Expectations of the Team Parent

1. Team Cheerleader - Your primary responsibility is to assist the coach in making this a positive experience for all involved. If anyone associated with your team, including parents, coaches, or family member gets out of line, you should bring it to the coach's attention immediately for swift resolution. If the coach is uncomfortable with confrontation then contact you division commissioner or the regional/vice regional commissioner to help you.
2. Team Communicator - You are responsible for all communication within your team. Notify parents of games dates/times/locations, snack responsibilities/duties, pizza party dates/locations, practice schedule changes (if needed), banner costs, and coaches gifts' costs. Over communicate - parents will forget.
3. Game Schedule - Create a game schedule for the season and provide it to your each parent in advance so they are informed of when they are expected to be there and so that if there are any conflicts, you will have plenty of notice. Parking can be challenging during the season. Ask parents to be there 45 minutes before game time.
4. Snack Responsibility Schedule - Create a snack schedule for your team parents so each parent shares in the responsibility in providing snacks during half time and at the end of the game. Referees and coaches should be included in your count. Also, have your team decide (by consensus) if providing for player siblings are to be included.
APPROPRIATE SNACKS FOR GAMES
• For half time: fresh fruit including orange slices, grapes, watermelon, or melon.
• After game snack: should be simple. A drink of water, juice or Gatorade (always have extras of these) with one additional item such as crackers, cookies, fruit snacks, etc. On a SPECIAL OCCASION, parents may provide cupcakes or another more extravagant treat or treat bag due to a birthday or special event. THIS IS COMPLETELY OPTIONAL and is NOT expected and should NOT be done every week.
• PLEASE be SURE to check with parents for any team allergies or foods to avoid (such as dairy or peanuts).
5. Child Safety - a child should NEVER be left alone anytime on the fields at a game or at practice. The coach is responsible for the players and they can use your help! Parents should walk their children onto the field and pick them up from the field as well. The coach should not dismiss children to go to cars in the parking lot by themselves. Also, no child should go to the bathroom by themselves. They should always go in groups of two or more.
6. First Aid Kit - We recommended having a first aid kit on hand at all games and practices. There is a first aid kit located in the Field House. Players cannot play if they have blood on themselves or their uniform, so it is helpful to have the proper tools handy if they cut themselves during play.
7. Water - Please require parents to provide water for their children during games and practices to keep them hydrated. Even though snacks are provided, that is not always enough. Please ask parents to put their child's name on their bottles as well.
8. Assign Team Duties - Each team will be assigned volunteer duties during the season. You are responsible for making sure those duties are completed by your team's parents.
9. Special Events - Picture Day, Referee classes, etc. Please be sure to notify parents of these events so they can plan accordingly.
10. Set-Up/Take down of fields - if you are the first or last game of the day, you are expected to put up/take down the nets and corner kick flags. The nets can be found in the equipment room located on the south side of the Field House. Also, the nets should be returned to the Field House after the last scheduled game on the field.
11. Field Operations - Please keep parents along the sidelines. According to the AYSO guidelines, spectators should be 9 feet from the sideline and not beyond the 18 yard line on either end of the field. Remind family members that the coach is the person to give direction to the players. Players can become confused if they're receiving instructions from someone other than the coach.
12. Team Banners -A banner may be made for your team to be displayed at each game. Banners should be ready for opening day in order to be including in the team picture. Money for the banners should be collected from parents to cover the cost of this, however this is not mandatory. If for some reason you have a team family that is under financial hardship, you may ask them to put in extra volunteer time to help off-set the cost. It helps to have one-parent assigned to bring and set-up the banner each weekend.
13. Positive Support - This goes along with being the team cheerleader. Things like line of high-fives or "the tunnel" at the end of each game, planning team parties, potlucks or other get-togethers go a long way to help morale.
14. Goal Cans - One way some teams have collected extra coins for team parties in the past is by creating a goal-can. A simple coffee can decorated with your team colors that gets passed around the team sideline each time your team scores a goal is a fun way to collect extra coins for team events. Passing it around the side-line is also a fun way to involve the siblings of the team as well. This is only a suggestion and is NOT mandatory.

MOST OF ALL... BE SURE TO MAKE IT FUN!!

~ Colleen Middlebrook
teamparent@ayso32.org