Bylaws
1. NAME. The name of this club is the North FC (NFC).
2. PURPOSE. The purpose of this club shall be to develop, promote, and govern the game of soccer among youth under 19 years of age.
3. AREA. The area shall be Stafford County, Quantico, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Dumfries, Woodbridge, Dale City and other nearby cities.
4. AFFILIATION. This club shall be affiliated to VYSA, NCSL, ODSL, US Soccer Football Association and other developmental oriented leagues.
5. PLAYERS. All boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18 shall be eligible to participate, subject to any suspensions or restrictions imposed by the Club directors. All players shall abide by Club bylaws, club rules and regulations; rules and regulations of the NFC; and all applicable rules and regulations of the organizations with which the League is affiliated.
6. MEMBERS. The voting members shall be the members of the Club's Board of Directors who shall be the only "members." Any action which under the bylaws would otherwise require approval by a majority of all members shall require only approval of the Board. All rights which would otherwise vest in the members shall vest in the Board. During the Annual General Meeting (AGM), coaches shall be "members".
7. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The governing board of this Club shall be the Board of Directors, which shall conduct the business affairs of the Club and shall be composed of the following:
o President: Shall be the chief executive officer of the Club, shall conduct all meetings of the Board at which he or she is present, shall appoint temporary committees when the need arises, and shall be the official liaison with the NFC.
o Vice President: Shall, in the absence of the President, undertake all duties of the President, shall handle all public relations and publications for the Club, and shall schedule all Club teams for play.
o Secretary: Shall keep accurate records of the Board meetings and shall handle all correspondence. Shall also edit the Club Handbook.
o Treasurer: Shall maintain all accounts, shall receive income and bills, shall prepare payments, maintain all financial records and reports and submit all tax, forms and payments.
o Managing Director: Shall be responsible for all day to day operations and communicate directly to the president.
o Referee Coordinator: Shall organize Recreational referees' schedules and the advanced schedules for which the Club is responsible, hold referee meetings, conduct or arrange clinics, supervise the conduct of the referees, and be the liaison between the Club and the League. The Referee Coordinator shall also collect game cards and prepare the pay requests for all referees and transmit those requests to the Treasurer for payment.
o Registrars: Shall collect all registration forms and assure that they are complete; shall report those registrations to the League; shall direct team building; and shall prepare player ID cards
o Sponsor Coordinator: Shall supervise the solicitation of all the Recreational team sponsors and shall keep them informed of all pertinent Club information, and shall be in charge of any activities having to do with sponsors.
o Fields and Equipment Coordinator: Shall supervise the acquisition of fields for League games and shall supervise and arrange for payment for fields setup. Shall supervise the acquisition, maintenance, storage and distribution of goals and other equipment.
o Director of Coaching: Shall be the liaison between the Club and Advanced coaches; shall hold meetings and assist in tryouts; shall schedule practices and games at Emmanuel Baptist Church; shall be the liaison between Emmanuel Baptist Church and the Club; and shall assist in all duties pertaining to advanced coaches.
o Recreational Teams Coordinator: Shall assume all duties pertaining to Recreational coaches; and shall be the liaison between the Club and Recreational coaches.
o Uniform Coordinator: Shall work with the Sponsor Coordinator to get logos on uniforms; shall get bids and order uniforms and balls; and shall determine the best way to distribute uniforms to coaches and club representatives.
o Volunteer Coordinator: Shall maintain a roster and coordinate all interested parents who wish to help with the various special events of the Club, including fund raising, publicity, picture day, etc.; and shall create and handle distribution of volunteer form for registration.
o At-large members: Their number and duties shall be set from time to time by the Board.
8. BOARD DUTIES. The Board shall have exclusive responsibilities for the following, in addition to or as part of the normal legal responsibilities of a board:
o Enforcing and interpreting the bylaws and rules and regulations of the Club and of the VYSA within the area of the Club.
o The designating of divisions or geographical areas within the Club area for the operation of games and competitions.
o Selecting coaches for all affiliated teams. No coach who has served in any previous season shall have a right to be appointed in a subsequent year unless he or she is re-appointed by the Board. Coaches will be selected on the basis of their ability to display and teach good sportsmanship, to teach the techniques and rules of soccer, and to manage their players as a team.
o Supervising team coaches and insuring that teams are being managed and coached in a satisfactory manner, consistent with good sportsmanship, good soccer, and the best interest of the players.
o To undertake all other duties necessary to carry out the purposes of the Club.
