VIRGINIA RUSH SOCCER CLUB
TEAM MANAGER INFORMATION
WELCOME & THANK YOU
Virginia Rush would like to welcome you to Team Management and thank you for volunteering and
agreeing to take on the task of this very necessary position within our club. We hope that this
document will be a tool for you, that you can reference as needed, to help guide you through the team
management process. Feel free to use as a checklist to make sure you have covered all the bases.
RUSH CONTACTS (IN ORDER OF OF HOW TO CONTACT)
CONTACT
Barbara Sisino, VPL Manager Help (Rush Teams)
Misty Scanlon, VSL Manager Help (Nero/Azul Teams)
Denise Edwards, Executive Director
Matthew Mittelstaedt, Technical Director
EMAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
VAR MANAGER’S CHECKLIST
BACKGROUND CHECK
All VA Rush adult participants - Coaches, Managers, and Team Aides must complete the VYSA
Risk Management Application. The application begins the process for the required Kidsafe
Background Check and enters the adult into the database to allow placement on the team rosters
COMPLETE YOURS HERE: VYSA Risk Management Application
TEAM NAMING CONVENTION
Many clubs have similar acronyms thus our state association (VSYA) and local leagues have
developed acronyms to identify our travel teams. VYSA, VPL and VSLI commonly refer to
Virginia Rush as “VAR”.
To be consistent when listing team names on documents such as game reports, tournament
applications, State Cup and President’s Cup registrations, and various forms, teams are asked to
use the following naming convention:
Club name (Virginia Rush or VAR), birth year, gender, and team name. An example is “VAR
RUSH 03B” OR “VAR Rush 07G Black”
TEAM COMMUNICATION | TEAM SHARING SITE
The Team Manager is the central communication “hub” for information going to parents and
players about all aspects of competitive team activities. The manager should check email
regularly, and forward any important messages from VAR and the travel leagues as indicated.
Most coaches use the manager to transmit all material other than specific player evaluations to
the team. It works best if all coaching communications are sent by the coach to the manager and
then onto the team, since the manager can then archive these messages, troubleshoot with the
coach if there are errors or problems in the email regarding schedules or other issues, and
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TEAM MANAGER INFORMATION
ensure that the communications from the coach gets to the correct contact email address for
each player and family. If a family is not keeping up with team emails or does not have an email
address, please set up an alternative means of communication (i.e. print out email sent to team
and give to player/parents at the next team practice).
Weather and other factors can close a field or cancel a practice on short notice. Tournament
plans can change while a team is on the road. Your team families need to receive these updates
from you and the coach as quickly as possible. The easiest way to accomplish this
communication is through a team collaboration site. Take the time to set one up for your team,
set up your roster and invite all parents to join. You will use this site to store roster/family
information, load training and game schedules, store important team documents and most
importantly to message the entire group with one email address. Below are a couple of sites that
you can use.
Shutterfly Team Sites: https://www.shutterfly.com/sports-team-websites/
TeamSnap: https://www.teamsnap.com/
Teamer: https://teamer.net/
Another great option for quickly communicating with your team is GroupMe. GroupMe is an app
that makes instant messaging easy no matter what platform/phone each person uses. It creates
a giant group chat between all invited members and is great for quick messages like “Practice
has been moved from location A to location B”
GroupMe on iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/groupme/id392796698?mt=8
GroupMe on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.groupme.android
FORMS AND DOCUMENTS | COLLECT FROM PARENTS ASAP
The following forms and documents need to be collected from your parents ASAP. They are
required to be able to obtain player cards for your players. As soon as you have a copy of your
roster, email your parents and request that these be completed and returned. Impress upon them
that you are not able to get team registered until you have these items.
1. Copy of US Youth Soccer required proof of birth date. Scanned copy in pdf format to upload in
the VYSA/US Club online registration secure system.
 State issued birth certificate with seal
 Passport
 DMV Walker ID
 Alien Registration Card (Green Card)
 Military ID
2. Player Photo- plan to take photos at first team meeting. Use Rush shirt provided by Technical
Director and Rush photo backdrop. These are used to upload for player cards.
3. VA Rush Player Information Form (ALL TEAMS)
4. VA Rush Medical Release (ALL TEAMS)
5. CDC Parent & Athlete Concussion Information Sheet (ALL TEAMS)
6. US Club Medical Release (Required for ALL Rush Teams, Check with Technical Director to see if required for Nero/Azul Teams)
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TEAM MANAGER INFORMATION
TEAM MEETING
A team meeting needs to occur soon after Player Placements/Tryouts. Typically, these are set up
by the coaches with the Technical Director. Sometimes there is a returning Manager and they will
make sure that emails have gone out and that families are on board to bring required completed
forms and documents to the team meeting. Sometimes this process will need to be caught up
when a Manager is appointed – typically at the team meeting. If your team has not had a team
meeting within a few weeks of placements – contact the coach and work with him/her to get one
set up and email team to let them know when it is scheduled. Ask them to bring all the
documentation listed in the section above, completed, to the meeting.
Location of meeting can be at VB Sportsplex, Rave, a public park, your house. Feel free to plan
this as you see fit. If at Sportsplex or Rave – contact Coach to make sure that there is
availability.
MANAGER BINDER
You will want to get yourself a binder (probably 2”) to keep all your forms, player cards and roster
copies in. It is a good idea to have a sheet protector dedicated to each player. Inside that sheet
protector, keep a copy of each player’s information and medical forms, as well as their US CLUB
and VYSA player cards paper-clipped to the top of the forms. Keep copies of both your US
CLUB and VYSA Rosters in this binder as well.
