Sun Country Region Volleyball Association

(SURVA)

SURVA REGION HANDBOOK

REVISED 06/05/2016

Table of Contents

Becoming a Member...... 4

Individual Registrations ...... 5

Team Registration...... 5

Forming Clubs or Associations...... 5

Adding Additional Team Members...... 6

Transferring Between Clubs ...... 6

Coaching in SURVA...... 7

Coaches Certification ...... 7

Coaches Code of Ethics and Conduct ...... 7

Disciplinary Action and Due Process...... 9

Sanctionable Actions ...... 9

Appeals ...... 10

Sexual Harassment Policy...... 11

Sanctions, Fines and Penalties...... 12

Junior Volleyball...... 13

Requirements for a Junior Program or Club ...... 14

Competition ...... 15

Age Definitions ...... 15

Tournaments ...... 15

Junior National Championships ...... 15

Recruiting Policy...... 16

Permissible ...... 16

Reporting Violations ...... 17

Bylaws...... 18

Article I. Name...... 18

Article II. Offices...... 18

Article III. Purpose...... 18

Article IV. Membership on the Board of Directors...... 19

Qualifications for the Board of Directors...... 20

Article V. Board of Director...... 21

Exercise of Power Policy...... 21

Article VI. Officers...... 23

Article VII. Assets...... 25

Article VIII. Board of Directors...... 25

Article IX. Fiscal Year...... 25

Article X. Meetings...... 26

Article XI. Seal...... 26

Article XII. Waiver of Notice...... 26

Article XIII. Quorum...... 26

Article XIV. Committees...... 26

Article XV. Amendments...... 27

Article XVI. Rules of Procedure...... 27

BOARD OF DIRECTORS...... 32

BECOMING A MEMBER

All participants MUST register with USA Volleyball through the Sun Country Region (SURVA). This means all club members including club board members & club directors, players, coaches, team representatives, officials, chaperones, tournaments directors, site directors or anyone actively involved in Sun Country Region volleyball.

Membership in USA Volleyball (USAV) and Sun Country Region Volleyball (SURVA) is a privilege and not a right. Membership may be accepted, denied, revoked, suspended or placed on hold at anytime in the best interest of USAV and/or SURVA.

DEFINITIONS

Adult Team: Any team with adult players. Note: Junior players may play on adult teams with Region approved waiver.

SURVA BOD: Sun Country Region Volleyball Association Board of Directors.

Chaperone: Any individual who assists a team in any manner, such as a parent-driver, equipment carrier or ball chaser. Chaperones associated with junior teams must have current background checks and Safe Sport certifications.

Clubs: Are organizations of one or more teams.

Club Directors/Team Representatives: The primary liaison for all communications between the club and SURVA.

Club Directors, site directors, coaches, officials, trainers and other adult individuals involved in active participation with USAV/SURVA volleyball junior teams must be registered adult members with current background checks &Safe Sport certification.

Junior team: Age requirements may be found in the junior team information. Junior teams may play in adult tournaments with approved Region waiver. Girls play only girls’ teams, and boys only play boys’ teams.

Participant: Any individual, including administrators, involved in volleyball activities in the Sun Country Region.

INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATIONS

  1. Registration begins September 1 and ends October 31 of the following year (this coincides with mandatory USA Volleyball insurance policy year). Club selection will not be allowed until November 1.
  1. Registration information will be available on the SURVA website beginning September 1. Please complete the registration process according to instructions provided on the Sun Country Volleyball Region website at
  1. All junior club members including board members, players, coaches, team representatives, officials, chaperones, tournament directors or anyone actively involved in clubs, tournaments, or practices MUST register with USA Volleyball by registering with Sun Country Region (SURVA).
  1. The SURVA Board of Directors sets the Registration Fee annually. Participants are covered under the insurance umbrella when properly registered.

TEAM REQUIREMENTS

Registration Requirements:

  1. The Club Director will serve as the Team Rep (liaison) between the team and SURVA. An email address and phone number are required for all team representatives. Club Directors are responsible to pass information to their members.
  1. Adult junior team members: Junior teams must have IMPACT & Safe Sport certified coaches with USAV current background screen. The team must have a chaperone of the same sex of the junior players with current background screen and Safe Sport certification. Note: Adults may serve in more than one capacity, but each junior team must have a minimum of 2 adult team members. One of which must be an adult Head Coach.

FORMING CLUBS

  1. Clubs should be formed prior to individual registration.
  2. Junior clubs may register more than one team; however, the appropriate age group must be designated for each team registered.
  3. All new Club Directors must attend a New Club Orientation Clinic for the first two seasons.
  4. Information on forming a club can be found on the SURVA website.

Adding Additional Team Members

New members may be added at any time during the season. Clubs will not allow non-registered members to participate in any USAV sanctioned event. Failure to follow this rule may cause the individuals involved to be suspended for up to two years.

Transferring Between Clubs

A player may change clubs with advanced written permission of both Club Directors and the Regional Commissioner. Only one transfer will be allowed per season.