9. TERMS OF OFFICE. The members of the Board shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Any vacancy on the Board may be filled by the Board at any duly noticed meeting.
10. MEETINGS. Board Meeting at set to be on or around November 25th. Additional meeting may take place during the course of the year.
o Regular meetings of the Board shall be held at a time set at a prior meeting, or at the call of the President, who shall give at least 24-hour notice of the meeting.
o Special meetings may be called by any 3 members of the Board in the same manner as the President setting regular meetings.
11. QUORUM. A majority of the Board holding office, but in no event fewer than 3, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. All decisions shall be taken by affirmative vote of a majority of those Members present at a meeting at which there is a quorum.
12. GRIEVANCE POLICY
o The North FC strives to maintain a positive environment for all players to learn and play soccer. To foster this environment, the entire North Stafford FC community including coaches, players, and parents must make efforts to ensure their actions are in the best interests of all players. When an issue arises that cannot be resolved directly between the parties, a grievance may be submitted to the NFC Board's Grievance Committee or president and stated board members.
The Grievance Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, and either the Recreational Teams Coordinator (if the grievance involves a recreational team) or the Advanced Teams Coordinator (if the grievance involves an advanced team). If the grievance is filed against the person holding one of the above positions, the other two members of the committee shall select a third member from the rest of the NFC Board.
Procedure:
1. Discuss the matter with the coach of your child's team. No such discussions may take place when the coach is coaching a game or a practice, nor immediately before or after any game or practice, unless the coach has previously agreed to schedule a discussion at such times. No children may be present during your discussion with the coach. For issues arising from games or practices, you must wait until the following day to contact the coach (24 hour rule).
2. If your discussion with the coach does not resolve the issue, contact the applicable Coordinator (Recreation Teams or Advanced Teams). If the coordinator is unable to resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you may file a formal grievance with the Board.
3. Formal grievances may be submitted by email ([email protected] or to the current President). Please document the problem, the steps taken to resolve the matter, and your proposed solution to the problem.
4. Within 72 hours of receiving a formal grievance, the Grievance Committee shall appoint a Board member to investigate the grievance. The Board member may be one of the three Grievance Committee members or another Board member. The appointed investigator will contact and interview the parties involved and witnesses in a thorough, fair, and timely manner and will document the interviews. Within one week after being appointed to investigate, the investigator shall submit the written documentation to the Grievance Committee along with a recommendation.
5. The Grievance Committee will consider the investigator's recommendation within 48 hours of receipt and either adopt the recommendation or make a different recommendation. The Grievance Committee will report the results of the grievance to the full Board at the next scheduled meeting.
6. Where the issue is likely to impact an upcoming game, the Grievance Committee shall make all efforts to resolve the grievance prior to the next game.
7. The Grievance Committee's recommendation may be appealed to the North Stafford FC president, by email attention president at [email protected].
8. All documentation of grievances will be maintained by the Board for two years.
13. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE. A Member may be removed from the Board for any reason by a vote of at least 2/3 of the Members then holding office.
14. COMMITTEES. The Board may, by resolution, create one or more committees to serve at the pleasure of the Board. Committee members shall be appointed by the President.