Bring this binder with you to ALL games and tournaments, so that you are ready for player card
checks, or if one of your players is asked to help out with another team, you can pull out their
sheet protector filled with their info to give to the other team manager.
If you are not able to attend a game or tournament, this binder will need to be given to the coach
or another designated adult to have with them in your absence.
ROSTER TEAM THRU VYSA/US CLUB SOCCER AND GET PLAYER CARDS
All players are required to have a player card, which shows referees and other soccer officials
that the player meets all the requirements to be on that field. Below is the process based on
teams.
RUSH TEAMS:
Rush teams U13 and above are required to have BOTH VYSA and US Club Soccer Player
Cards. US Club Soccer is required for playing in the VPL. VYSA cards are required in order to
play in State Cup games.
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TEAM MANAGER INFORMATION
NERO/AZUL TEAMS:
Nero/Azul teams are required to have VYSA Player Cards. Some teams or individual players
may be required to have US Club Soccer Cards – check with the Technical Director to see if this
applies to your team.
• US CLUB SOCCER REGISTRATION
Earlier this month, US Club Soccer announced two Player Health and Safety
initiatives for registered staff members:
SIDELINE SPORTS DOC ONLINE COURSE: Effective July 1, all coaches and staff members
registering with US Club Soccer must complete the course each time a background check is
required (approximately every two years). The confirmation number you receive upon course
completion must be entered into the background screening application in order to proceed. The
fee is $5. This fee is should be included in team budget. [For more info: Staff Registration web
page. To take the course: sidelinesportsdoc.com/usclubsoccer]
BACKGROUND SCREENING: US Club Soccer substantially increased its background screening
standard and transitioned the application and process to the “sportngin” platform. The fee is $18
per adult. This fee should be included in team budget. Managers will use team bank/credit
card. Background Screening Application | Background Screening web page
TEAM REGISTRATION: Club will add you “sportngin”/KYCK. You will receive an email. Once
you receive the email you can login or if new to system create an account, then register new
team.
Uploading Birth Certifications and US Club Soccer forms. Do not upload in landscape or upside
down. They have requested Portrait only. The system accepts jpg and pdf file formats.
The credit or debit card used to pay for passes, must have the same name and address as the
individual registered in the US Club Soccer ID & Password requesting the cards.
The information on the player's records is same as you entered in the VYSA system. The email
addresses are hidden with a string of numbers. Do not change it, unless the parent provides you
a new email address. This is the parent's email address you verified in the VYSA system.
You must enter any players added to the roster. Verify with the players in the US Club Soccer
system with your VYSA roster. From this point forward you will manage your own teams.
Once you receive notification from US Club Soccer that your cards/players are approved, print
out all player cards and print out several master copies of your team roster to keep in your
Manager Binder. You should consider laminating these, so that they last for the remainder of the
year.
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TEAM MANAGER INFORMATION
• VYSA REGISTRATION
BACKGROUND SCREENING: Make sure you have completed the KidSafe
registration described earlier in this document:
https://www.youthleaguesusa.com/vysa/2016/RiskManagement.html
TEAM REGISTRATION: Complete the VYSA Travel Team Application
Once the club registers you will receive an email from VYSA with new registration links. SAVE
THIS INFORMATION.
You will need to login and build your roster. You can search for players “Add Individual Returning
Player By Name, DOB or ID” or “Add New Player” – confirm their info or add all their new info and
click to add them.
Make sure that you upload photos for any players who have expired photos. You will not be able
to update photos unless they are expired. Photos are good for 2 years.
Most players should have their Birth Certificates in the system, if not, be prepared to upload
copies of their birth certificates.
Once you are complete building roster and updating photos, you will submit your roster through
the system for approval. You will receive notification from the Club Registrar when your roster
has been approved.
Print copies of your completed, approved roster for your binder.
Print your player cards on the special US Youth Soccer player card paper you received in your
manager’s package during the Manager Meeting. You should consider laminating these, so that
they last for the remainder of the year.
INTERNATIONAL PLAYER CLEARANCE (IF APPLICABLE)
If one of the players on your roster has a birth certificate from outside of the U.S., the following
applies:
FIFA requires all players 10 and older, regardless of their ability or citizenship, to receive an
international transfer clearance (“ITC”) from their former country when they are attempting to
register to play soccer in a different country (i.e., the United States). U.S. Soccer is responsible
for obtaining that ITC on behalf of all players in the U.S. participating in affiliated leagues.
FIFA, however, prohibits the transfer of players between the ages of 10 to 17 (minors) unless the
player meets one of two exceptions:
(a) The player has moved with his/her parents to the U.S. for reasons other than playing soccer
(e.g. work); or
(b) The player and prospective club are both located within 30 miles of an international border.
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If the player can prove to FIFA that either of the two exceptions above has been met, U.S. Soccer
would be permitted to request the ITC for that minor player. If the player does not meet one of the
two exceptions above, the available options are listed at the link below:
VYSA International Guidelines (links to required forms located on this webpage):
http://www.vysa.com/registration/632113.html
VYSA International Forms Cheat Sheet:
http://www.vysa.com/docs/registration/International%20Forms%20Cheat%20Sheet.pdf
GOTSOCCER (IF YOU NEED TO CREATE A NEW ONE)
Almost all of the leagues and tournaments that your team participates in are tracked via
GotSoccer. Tournaments using GotSoccer tournament software are provided all the details on
every team that applies and most use the rankings points for acceptance and seeding placement.