Note: A player that has competed for a club during the current season in any National Qualifier cannot compete for any other club in another National Qualifier during that same season. This includes the Sun Country Championships.

Releases

Releases will not be granted during the season.

COACHING WITHIN SURVA & USAV

Certifications of Coaches

The Coaches Accreditation Program (CAP) goal is to give USAV coaches a sound foundation towards becoming qualified instructors, in that they have joined the “PROFESSION OF COACHING”. All juniors’ coaches who participate or sit on the bench during matches must be IMPACT and Safe Sport certified.

Options:

IMPACT (Region offered entry-level course)

CAP Level I or higher

FIVB Level I or higher

ACEP Level I or higher

Please contact your Area Representative to schedule IMPACT clinics. There is a fee to attend the clinic.

Continuing coaching education will be required as set forth by Region Policy.

COACH’S CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

PRINCIPLE I PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES

I pledge to maintain practice that protects the public and advance my profession; I will:

  • Maintain responsible association with USAV/CAP, RVA and/or the AVCA.
  • Continue personal and professional growth, remaining current on new developments in the field through continuing education.
  • Use my knowledge and professional association(s) for the benefit of the people I serve, and not to secure inappropriate personal advantages.
  • Always be truthful, never maligning colleagues or other professionals. Always treating other participants and tournament officials with respect.
  • Avoid discrimination in all of its forms.

PRINCIPLE II COACH/ATHLETE RELATIONSHIPS

I pledge to maintain relationships with athletes on a professional basis; I will:

  • Read, follow & support the principles, procedures and spirit of Safe Sport.
  • Conduct all my relationships from a perspective of dignity and sound educational and scientific foundation.
  • Ensure that all activities are suitable for the age, experience and ability of the athletes.
  • Educate athletes as to their responsibilities in contributing to a safe environment, and to do my best to ensure that all facilities and equipment meet safety standards and that they are age/ability appropriate.
  • Consider the athlete’s future health and well being are foremost when making decisions regarding an injured athlete’s ability to continue competing or training, and seek professional medical opinions to serve as a basis for my decisions.
  • Be aware of academic responsibilities; conduct practices and matches schedules in a manner so as not to unduly interfere with academic success. Never encourage, condone, or require any behavior that threatens an athlete’s high school, USA Volleyball, collegiate eligibility or amateur status.
  • Implement only ethical recruiting practices and know compliance regulations of governing sport organizations.
  • Strive to develop individual and team respect for the ability of opponents.
  • Prioritize being present at all practice and competitions and, when unable to attend assure knowledgeable and safe supervision.
  • Show sensitive regard for the moral, social, and religious orientations of others and communities. I will not impose my beliefs on others.
  • Recognize the trust placed in and the unique power of the coach and athlete relationship. I will not exploit the dependency of athletes and will avoid dual relationships (e.g., business or close personal relationships) which could impair my professional judgment, compromise the integrity of the process and/or take advantage of the relationship for my own gain.
  • Not engage in physical, verbal or emotional harassment, abusive words or actions, or exploitative coercion of current or former athletes. I will report any suspected cases of abuse to appropriate authorities immediately.
  • All forms of sexual abuse, assault or harassment with athletes are illegal and unethical, even when an athlete invites or consents to such behavior or involvement. Sexual abuse

and harassment is defined as, but not limited to, repeated comments, gestures or physical contacts of a sexual nature. I will report all suspected cases of sexual assault or abuse to law enforcement as required by law.

PRINCIPLE III – CONFIDENTIALITY

I will respect the integrity and protect the welfare of all persons with whom I am working and pledge to safeguard information about them that has been learned or obtained during the coaching relationship, including performance reviews, statistics and all personal confidences. Further, I will obtain permission from athletes before sharing videotape recordings, or other data of them, with anyone excepting the recognized coaching staff. When current or former athletes are referred to in a publication, while teaching, or in public presentations that is not laudatory, their identity will be thoroughly disguised. The only exception to this will be that I will not use these standards of confidentiality to avoid intervention when it is necessary (e.g., when there is evidence of physical or psychological abuse of minors, or legal issues).

PRINCIPLE IV – STAFF / EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS

All relationships with employees and staff will be maintained on a professional and confidential basis, and I will avoid exploiting their trust and dependency.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION AND DUE PROCESS

PROCEDURES

It is the responsibility of the Sun Country Regional Volleyball Association (SURVA) Board of Directors to administer volleyball within the Region. Due process rules are hereby established to protect the due process rights of any accused member of SURVA, the safety of the SURVA membership, the integrity of the Region, and the sport of volleyball.

Ethics matters considered for sanction will be referred to the Ethics Committee for review. The Ethics Committee will consist of three area representatives not of that area with one as Chair appointed by the Commissioner. After gathering available information, the Ethics Committee will render a written decision. The written decision will be forwarded to all Board members and the concerned parties.

For serious matters, after careful consideration of the evidence and situation, the Commissioner may impose a temporary sanction up to and including membership, team or club suspension. Any such action shall be delivered to the accused as quickly as possible and in writing and is automatically appealed to the Ethics Committee or Review Board as appropriate.

The Commissioner, in the course of Region business and acting in the best interest of Sun Country, may impose both routine and emergency sanctions. All such sanctions are subject to appeal within seven (7) calendar days of notification.

All sanctions shall remain in effect through final disposition unless overturned or changed by appeal.

APPEALS

The first level of appeal of routine sanctions shall be to the Commissioner and must be in writing. The Commissioner may either rule on the appeal, or delegate the appeal to the Review Board (described below) for more formal consideration.

The first level of appeal of Ethics Committee decisions shall be to the Review Board for consideration and must be in writing.

A Review Board, consisting of three Board members, shall hear any appeal. No member of the Review Board shall have prior first-hand involvement concerning the action under review. The Commissioner shall appoint a disinterested party to chair the Board. The appellant may select one Sun Country Board member of the Review Board, if desired.

For matters to be considered by the Review Board, notice shall be provided to the accused in writing as soon as reasonably possible. Written notice shall describe the alleged wrongdoing, the range of possible sanctions & includes a copy of the due process procedures.

The Review Board shall reach a decision, formalize it in writing, and deliver the decision to the accused with a copy to the Secretary for retention. The accused must acknowledge, in writing to the Commissioner and within seven (7) calendar days of notification, receipt of the Review Board decision and whether they accept the decision or wish to continue to Final Appeal. Otherwise the accused shall forfeit the right to an appeal.

FINAL APPEAL

Appeals from decisions of the Review Board shall be to the entire Board of Directors. An appeal to the Region Board of Directors shall follow the same format as described above for the Review Board. An appeal hearing shall occur at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting or by email conference call or any other means deemed appropriate. Any decision and sanction of the Review Board shall remain in effect until the appeal hearing. For the appeal hearing to be effective it shall be necessary that a quorum of Sun Country Board members is physically present; proxy votes shall be permitted.

MISCELLANEOUS

THE SURVA Board of Directors is not a court of law but, rather, a non-profit, private group of volleyball players, coaches, and organizers selected by the Region membership to administer volleyball within the Region. It is the duty of the SURVA Board of Directors to strive to obtain just and fair results when a Region member is accused of wrongdoing relevant to volleyball within the Region. As a private body, the SURVA Board of Directors does not follow the Federal Rules of Evidence but shall accord weight to evidence based on its substance and on common sense.

Note: The SURVA Board of Directors may suspend membership privileges for more than one year.

The United States Volleyball Association now provides that the only appeal from a decision of the Region Board shall be to the United States Volleyball Association National Ethics and Eligibility Committee and only for a determination of whether the accused received due process.

Sanctions from other Regions, with regard to individuals or teams, shall be

observed if the concerned region has a procedure for appealing such sanctions.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY

The recent focus on sexual harassment has created the need for a policy within SURVA. Despite the region’s best efforts to isolate the volleyball community from this type of behavior, people occasionally behave inappropriately. This policy has been designed, should harassment occur, that a member might better understand the steps that should be taken.

SURVA SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY

The Sun Country Region is committed to maintaining an athletic environment that is free from sexual harassment and/or unwanted sexual attention. Harassment can occur between any combination of members of the volleyball community – coaches, players, parents, & organizers. It generally occurs when one person, the harasser, holds the position of real or perceived authority over another individual. Sexual harassment may involve:

  • Suggestive comments about physical appearance
  • Leering or staring
  • Use or display of any sexual material
  • Sexual teasing
  • Jokes with sexual themes
  • Unwanted sexual contact
  • Promises or rewards in return for sexual favors
  • Sexual assault

SURVA members may not engage in sexual harassment of another SURVA member. Unwelcome and unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature such as sexual jokes, gestures, graffiti, posters, writing, touching or other physical contact may constitute sexual harassment when:

  • Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for participation, team selection decisions affecting such individual.
  • Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s opportunity to participate in volleyball events or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.

Adult members encountering behavior perceived as harassment may seek to resolve the matter in direct conversation with the individual understood to have engaged in the harassment. In the case of junior members it should be taken to the Club/Team Safe Sport Coordinator or Club Director immediately. If it is felt this approach is not likely to be productive or if such approach has been tried and failed, the person harassed should make a report to the alleged harasser’s team or club director.

A report of sexual harassment will remain confidential to the extent that maintaining confidentiality is not inconsistent with investigating the report of harassment, eliminating or remedying any sexual harassment found to have occurred, or preventing future harassment.

SURVA may, at its discretion, restrict from sanctioned events any member alleged to have committed sexual harassment pending an investigation of a sexual harassment report. Any member who engages in sexual harassment, fails to cooperate in an investigation of sexual harassment, or otherwise violates or acts in a manner inconsistent with this policy, may be immediately dismissed as a member of SURVA and USAV.

SANCTIONS / FINES / PENALTIES

This section is only a guide to sanctions that may be imposed upon clubs, teams coaches, or persons registered with SURVA for violations of region policies. There is no reasonable means to cover all possible infractions in this book. The Regional Commissioner, Ethics Committee, or the entire Board of Directors reserves the right to determine sanctions on a case-by-case basis.