15. ADVANCED TEAM BYLAWS: Policy on the development of competitive teams.
o INTENT:
It is the intent of this policy to set down guidelines for the development of Competitive soccer teams in the North Stafford FC. Rules for development of Competitive teams are covered in policies provided by the League.
o PURPOSE
The Club exists to provide a quality soccer experience for the children of our area. All actions taken by coaches should be made with the best interests of the players at heart. It is with these ideas in mind that the policy was written and should be kept in mind when the policy is used.
o SCOPE:
This policy applies to all players trying out for the North Stafford FC Competitive Teams.
o DEFINITION OF COMPETITIVE TEAMS:
Advanced Teams upper level teams selected via tryouts and a draft/invitation. These teams include only a portion of the league population in an age group and are intended to provide a level of play higher than a recreational league.
o NUMBER OF COMPETITIVE TEAMS:
The North Stafford FC will attempt to develop as many Competitive teams as are needed and as are possible. The need will be based on the number of capable players available and the possibility will depend on the number of obtainable, qualified coaches, and the availability of referees and playable fields.
o COACHING REQUIREMENTS
Each season the board will require both returning and new coaches to apply for the opportunity to develop and coach Comp teams. The Comp Teams Coordinator will select new coaches who appear most qualified and may ask for recommendations from a competition sub-committee, made up of current coaches and the board's designee(s). Returning coaches in good standing, staying within an age group, may keep their team unless they relinquish the position. Returning coaches will be considered in good standing unless judged unfit to coach by the Competitive Teams Coordinator.
o BASIS FOR TEAM DEVELOPMENT:
The basis for the development of Competitive teams is tryouts and a draft/invitation.
o PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
Competitive teams are open to any player who wants to be selected for Competitive Team level play. ALL players wishing to play Competitive soccer must attend tryouts. Players may be added to rosters after tryouts if there is space available and the coach has evaluated the player(s) skills and determined they are capable of playing for a Competitive Team. Players are required to attend at least one tryout, if two are offered, but are encouraged to attend both tryouts. The regulation that all players must attend tryouts is made so that all coaches have an opportunity to judge the entire pool of available players. This is essential so that an accurate assessment can be made on whether enough capable players exist for the number of projected teams.
o TRY-OUTS
Tryouts for Comp teams shall include all players in a given age group at the same time. There will be at least two announced tryouts for each age group. Tryouts will be held in the Spring/Fall as soon after registration as is possible. All coaches within the age group will attend the tryouts and should meet beforehand to plan the tryouts. To help in the draft process, coaches should record written information on the performance of each player during tryouts. Coaches may also be asked to serve on selection committees whose purpose will be to determine the number of qualified players trying out in a particular age group.
o DETERMINING THE NUMBER OF TEAMS:
The club must first determine that there are enough capable players before building a new team where returning teams exist. In young age groups and age groups likely to have high turnouts, as determined by the Competitive Teams Coordinator, selecting coaches will be supplemented in this task by selection committees comprised of fellow coaches within the club. This will be done in age groups where there is more than one interested coach. Simply having enough players attend tryouts is not reason enough to add a team. There must be a minimum of 9 capable players available for each U9-U11 team and 13 capable players for each U12-U19 team. A capable player is defined as a player who has the basic coordination and skills that will allow her/him to play at a competitive level. The player may already demonstrate these skills or be judged by a selecting coach to have the raw talent necessary to be adequately trained by the start of the season.
o TEAM SELECTION GUIDELINES:
The U9-U11 Age groups will be viewed as developmental teams with an emphasis on building two teams of nearly equal strength. One team will be known as the Yellow Lions, while the other will be the Black Lions team. This will provide the Club with a deep pool of experienced Comp team players when rosters adjust to 11 v. 11 plays at the U12 age group. At the U9 level, new teams will be split by geographical factors including player's home location if necessary. At the U12 level and above, we will aim to create a higher-level team, but will also work to accommodate a lower-level team if there are available coaches and interested players. Coaches have no right to specific players except for the children of the head coach and one assistant. A player has the right to declare if she/he does not want to play for a specific coach, and if space is available may be transferred to another team. Players and their families may exercise this right by contacting the Competitive Teams Coordinator to request a transfer. Coaches may not approach players from other VYSA Competitive teams about playing for their team at ANY time in the year without approval of current coach. Coaches who violate this policy will be subject to immediate removal by the Competitive Teams Coordinator. North Stafford FC honors USSF Guidelines on allowing players to 'play up' above their natural age bracket. However, North Stafford FC reserves the right to evaluate such players and approve or disallow this option depending on a) the feasibility of forming the team in the younger age bracket and b) the talent and performance level of the player in question.
o DRAFT OF PLAYERS
U9 Age Group Coaches should attempt to develop equally talented teams. Players will be selected depending on their abilities and commitment to continue development.
U10-U11 Age Group
Coaches can protect as many of their returning players as they want. Players not protected by either coach will be considered part of the same pool as the new players. The team that protects fewer players will get the first pick of the remaining pool until they have matched the number protected by the team protecting more players.
After that, players will be selected from the remaining pool by draft. In situations where there is one returning team and one new team, the returning coach will have the right to protect any of their returning players. The new team will then have the first selection from the new players up to the number of players selected by the returning coach. After that number is reached, new players will be selected based on their abilities to compete.
U12-U19 Age Groups
Teams will be selected with the aim of creating one Competitive Team that can compete at a high level. The head coach will be selected by the Advanced Team Coordinator on the basis of parent feedback, volunteer participation with club beyond coaching role, and competitive history. The higher-level coach will pick the number of players they see as necessary to form a team that can compete at the level they play at. Higher-level teams will be expected to retain an open spot on their roster so that they can encourage guest play from deserving players playing on the lower-level team. In cases where there are sufficient, qualified coaches and players interested in forming a lower-level team, that team will be supported and encouraged by the club to form, providing there are sufficient playing fields and referees to accommodate them.
o PLAYING TIME EXPECTATIONS FOR COMPETITIVE TEAMS
U9, U10 and U11 teams are intended as developmental age groups for Competitive Teams. As such, all players in good standing with the team are expected to get to play a minimum of 50 percent of each game. Failure to attend training may cause this percentage to decrease; in this case, it will be at the coaches discretion
o U12 and older age groups are also considered developmental and players in good standing with the team are expected to get to play a minimum of 50 percent of each game. Failure to attend training may cause this percentage to decrease; in that case, it will be at the coaches’ discretion. U12 and older players playing for teams playing at the Premier and above are granted playing time at the coaches’ discretion. Players must earn their playing time as we are also striving to form new Leaders!
The classification of good standing is left up to the coaches discretion but players that attend practice regularly and do their best to follow directions and participate to the best of their abilities should be considered in good standing. It is recommended if a player is at risk of NOT being in good standing that his or her parents are informed of this status change and concrete ways the player can return to good standing be shared.
o MODIFICATIONS TO THIS POLICY:
Any modifications should be cleared through the Competitive Teams Coordinator before proceeding.
o GRIEVANCES:
All grievances relating to the development of advanced teams or issues arising out of interpretation or use of this policy will be brought to and settled by the club coaches or board members as necessary.
1. AMENDMENTS. Bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the Board by a majority vote of Members then holding office.
2. RULES
1. Game rescheduling: Recreational teams do not replay games. Coaches may arrange friendlies, but must pay refs and field setups out their own pockets. Advanced teams will often have rescheduled games because of tournaments. The Club shall pay one-half of field setup and all ref fees. Team will pay other half of field set-up. (9/95)
2. Recreational team building shall be organized with the following priorities: Keeping teams intact; players and coaches new to an age group will be remixed according to ability, but always with an eye to keeping teams together.
3. Playing up/Recreational Teams: Parent requests for players to play up will be honored unless the Club feels there is a safety issue or there is no room on next level team. Players requesting to play up will be placed after all players are placed playing at their age level. Parents must request moving up in writing or note they give permission on the registration form.
4. Any referee training session shall equal one game towards end-of-session bonus.
5. Advanced teams solicit their own sponsors. At the end of the season, the Club will pay for any extra team photos for sponsor plaques, but each team will be responsible for purchasing their own plaques, trophies, or whatever thank-you they choose to use. They may make use of any discounts offered the Club by vendors.
6. The Board member having jurisdiction over a particular budget item shall be authorized to spend up to the level authorized for that item without the requirement for further Board action. The Board shall designate the Board member having jurisdiction at the time of budget approval. In cases where no single member is designated, the Treasurer shall have the jurisdiction to authorize expenditure up to the level authorized for that item.
7. Competitive Soccer Coaches compensation: Shall be determined by the boar, based on criteria, tenure and fair market wages.