Roster

3.  From the Roster page, email the team

§  Click “Email the Team” at the top of that page

START OF SEASON

·  Player Contracts: Collect signed Player Contracts and follow up on those missing. Contract can be printed online from DSGL website under documents link.

·  Concussion testing: Players Grades 3-8 will participate in on-line baseline testing to help parents and medical professionals diagnose head injuries. If available, managers will assist DS Youth Sports in administering the on-line test at a location that varies each year.

·  Uniforms: Will be ordered and distributed through Natick Outdoor Store in Natick.

·  Emergency Information: (from DSGL Webmaster). Please find out from parents if there are any allergies or other medical issues you and the coach should know.

·  Equipment: Our Equipment Manager will supply the coaches with a goalie bag, balls, etc. During the season, you may need to connect with the Equipment Manager if any replacements are needed.

·  Absences: Collect all known absences at the beginning of the season and start a calendar for the games.

·  Oranges/Popsicles/Snacks: Once you collect any known absences you can make a schedule assigning families to bring oranges for half time and/or snacks for after the game (this can be posted as an online bulletin on team page or another website link such as Signup Genius). Then you can ask them to change dates among themselves if they need to change.

· 

PRACTICES

·  Conflicts: Players should notify coaches if they cannot make practices.

·  Cancellations: Generally the coaches make the call on cancellation of practice because they have the most up-to-date field information. They will generate an email to advise the team accordingly.

.

PRE-GAME

·  Schedule: All games are posted on www.fgll.org (Founders Girls Lacrosse League), which syncs automatically with www.dsgirlslacrosse.org. If games change, the system notifies the coaches listed for that game. Our confirmation process below should back-up this system.

·  Field closure / weather cancellations: DSGL President will work with Dover Parks & Recreation on any field cancellations. (S)he will communicate by phone with any DS coaches with home games on Sunday AM. Cancellations must take place 2 hours prior to the game to allow for any visiting teams to eliminate unnecessary travel.

·  Pre-game -- Coach's (or manager’s) responsibility: Each team differs on this and so you should determine whether the coach or manager will do this. Every TUESDAY or WEDNESDAY, one coach (or manager) per team needs to contact the other coach via phone or email. Technically, the home team contacts the away team, but its good practice for us to confirm all.

·  To find the other team's coach:

1.  Go to www.dsgirlslacrosse.org, find your Team and click on Schedule.

2.  Find your game and click on the "+" sign to the left of the game.

3.  Clicking on the coach's name will automatically start an email to that address.

4.  In that email:

§  Confirm time and location

§  DS wears royal blue uniforms; we need pinnies if both teams have blue uniforms.

§  If the game is in Dover, let them know that we ask spectators to stand on the opposite side of the field from coaches/players,

§  We will call them as early as possible with any field cancellations.

§  Directions are on the FGLL web site and dsgirlslacrosse.org under “Fields”

§  Verify cell phone #s for coaches on FGLL web site for last minute issues.

·  Pre-game – Manager’s responsibility: Important! Ask for players’ availability for games early in week and get information to the coaches by Thursday or Friday for a Sunday game.

·  Remind parents how important it is that they let you know as early as possible about attendance since line-ups are made before the game in order to balance playing time and positions. Last minute absences should be communicated directly to the coach via email or cell. We know that issues pop up (sickness, etc.), but a coach should never be at the field wondering if a player is going to show up or not.

·  If you have Sunday games in Dover, please bold the following info for your own team and opponents:

§  Which DS field it is – Caryl, DSHS Turf or Laurel?

§ 

GAME TIME

·  Game Help: If you cannot attend each game please solicit a parent volunteer to help the team on a regular basis when you can’t be there.

·  Keep statistics: or find parent volunteer to keep them. The coach will tell you what they prefer to track.

·  Dress goalie: Goalie "uniform" is protective gear

·  Dressing for cold weather: Players can wear gloves and other sweats. The girls can wear stuff under their uniforms -- numbers have to be showing.

·  Pay umpires: Each week, The DSGL Umpire Coordinator will:

o  Confirm number of games scheduled and time of each game.

o  Make sure he/she has directions (and a good idea of how long it will take them to get to our field)

o  Get the umpire’s cell phone numbers and give them the cell of the first coach on the field that day.

o  Discuss weather cancellation policy

·  Referee Payment: The home team pays the umpire bill so you will only have to do this for home games! The umpires in total receive $100/game and this can be broken down between two different scenarios: two umpires or one umpire and one trailer. The team manager maintains the checks and will receive a series of 4 checks per game that have signatures, game dates and amounts with the “payee” blank. You will have:

o  1. 2 referees: 2 checks’ for $50 each
2. 1 referee and 1 trailer: 1 check for $70(for referee) and 1 check for $30(for trailer)

o  Once you get to the game if you have two referees you will use the first series of $50 checks. If you have a referee and a trailer you will use the $70 and $30 checks (the Referee receives $70 and the trailer receives $30). The third scenario is not typical but if you only end up with one referee then they will receive the $70 check. Please record the names of the folks to whom you make the checks payable. There will be a set of checks that are not used each game and those will be returned. This will be returned (at some point during the season) along with the record of the payees so that they can be recorded.