The GotSoccer account follows the oldest player rostered on the team, so chances are, there is
already an account for your team. Contact the Technical Director with any questions.
To Create a team GotSoccer account:
 Go to www.gotsoccer.com
 Click on Teams and Team Officials
 Create an account
UNIFORMS & JERSEY NUMBERING
Below is the Virginia Rush Uniform package, which represents Rush’s sponsorships/partnerships
with Adidas, Chevrolet and Soccer.Com. Uniforms are purchased through links set up by the team
managers and are the responsibility of each player. It is each player’s responsibility to order their
uniforms and training gear in a timely fashion. You can learn more about the uniforms and what
the minimum required purchase cost is here.
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TEAM MANAGER INFORMATION
NEW UNIFORM ORDERING:
 Click link below or copy and paste to search bar
http://www.soccer.com/teamRoster/teamRosterGateway.php5?zid=10078528&ppv=2
 Select Create or Edit Teams
 Go to Select a Team, then go to Team Name dropdown list,
 Scroll down to bottom of list.
 Click on “Create New Team”
 Enter Team Name
 Select Team Template for appropriate gender, example; for boys’ team select “2015-2017
BOYS”
 Input roster information with email
 Parents will receive an individual email with a link to order uniforms within 48 hours
DUPLICATE JERSEY NUMBERS:
Option A:
Reach out to other managers in your age group, ask if they also have duplicate jersey numbers.
See if families would swap (similar size) jerseys. This would save families from purchasing new
jerseys.
Option B:
Reach out to other managers find out if they have players not returning. Ask family if current
player can purchase jerseys for a discount price.
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TEAM MANAGER INFORMATION
Option C:
Direct parents to reach out to Premier Soccer (757-428-0970) and see if their existing jerseys can
be altered - Ex. Can a 1 be turned into an 11, etc. You can also reach out to Soccer dot Com and
order additional numbers and take jerseys to a local screen-printer to have pressed.
TEAM TREASURY / BUDGET
Each team is responsible for paying their own league dues, player card fees, tournament entrance
fees (to include State Cup and Presidents Cup), team hotel and meal costs, coach travel fees,
team parties, bank account fees, CAP fees and sand soccer advertising fees, etc. These are costs
above and beyond each player’s dues to the club and also do not include any uniform costs. In
order to accomplish this, a team budget needs to be created and money needs to be collected.
This needs to be done rather quickly after rosters are released, so that early monetary deadlines
are not missed.
1. First things first… find a parent volunteer to be the team treasurer, put them in charge of the
remaining items on this list.
2. Apply for an EIN Number. You can do that here: IRS EIN Assistant – choose the options for a
non-profit sports team. When asked for “Legal name of Sports Team” we recommend that you
put Virginia Rush along with the birth year of your team which will allow you to use this for
multiple years if it make sense. Example: Instead of using VA Rush U16G Elite make the legal
name VA RUSH 01G.
3. Complete an Articles of Association for your team. Complete your team’s information in all of
the yellow highlighted areas on the Team Budgets- Article of Association Template Microsoft
Word document. Make sure that your legal name on this matches what is on your EIN letter you
just received from the IRS.
4. Open up a team checking account.
a. Take your IRS EIN Letter and your completed Article of Association document with you to
the bank when you open the account.
b. Both Manager and Treasurer should go to the bank together.
c. Make sure that both the manager and the treasurer are authorized signers on the account.
d. Make sure that you are able to get a Visa Checkcard. Many tournaments require online
payment – you do not want to get in the habit of using your personal cards.
e. You will want to open the most basic economy/basic business checking account they offer.
Unfortunately, your team and Virginia Rush Soccer Club is not a 501(c) (3) organization so
most banks will not allow you to open a non-profit account which have much lower fees.
f. Any and all bank fees need to be built into the budget.
5. Create Team Budget and send out to parents as soon as possible to collect money for
upcoming due dates for fee payments.
SAMPLE TEAM BUDGET
TEAM BUDGET TEMPLATE
TEAM TRANSACTION REGISTER TEMPLATE
a. A budget will need to be made for both the Fall and Spring Seasons.
b. The initial team budget must be shared with all parents before collecting any payments.
Total payment amounts including incremental payment amounts and due date must be
broken out for each rostered player.
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VIRGINIA RUSH SOCCER CLUB
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c. Once each fall and spring season is over, a final budget with totals must be shared with all
parents stating any outstanding balances or credits due to each player.
d. All teams must keep a master transaction register of all payments received and paid from
the team account. This register must be shared with all parents at minimum twice a year, at
the end of fall and spring season.
e. Treasurer must keep digital or paper copies of all receipts and bank statements. These need
to be available for examination if a parent, coach or the club requests.
f. All rostered players will share in all team costs that are within the traditional fall and spring
season. The traditional fall and spring season basically consists of all team events except
from mid-December to early February and mid-June to July. These events are out of season
and rostered players are not required to participate in the cost if they are unable to attend.
g. Players that cannot attend a team sanctioned tournament held during a traditional season
are still required to pay their portion of team’s fixed costs: tournament fees, coach’s hotel,
coach’s meals, and coach’s travel expenses. They do not have to share in players cost
when a guest player has been found to take their place. Player costs include: team dinners,
player/chaperone hotel rooms, player/chaperone meals, player/chaperone transportation
costs.
h. If a player commits to attend an out of town event and then notifies the team within seven
days prior to the event that they are unable to attend, they still could be held liable for all
cost even if a guest player is found.
i. All guest players at tournaments must pay their share of player/chaperone costs. The team
treasurer must give the guest player’s parents a total amount owed along with a breakdown
of the costs.
j. Coaches are to be reimbursed for travel for out of town tournaments. This includes
mileage/gas, meals, and hotel costs. At minimum, coaches must be reimbursed actual per
diem option.
BEST PRACTICES
a. Towne Bank is an official sponsor of Virginia Rush so please consider using them when
opening a team bank account. Steps to opening a team bank account listed later in this
document.
b. It has been found very helpful by many teams to get a Business /Debit Checkcard for both
the Treasurer and Team Manager. By doing so, both parties can use the Checkcard to pay
for tournaments, hotels, etc. Be careful using the team Checkcard to hold rooms at hotels as
some hotels have policies where they can put a hold on additional funds.
c. If you can update/refine budgeted expenses as you receive them and then share those
updates with the parents monthly along with a quick explanation of the changes, it helps
team parents understand the budget.
d. If you can determine when different budgeted expenses are due, it is helpful to the family
budgets when parents can make 2-3 incremental payments, instead of asking for the entire
amount up front. It is also helpful that you be cognizant of club payment deadlines vs. team
payment deadlines. Example... if club dues are to be made on February 1st and March 1st
then consider having team payments due on the 15th of those months, if possible.
e. On your master team register, document the bank and check number on player’s deposits.
This could help down the line if questions arise.
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f. Set up or use an already existent cloud based storage account to scan and store all team
receipts, statements, etc. This will ensure these items will not get lost or misplaced. Also
backup or save your spreadsheets and documents here to safeguard against personal
computer hard drive crashes. Dropbox offers free online cloud storage at
www.dropbox.com.
g. When the players get older, typically U13 and above, teams start traveling more often and
the team will travel “the Rush way”. Consider recruiting 1-2 more team parents to help
coordinate hotels and meals for these events. Some teams have travel coordinators,
tournament coordinators, etc. in addition to Managers and Treasurers.
h. Provide all guest player’s parents with an invoice or a breakdown of their share of the “guest
player” expenses before they play in a tournament. This way there is less potential for
confusion or differing expectations.
i. Always be on the safe side when estimating costs and build in some wiggle room for an
unexpected expense or overage. Parents would much rather get a credit then to have to
keep making small payments to catch up.
j. Most teams will budget for the coach’s meals for tournaments at set a per diem rate,
typically $25-$40 a day. For example, if a coach has to drive to a tournament on Friday
evening and was returning Sunday then the coach would be credited 2.5 days at the daily
per diem rate. Also, most teams will reimburse the coach for the mileage to and from the
tournament location using IRS Mileage Reimbursement Rate along with google maps to
figure the mileage between Virginia Rush office and the tournament hotel. Don’t forget to
add mileage to and from the hotel to the fields, as well as any possible tolls.
6. League Fees Fall 2016 – You should have received a copy of what your team owes for league
dues in your package at the Manager’s meeting. If you did not receive this, reach out to
Barbara Sisino or Misty Scanlon.
 VPL (Rush Teams) due July 15, 2016 (checks made payable to VA Rush & dropped off at VAR Office)
 VSLI (Nero & Azul Teams) due August 1, 2016 (checks made payable to VA Rush & dropped off at VAR Office)
7. US Club Registration - fees due for US Club player cards, coach(s) card, manager card,
background check fee, US Club Safety course fee – Due August 1, 2016
8. Check on all your planned tournaments to see when your registrations/payments are due.
9. Each team, birth years 2002 thru 1998 will be responsible for a $30 per player CAP fee, to
cover their College Fit Finder profiles. Make sure you have this included in your Fall
Budget. This will be payable to the “Virginia Rush Booster Club”
10. Each team is responsible for purchasing a Sand Soccer Ad in the Spring – make sure you are
covered for this in your Spring Budget. Each team will design and submit an ad to go in the
Sand Soccer Program. Cost for this is $175.00 due to VA Rush, who will pay HRSC.
LEAGUE INFORMATION
LEAGUE PROGRAMMING / FALL 2016 & SPRING 2017
Virginia Premier League (VPL)
Virginia Soccer League (VSLI)
VIRGINIA PREMIER LEAGUE (VPL) – ALL RUSH TEAMS
7-9 games per season
7-9 games per season
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TEAM MANAGER INFORMATION
Once the season starts, managers will receive a weekly email from Director of Coaching
confirming the following:
1. Uniform Color
2. Field Address
3. Field Number
4. Game Time
Manager Weekly Responsibilities:
1. Notify Director of Coaching if there will be any guest players
2. Have a “Game Day” roster printed. Some referees may ask for a game day roster. You can use
the VYSA “Game Day” roster sheet.
3. Have a copy of the VPL rules in your team binder.
4. Have both VPL and US Club player cards. There are a few games that require VYSA player
cards. Majority of the games you will use US Club player cards.
5. The home team managers will report scores for the season. How to report scores? There are 2
ways to input scores:
Option One:
 There's the Mobile Friendly PHONE IT IN
 PhoneItIn™ is Demosphere's revolutionary score reporting system. Instead of being in front
of a computer, you can now report scores on the go from your mobile device with no phone
call required!
 You will need the Virginia NPL 4 digit pin here: 2983 and the game number you are
reporting a score for. Ready to start? type in virginianpl.demosphere.com/phoneitin and
follow the instructions.
Option Two:
 You can Phone it in by calling the number below
 Virginia NPL Pin #: 2983 and the game number
 Dial the toll free number 1-866-334-6294
 When asked, say or enter the pin number of the event, and the code of the game.
 You will then be told the division, teams playing, and field location - if this is the correct
game, confirm by saying yes.
 When asked, say or enter the score for each team, then confirm.
 You can do more games in the same call, or just say goodbye when done.
 You will only want to give the phone number and pin information to those individuals who
will be entering scores. Again, please test this soon to make sure the score updates on
your site. To delete a
 score, you will need to do it manually by logging into your website.
If you have questions about scores or if a score is wrong? Please email the Virginia Rush
VPL League Representative – Vyburt Silcott at [email protected]
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TEAM MANAGER INFORMATION
VIRGINIA SOCCER LEAGUE (VSLI) – ALL NERO AND AZUL TEAMS
Prior to the beginning of the season, you need to have a listing of Tournaments your team will
definitely be playing in to the VSLI Director, so that you do not have games scheduled for those
dates. VA Rush’s VSLI Director is Wayne Pratt – you can email your dates to him.
Once you have paid your league dues, you will receive an email from Rush letting you know that
your team league package is ready to pick up from the Rush office. You will need to pick this up
prior to games starting. This package will include the following:
 VSLI Bylaws Package
 VSLI Game Reporting Phone Number & Codes (this will be on 1st or 2nd page of your package –
you will need to call with current season’s codes after all home games and report the scores.
 VSLI Game Cards – you will need to have one of these filled out and signed by the referees
after every home game, you then need to mail them off – stamps will already be on them.
 You will need to have a VYSA “Game Roster” printed for each game – these are different from
the master roster. There are three parts to this – Home Team, Opponent and Ref Copy. You
will need to give a copy to the opposing team and to the Ref when he checks player cards
before each game. It is a good practice to print out blanks and keep them in your binder and fill
them out weekly as needed, crossing off any missing players and writing in any guest players.
 For every home game – you are responsible for shooting an email to the opposing away team
manager/coach confirming game time, location and what uniform colors your team will be
wearing. If the team is from out of town – as a courtesy and showing a good gesture on behalf
of Rush – consider including any tidbits of information that would be helpful to them – map
directions, parking tips, closest sandwich shop or anything else you think would be helpful. You
can find the other team contacts on the VSLI Website – Top Right “Contacts” – then in left
sidebar – Team Contacts.
 Have your player cards/Med Releases with you at every league game.
If you have questions about scores or if a score is wrong? Please email the Virginia Rush VSLI
League Representative – Wayne Pratt at [email protected]
COMMUNICATION WITH LEAGUES
Absolutely all communications to VSLI and VPL must go to the league via the League Club
Representatives and not directly from an individual team manager or parent. THIS IS AN
ABSOLUTE RULE, and breaking it will result in being ignored by the league, and worse
undermining the club’s standing with the leagues. PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR TEAM PARENTS
AND PLAYERS THAT THEY MAY NOT CONTACT THE LEAGUE DIRECTLY. The only
exceptions are specific requests from the league for score reporting from the manager after each
game to the division coordinator; and completion of all the on-line forms such as scheduling
requests and team contacts. To access the required portions of the league websites for entering
team information and requests, each team manager needs the league team number and PIN.
These are distributed by the League Club Reps each season, or can be obtained by contacting
the League Club Rep.
VPL Representative:
VSLI Representative:
Vyburt Silcott | [email protected]
Wayne Pratt | [email protected]
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TEAM MANAGER INFORMATION
WINTER LEAGUES
Players are all encouraged to participate in the Virginia Rush Winter Futsal League. Emails will
go out from the club to individual players, or through team managers.
Virginia Rush also participates in Indoor at the Virginia Beach Field House. Some teams choose
to enter as teams and some age groups are mixed up and entered to compete against each other.
The Technical Director and/or Directors of Coaching will determine if age groups will be mixed up
and entered.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
EXPECTED TOURNAMENT PARTICIPATION / 2016-2017 [EXAMPLE]
FALL SEASON
August 13-14, 2016
Virginia Invitational (Rush/Nero/Azul)
VA Beach, VA
August 20-21, 2016
REACH Friendlies (Rush/Nero/Azul)
VA Beach, VA
September-October, 2016
President's Cup (Nero)
Virginia
September-October, 2016
State Cup (Rush)
Virginia
October 8-10, 2016
WAGS Tournament (Rush)
Northern, VA
October 8-9, 2016
Beach FC Columbus Day (Nero/Azul)
VA Beach, VA
November 19-20, 2016
Capital Fall Classic (Rush/Nero/Azul)
Richmond, VA
December 3-4, 2016
Atlantic Cup (Nero/Azul)
VA Beach, VA
December 2-4, 2016
CASL Girls Showcase (Rush)
Raleigh, NC
December 17-18, 2016
Grinch Showcase (Rush)
Richmond, VA
December 29-31, 2016
NPL Showcase (Rush)
Palm Coast, FL
SPRING SEASON
March 11-12, 2017
Rush Champions Cup (Rush/Nero/Azul)
VA Beach, VA
March 2017
Dallas Cup (Rush)
Dallas, TX
March 18-19, 2017
Icebreaker (Nero/Azul)
Prince William County, VA
March 25-26, 2017
Jefferson Cup (Rush)
Richmond, VA
May 27-28, 2017
Ralph Downey (Rush/Nero/Azul)
VA Beach, VA
 TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION - Once you have paid your tournament entrance fee, you will
be required to register the team. Most tournaments have moved to online registration, which
means you email all your team info to the Tournament Director – there will be a due date that
you need to have this submitted. Some tournaments still require registering in person – if this is
the case, check when in-person registration occurs – it is usually the Friday night before the
tournament. Either way, you will typically be required to submit the following:
o Master Team Roster (bring at least 5 copies if in person, PDF if by mail)
o All Player Cards (binder in person, PDF if by email)
o Medical Releases for each player
 TRAVELING THE “RUSH WAY” - Rush Soccer travels in a certain manner to help develop
character and professionalism in our players and to allow players to focus on the priorities of
the event they are attending. Rush prefers to travel this way beginning the spring season of
U12. Players travel under the supervision of two chaperones who assist the players in their
travel. They are responsible for all safety and guidance from meeting prior to traveling and
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arriving back to meet up with parents. Players and team officials are asked to dress in
approved travel apparel so that team members are easily recognizable at the airport,
restaurants etc. and professionalism is to be displayed at all times. Players drive in team vans
or chaperone vehicles to the team hotel. Players stay 4 to a room and NOT with parents. The
coach or manager is often responsible for deciding on rooming lists. Considerations may be
given such as players grouped by position (GK, two Center backs and Defensive mid) or
integrating the team and avoiding “clicks.” If the traveling team is not in multiples of 4 (12,16
etc.) then the coach/manger can arrange in 2’s and 3’s to accommodate players
appropriately. This enables young Rush players to develop a club culture. You will need to
budget for the player’s rooms, the coach room and chaperone rooms and any
vehicle/fuel costs.
 HOTELS AND STAY TO PLAY - A ‘Stay to Play’ policy is a tool used by event organizers that
require event participants to use one of the official hotels designated by the event organizers.
When registering your team for a particular tournament, make sure to read the tournament site
and see if it is a “Stay to Play” tournament. If so, you should see a link to the Travel Agency
handling the tournament. You will need to book your hotel rooms through them. You will want
to do this early, as the hotels convenient to the fields fill up FAST! The advantage to booking
this way is that in the event that the tournament is cancelled, there are deals in place for the
teams to receive refunds or be able to cancel without penalty. Always try to pick a hotel that
offers a free breakfast – your budget and parents will thank you!
 TEAM DINNER/TEAM MEETING - You will want to plan a team dinner for the Saturday night
of the tournament weekend. You can call the hotel and request a conference room or banquet
room, or you can choose a local restaurant and make arrangements. If you book a room at the
hotel, you can see if they can cater – or order food in. Meal should be simple pasta dishes, or
chicken and vegetable type meals. Call ahead and work out a per meal price. You will need
to budget for this meal. During this dinner – plan on a team meeting. Your Coach should
plan on discussing playing, team and player goals, etc. In the past we have made sure there
is paper and pens for the players to write things and turn in to coach – helps them think about
team/play and helps coach to be better and know his/her players. Talk to coach and see if you
need to have anything for that meeting.
 OTHER MEALS - Saturday Lunch and Sunday Lunch/Dinner depending on games and wins
and losses) You can choose to budget for these meals and plan on Subway, Jimmy Johns,
etc. – Jimmy Johns and places like that will deliver to fields if you don’t have much time
between games. You can budget for these meals or you can have the kids bring money to
cover themselves for these meals.
 TEAM BONDING - Tournament trips are all about team bonding. Anything you can plan to
promote team bonding will be beneficial to the group – a craft, a team bonding exercise, sister
gifts, etc. BE CREATIVE! Make sure that you discuss all team bonding plans/ideas with the
coach to make sure they do not interfere with his plans for the team.
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 TOURNAMENT ITINERARY
Once your schedules are published on the Tournament website – a Tournament Itinerary
needs to be issued to the team. This Itinerary should include game schedules, travel
arrangements, packing list, weather outlook, hotel and field addresses, etc. An
example/template of an Itinerary can be found here for your use:
Tournament Itinerary
STATE CUP & PRESIDENT’S CUP
Rush teams will enter into the State Cup and Nero Teams will enter into the President’s Cup each
year.
STATE CUP/RUSH TEAMS:
State Cup begins in the Fall and continues into the Spring. Fee for entrance is $400. Check the
VYSA website to see when registration opens. PLEASE NOTE: State Cup Roster is a different
Roster from your VYSA Team Roster and will need to be built in the VYSA site.
The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series (State Cup) is the country's most prestigious
national youth soccer tournament, providing approximately 185,000 players on over 10,000 teams
from US Youth Soccer State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against
the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
The US Youth Soccer National Championships cap a yearlong series of competitions for boys and
girls teams in multiple age brackets as teams earn their way from the top teams in their state to
the regional championship tournaments. US Youth Soccer State Champions and selected
wildcard teams through US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues in most age groups are eligible to
compete in one of four US Youth Soccer Regional Championships. The champions in the Under13 through Under-19 age brackets from each regional event will converge in July for the US Youth
Soccer National Championships.
Annually the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides the nation's top collegiate
coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country. In
2012, over 600 coaches attended the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships including the
majority of the top 25 men's and women's programs based on the final 2011 NSCAA National
Rankings for NCAA Division I schools.
VYSA State Cup, is the playoff that determines the Virginia state champion in each age group.
Ages U12 through U14 play in the Spring; ages U15 through U19/20 play in the Fall. VAR
Competitive Technical staff will determine which VAR competitive teams should compete in State
Cup. Most State cup play is on Saturdays except for the finals weekend. Top Seeded teams have
home field advantage (although games might not be played on home fields per state cup rules).
When applying for State cup play teams must agree to travel anyway in the state of Virginia to
play their State Cup game.
State Cup matches take priority over league play; teams with conflicts must notify both the
opposing league team and their Club Representative to arrange to reschedule their league game.
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Cup winners (state champions) advance to the Region 1 Championship Tournament held in late
June/early July. Site of this tournament will be in a Region 1 state. Champions from the four U.S.
Youth Soccer regions advance to the U.S. National Youth Soccer Championships in the U13
through U19 age groups in mid- late July.
Notices announcing VYSA State Cup competition usually go out in January or February for Spring
and in July or August for Fall; information and applications are available on the VYSA website. If
you do not receive information by July 1 or March 1, you must seek it on your own. Application
Deadlines and State Cup Freeze Deadlines are firm, NO EXCEPTIONS. Teams must submit
special approved VYSA state cup rosters along with the team registration fee in order to apply to
play.
PRESIDENT’S CUP/NERO TEAMS:
President’s Cup takes place in the fall. Fee for entrance is $350. Check the VYSA website to see
when registration opens. PLEASE NOTE: President’s Cup Roster is your VYSA League Team
Roster.
The Presidents Cup is a statewide championship that is part of the US Youth Soccer Presidents
Cup National Event. The Presidents Cup is an open competition that is focused on teams that
wish to play in a statewide competition that also offers opportunity at the regional and national
level. The Presidents Cup champion advances to Regional Presidents Cup. Regional winners
advance to the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup.
The Presidents Cup adopts ‘World Cup’ format for all ages. Group Games and playoffs will be
played at home/away fields determined randomly by The Cup Draw (teams are randomly
selected) into a predetermined schedule. Only The Final will be played at a neutral site. An age
group requires four (4) teams for competition to be offered. If less than four (4) teams enter,
combined age groups may be created at the discretion of the Cup Commissioner. The winners of
the World Cup format brackets will advance to the appropriate single-elimination bracket (i.e.
divisional playoffs, quarter-finals, semi-finals, etc.). The Finals will be scheduled by Virginia Youth
Soccer at their sole discretion. Teams, regardless of age, may be scheduled to play their Final on
a Saturday or Sunday of Championship Weekend – all games will be scheduled for the same
weekend day – Saturday or Sunday. Virginia Youth Soccer cannot accept any scheduling
requests.
Winners of the Presidents Cup will represent Virginia Youth Soccer at the President’s Cup
Regional Championships. Regional winners in the Under-13 through Under-17 groups, both Boys
and Girls, will vie for the National title.
Entry into the Virginia Youth Soccer Presidents Cup competition acknowledges the above and
also represents an agreement to participate in the Regional and US Youth Soccer National
competitions.
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ACCIDENT/INCIDENT REPORTING
Should an incident or accident occur while one of our players is at a training session, playing in a
game or tournament, or in our care while traveling, always better to be safe than sorry and
complete an Incident Form. Once completed, submit a copy to both the Executive Director and
the Technical Director.
VIRGINIA RUSH ESCALATION POLICY
Should you have any parent questions/issues/complaints with the program, Virginia Rush asks
that they follow the below Competitive Program Escalation Policy, which you may relay to them:
In order to get quality and timely communication in the event that you, your player or a member
has a technical or administrative issue or concern, we ask you to follow the process noted below.
 First Step: Ask the Coach (technical issues) and/or the Team Manager (administrative issues).
Often this is the fastest way to get issues taken care of! PLEASE WAIT 24 HOURS BEFORE
CONTACTING THE COACH AFTER THE GAME. Set up an appointment to speak with the
coach personally or over the phone. Note – If the coach in question is also the DOC, contact
them first directly, then contact the Technical Director if need be, about your concern.
 First Level of Escalation: DOC’s (Technical/Programming Issues) or VA Rush Administrative
Staff (administrative issues) Next, if you need to go further, contact the appropriate technical
staff member for any on-field issues or Denise Edwards, Executive Director for issues related
off the field.
 Second Level of Escalation: Technical Director - if none of the previous steps for any on field
issues yields a result, contact the Technical Director directly, Matthew Mittelstaedt for any off
field issues contact Denise Edwards, the Executive Director
VIRGINIA RUSH EXPLANATION OF FEES (CLUB DUES)
Your team budget covers your team’s fees for Player Cards, League Fees, Tournament Dues, etc.
There are times when parents will question what the “Club Dues” cover. Below is the explanation
of what is covered in Virginia Rush’s Club Dues.
The Virginia Rush Competitive Program prices are all in prices. That means for the most part,
everything associated with the program is included in the program fee (Coaching Compensation,
Staff Compensation, Player Development Programs, Field Facilities, Club Administration and
Safety), excluding uniforms, additional programs, and anything else mentioned in your team
information sheet. - 2016/17 Fees
The VA Rush fees do not include the following items, which are covered by the team fees/budget,
which vary by team.
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 Tournaments - Teams will pay costs associated with playing tournaments, State Cup, and
President's Cup, NPL Championships, Regionals, and coaches travel and accommodations for
tournaments. Tournament and event participation varies by team age and level.
 League and Carding Fees: League and carding fees vary by league and age of the teams.
Please understand that the events listed for your team are subject to change. Should an event be
canceled for inclement weather, we cannot guarantee that a replacement event will be scheduled
for your team nor will any money be refunded to the participants.
VIRGINIA RUSH ARAMARK PROGRAM
MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TEAM IS AWARE OF THIS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
All Families that commit to the Competitive Program have the opportunity to earn money towards
their club dues/team budgets through the club’s Aramark Program. Virginia Rush is registered
with Aramark to assist our families in funding their child's soccer expenses. Aramark is an
International Corporation specializing in food service to stadiums, arenas, campuses, businesses
and schools. Virginia Rush contracted with Aramark to provide volunteers to staff events at the
Farm Bureau Live Amphitheater, ODU Football, ODU Ted Constant Center, and soon to come
Harbor Park in Norfolk. Aramark pays the club for the volunteer and the funds are distributed to
individual player's account.
The funds can be used to cover Virginia Rush club dues, team dues, uniform expenses, soccer
equipment, soccer tournament travel expenses, etc. If you have specific questions on what the
funds can cover, please contact us at 757-430-3500.
The program is coordinated by Michelle Sudderth, a Virginia Rush volunteer. To sign up to work,
contact Michelle Sudderth at [email protected] or 757-718-5117.
TEAM PR
Public Relations (PR) is the practice of managing the spread of information between an
individual or an organization and the public. The club wants to hear about all of the great things
happening with our teams and our members but need the help of individual teams to compile this
content. That being said – If your team takes 1st in a tournament, if they do something as a group
that is fantastic – an act of charity, etc., if they are holding a fundraising activity OR if one of your
players has accomplished something great on OR off the field – maybe an honor at school or
something – LET US KNOW! Shoot an email with a photo and some backstory, as well as what
team they are from to Misty Scanlon at [email protected] so we can get it up on Social
Media. You may want to appoint this as a position on your team and choose a parent to be the
Team PR Manager.
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ADDITIONAL VIRGINIA RUSH PROGRAMS
(CLICK ON PROGRAM LOGO TO LEARN MORE)
Make it a point to make sure that your team is aware of the additional programs that are available
to them.
USEFUL LINKS
The following links may be useful for Team Managers
 Virginia Rush Manager’s Corner
 VYSA
 VSLI (Nero/Azul Teams)
 VPL (Rush Teams)
 GotSoccer
GAME DAY GUIDE
PRIOR TO THE GAME
 Communicate via email with opposing team – confirm game info and uniforms colors.
 If your league (or State Cup Play) requires Game Day Rosters printed from the VYSA or league
database be sure and print and bring the appropriate number of copies to the game.
 Check league rules on maximum number and how guest players must be designated (i.e. an
asterisk by their name)
 For age groups/leagues that allow more that 18 players on a roster be sure and count both
(yours and theirs) team players to ensure only 18 players are listed for that game. Some
leagues require players not on the game day roster to be dressed in street clothes – no uniform
parts on.
 Ensure that any players “sitting-out” due to red cards are so noted (check league rules for
specifics) and these players are pointed out to the referees. Some leagues require the opposing
team to sign and acknowledge the player sit out. Failure to follow the league specific rules will
cause the player to sit out again and a possible forfeit for the team. READ YOUR LEAGUE
RULES!
MEET THE REFEREES
 Go over and introduce yourself to the referees. Tell them to give you a heads up when they are
ready to check in the team.
 If you are the home team, present the referees with the game ball (and back-ups) if required by
league/tournament rules and give the Game Card/Referee Card to the referee crew to sign (if
required by your league).
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 The coach or manager should confirm game length with the referee when presenting the card,
as game length differs among leagues, tournaments and age groups.
UNIFORMS
 Players should bring ALL uniform kits to every game.
 Shirts must be tucked in and shin guards worn.
 Players who play in a jersey which does not bear the player’s official number can cause their
team to forfeit their game. Check your league/tournament rules to see if game day jersey
number changes may be made and what the procedures entail.
 Jewelry must be removed.
 Players playing with a cast/brace need to consult with the referee prior to the start of the game
about the cast/brace. (If playing in a tournament, check your tournament rules – some states do
not allow players to play with casts or certain braces)
PLAYER PASSES AND OFFICIAL ROSTER
 Player passes must be brought to all games. Most leagues require player passes to be
presented to the referee for verification before the game. Teams that do not have player passes
by the league designated time may end up forfeiting the game. Cards and rosters must remain
at the field for the entire game.
 While there is probably a standard team check in, most procedures seem to vary by referee
crew. Ask your center referee how they would like to handle check-in. Many ref crews are
happy if you, the team manager, organize this step.
SCORE REPORTING
 Please note that many leagues require scores to be reported by a certain amount of hours post
game or by a certain time in the evening. Some leagues require one person in the club to report
all scores, other leagues require the home team or both teams to report the score. Again please
check your league rules.
 If your league or during State Cup play requires the team to mail in their Game Day
Roster/Game Card be sure and mail it in the time frame required!
 If your league posts cards (red/yellow) check to see they were posted correctly: Makes sure you
understand how cards/points accumulated by guest players count towards your team total.
 To close the loop be sure and report any red cards a VAR player received to their base team.
VAR players who are red carded must sit out the next league match (regardless of what team
they play with).
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TEAM MANAGEMENT TIPS (IF YOU HAVE SOME… LET US KNOW)
 DELEGATE! DELEGATE! DELEGATE! