DARIEN SOCCER ASSOCIATION

Summary Job Descriptions

Fall 2012

Table of Contents

1.DSA Job Descriptions

President

Commissioners

K-2 Commissioner

Club Excel Commissioners

Travel Commissioners

Grade Level Commissioners

Parent Coaches

Treasurer

Administrator

Secretary

Web Site Coordinator

Coaching Coordinator

Field Assignor

Registrars (Boys and Girls)

Field Maintenance Coordinator

Tournament Coordinator

Equipment Coordinator

Youth Referee Development Director

2.Committees

Field Closure Committee

Travel Tryout Committee

Field Assignment Committee

DSA Summary Job DescriptionsPage 1May 31, 2012

1.DSA Job Descriptions

President

The DSA President is responsible for the management of the DSA, and in particular for the relationships between the DSA and its external stakeholders. These stakeholders include DarienTown Hall and Darien Board of Education (e.g. for use of fields), CJSA, soccer leagues in other towns, etc. The President also plays a key role in assisting the decision-making process within the DSA.

Commissioners

K-2 Commissioner

The K-2 Commissioner is responsible for the smooth operation of the K-2 soccer program. Soccer games at this level are played only in Darien and only against teams within the DSA league. Tasks include:

  • Recruiting, managing and liaising with the K-2 Grade Level Commissioners;
  • Managing the player registrations, and team, coach and field assignments;
  • Ensuring that all K-2 practices and games run smoothly; and
  • Assisting in the transition of players from the K-2 program to Club Excel or Travel.

Club Excel Commissioners

The Club Excel Commissionersare responsible for the smooth operation of the Club Excel soccer program. There are two Club Excel Commissioners, one for each gender. Soccer games at this level are played against teams from other leagues, often in other towns. Tasks include:

  • Representing the DSA in discussions with other town leagues and the regional coordinator, including negotiating the game schedules, discussing game rules, and submitting DSA league information;
  • Recruiting, managing and liaising with the Club Excel Grade Level Commissioners;
  • Managing the player registrations, and coach and team assignments;
  • Ensuring that fields are assigned for all games and practices, both within and outside Darien; and
  • Ensuring that all Club Excel practices and games run smoothly.

Travel Commissioners

There are four Travel Commissioners in all, two for each gender: U-9 to U-11 Commissioner, and U12-U19 Commissioner. This division has been made to reflect the fact that U-9 to U-11 teams play 8v8 games, where U12 and up play 11v11.

The Travel Commissioners will:

  • Oversee Travel program for their age group;
  • Recruit and train Parent coaches and commissioners ;
  • Communicate to Parent coaches and managers all appropriate information to manage team;
  • Liaise on player/parent and coaches disputes; and
  • Participate in the Travel Tryout decision process.

Grade Level Commissioners

The Grade Level Commissioners (one for each gender) are responsible for ensuring that their teams are properly set up, and that their games and practices run smoothly.

  • Act as the main contact for the parent coaches
  • Assign the players to their teams and provide the K-2 or Club Excel Commissioner with any changes to team data
  • Recruit coaches and managers, using the registration spreadsheet as a starting point (including contacting the prospective coaches to ensure that they are still interested)
  • Manage the wait list for the grade level
  • Once the season starts, ensure that practices and games run smoothly; escalate any issues that cannot be handled at the grade/gender level.

Parent Coaches

The Parent Coaches coach the teams at their Saturday games (weekday practices are led by professional coaches). They should:

  • Act as the main contact for the team. Communicate with the players at the beginning of the season regarding team assignations and FAQs
  • Email the team regularly with instructions and/ or encouragement
  • Attend the Coaches’ Training Course
  • Ensure proper courtesy to the game referees: introduce themselves to the referee at the beginning of the game, and have the kids thank the referee at the end of the game
  • Where appropriate, recruit a volunteer to write up games for the newspaper

Treasurer

The Treasurer is responsible for tracking payments into the DSA, paying bills, and maintaining financial records.

  • Processing registration payments: the majority of these are electronic payments, although there are still payments by check, scholarships and refunds to be processed. Non-payments after registration must be collected.
  • Paying bills: there are three types of bills to be paid: regular bills, payments to referees, and payments to coaches.
  • Record keeping/financial reports for internal use: the DSA uses an outside CPA to prepare tax returns, and handle audits if needed.
  • Picking up and processing mail: mail is picked up at Noroton Heights PO Box at least 3 times per week, and daily during registration.

Administrator

The Administrator provides central administrative support to the DSA, including:

  • Supporting the President in communications with external stakeholders (e.g. filing field permits) and collecting information from external stakeholders as required to assist in DSA planning; for instance, collecting practice and game schedules from other sports in order to plan DSA schedules;
  • Setting up and managing the registration system for all DSA teams, including posting Travel team assignments to the web site;
  • Communicating with the CJSA, including uploading DSA information to the CJSA web sitein order to register the teams, and notifying the Treasurer of money due;
  • Working with the Treasurer to reconcile registrations and payments;
  • Organizing DSA meetings
  • Posting ad hoc information to the web site, such as field closures and reminders of deadlines

Secretary

The Secretary is responsible for producing and disseminating accurate minutes from all DSA Board meetings.

Web Site Coordinator

The Web Site Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the DSA web site is accurate and accessible. This person will:

  • Maintain aesthetic and functional website with help of outside Web Site Developer
  • Refine and Enhance existing Website for more user friendly navigation which creates a better experience for our members
  • Develop new applications
  • Increase and manage content
  • Incorporate Media and Video applications

Coaching Coordinator

The Coaching Coordinator is responsible for ensuring quality coaching for all DSA players.

  • Develop, oversee and monitor all program curriculum from Kindergarden through Grade 8 and ensure that this is widely published;
  • Coach travel team or teams and provide coaching education/guidance to age group staff;
  • Run the travel tryouts in the spring and manage the Travel Tryout Result Meeting, working with Registrar and Administrator to set travel tryout dates and including handling all inquiries about tryouts (Member of Travel Tryout Committee);
  • Hire all professional organizations and manage the relationship between the DSA and the professional coaches, including dealing with all coaching issues; and
  • Evaluate the professional coaches.

Field Assignor

The Field Assignor is responsible for assigning fields for all home games for DSA Travel teams. This involves extensive email communication with approximately 26 managers and other members of the DSA, with half of the workload falling during the week prior to season start and the first two weeks of the season and then a more steady commitment after that.

  • Obtain field availability from Field Maintenance Coordinator and prepare grid of field availability, including a field and back up field for each team, manager contacts and an email group of all managers (approximately 24 to 26)
  • Communicate with all managers by explaining process, receiving their input and communicating field assignments to managers for posting to website and communicating with opponents. Be a resource to managers' questions.
  • Communicate with Referee assignor on all issues including input before making assignments on number of games per time slot, sharing of initial assignment schedule, changes that occur during the season and weekly update and cross-checking with website and referee assignor.
  • Respond to changing conditions and requests, mostly rained out games, by working with President and Youth Referee Development Director to determine which fields have been closed by BOE and how we can move things around to get the most games played, communicating with team managers and coaches on a timely basis.
  • Develop separate field assignment grid for CT Cup games in the fall season by obtaining input from Field Maintenance Coordinator, receive input from managers competing, check CT Cup website for brackets, instruct managers of process and rules, assign fields to managers and confirm withYouth Referee Development Director who then confirms with SWD. Again, responding to changing conditions and requests, largely due to weather.

Registrars (Boys and Girls)

The Registrars are responsible for the administration of registering the Travel teams in the CJSA league. There are two Registrars, one each for boys' and girls' Travel teams. The role involves:

  • Managing the Travel tryout process:setting dates,generating lists of participants, attending tryouts, providing and collecting signed passes, photos and proof of age, providing labels, organizing volunteers;
  • Administratively (not player placement)organizing andsettingup Travel teams: managing the process to obtain official co-signed CJSA rosters and all passes, and making payments to CJSA;
  • Managing CT Cup process; applying, paying, providing documentation; and
  • Managing ongoing roster changes as team changes occur

Field Maintenance Coordinator

The Field Maintenance Coordinator ensures that all fields used by the DSA are in playable condition and to regulation size. Tasks include:

September- November and April-June

  • Arrange weekly field line painting, corner flags and goal sandbag anchors for weekend Club and travel games;
  • Hire and supervise DHS student contractors and mowing contractors
  • Order portable sanitary units and suppliesand coordinate bill payment with DSA Treasurer.
  • Work with DSA Field Assignor to assign correct fields for all games.

August/November and March/June

Inventory equipment for season and order any equipment needed for the season; end of season inventory, and organize storage shed.

Year Round

  • Coordinate with Darien Board of Ed and Town Parks & Recreation grounds crew supervisors to insure field maintenance schedule is followed.
  • Inspect fields to find problems and schedule repairs to irrigation systems, worn turf etc.

Tournament Coordinator

The Tournament Coordinator works with the Travel Commissioners, Team Managers and hostsoccer club(s) to ensure DSA’s annual participation in a tournament.

Equipment Coordinator

The Equipment Coordinator ensures that all equipment to be distributed to the teams, such as uniforms, trophies and sundry items (balls, pinnies, patches, stickers, first aid kits, ice packs, etc.), are sourced as required. The Equipment Coordinator is not responsible for field equipment such as nets and flags; these are the responsibility of the Field Maintenance Coordinator.

Youth Referee Development Director

The Youth Referee Development Director has overall responsibility for the referee program at all levels of the club, ensuring that qualified referees are available at all games.Tasks include:

  • Recruitment: of new referees, assignors and mentors;
  • Training of K-2 referees. Directs older refs to Certification classes.
  • Advancement: Directs advanced Training and Mentoring for referees
  • Assisting Assignors to ensure that qualified refs work each game.
  • Advising President on discipline issues involving referees

2.Committees

Field Closure Committee

Purpose: to decide on field closures, usually due to weather

Members: President, Youth Referee Development Director, Field Assignor

Travel Tryout Committee

Purpose: to review and approve proposed travel team rosters, as presented by Coaching Coordinator

Members: President, Coaching Coordinator, Travel Team Commissioners, K-2 Commissioner

Field Assignment Committee

Purpose: at the beginning of each season, to set the framework for the times and locations of games and practices, depending on the field access negotiated by the President

Members: President, K-2 Commissioner, Club Excel Commissioner, Travel Commissioners and Field Assignor

DSA Summary Job DescriptionsPage 1May 31, 2012