·  Keep time at home games. Grades 5-8 play two 25-minute halves (3/4 has 20 minute halves) running time plus 10-minute halftime. The clock does not stop during the last two minutes of each half or after goals. Each team is allowed one 2-minute time-out per half. The clock does stop for time-outs.

·  Keep Score for the coach. This is only used to alert the Umpire to a 4-or more goal differential. FGLL is an instructional league and does not post scores or keep standings.

·  There should never be a scoreboard at our games. The score should not be announced to the players. However, players usually know if they’re winning or losing and should learn to do both with respect. Teams should adjust play discreetly if the game is lopsided.

END OF SEASON

·  Jamboree: FGLL hosts a 1-day Jamboree the week after the regular season. This is an optional event where each team plays 3-4 shorter games. More information will be distributed during the season. You may be asked to gauge players’ interest and availability for playing (see sample text in the appendix)

Appendix attached (skeleton letters to send to team)

APPENDIX

SAMPLE TEXT AND MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION:

1. INTRODUCTION EMAIL TO PARENTS

2. SPREADSHEET FOR KEEPING TRACK PLAYER INFO

3. WEEKLY EMAIL ON PRACTICES & GAME

4. JAMBOREE

5. DSGL CELEBRATION

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INTRODUCTION EMAIL TO PARENTS

Hi -

I'm looking forward to a great lacrosse season and I'm also looking forward to helping out COACH and COACH as the manager for the ______team. A couple of things that I could use your help with are:

1. Print, sign and return the Player Contract.

2. Let me know which of the following games you would like to bring oranges or

popsicles to and I will put together a schedule. The games are on 4/_, 4/_, 4/_, 5/_, 5/_,

5/_, 5/_, and 6/_. (We'll deal with the jamborees at a later time.)

You may want to bookmark the TEAM page to do a quick check of new bulletins, the

game schedule, the practice calendar, etc. As soon as I get this info, I will post it on our

page. The game schedule should be finalized soon. Two of the games are during the

April break. Once we know the times, you can let me know your daughter's availability.

Thanks, MANAGER

You can reach me at:

email:

home: (508)

cell: (508)

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SPREADSHEET FOR MANAGERS TO KEEP TRACK OF PLAYER INFO

You can create a spreadsheet to keep track of which players can/can't make the games

and which parents want to bring oranges or popsicles to the games. This was helpful to

keep by my computer to jot down availability.

Player

Pledge

Uniform

#

Game

4/5

Jamb.

4/10

Game

4/19

Game

4/26

Jamb.

6/14

Kate Stangel yes 14 no yes yes yes yes

Oranges

yes

Popsicles

yes

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WEEKLY EMAIL ON PRACTICES & GAME

Practices:

Tuesday 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Caryl

Wednesday 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Chickering

Friday 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Chickering

Game on 4/26: 11:45 at Weston. Directions to field can be found on Cavaliers page on

website. Sunday will be warm so please bring water! Please arrive 30 minutes early

and bring your stick, goggles, mouthguard - NO JEWELRY.

CHECK YOUR EMAIL & THE WEBSITE BEFORE THE GAME FOR ANY

CHANGES/CANCELLATIONS.

Thank you to the Grays for last week's post-game popsicles. And, thank you to Mrs.

Grossbaum for volunteering to be our team photographer! Anyone interested in keeping

game stats?

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JAMBOREE EMAIL

Families:

Our annual Founders Girls Lacrosse League Jamboree is quickly approaching!

Jamboree details are:

One day only... Sunday June 17th at Lincoln Sudbury

2 sessions (approximately) 8:30AM - 1PM and 1:30-6PM

Each team plays _ games of __ minutes each.

3 Divisions -- Grade 3/4, Grade 5/6 and Grade 7/8.

It's a lot of fun, but we understand that it is a very busy time of year for most families.

Also, there may not be enough team slots for all 9 DS teams.

As a result, we are giving you the choice of participating in the Jamboree or not.

Please select ONE of the following and email me back by Monday May 18:

YES -- wants to play in the Jamboree Sunday June __ and can play EITHER AM or PM

session.

YES -- wants to play in the Jamboree Sunday June __ but can ONLY play in AM session.

YES -- wants to play in the Jamboree Sunday June __ but can ONLY play in PM session.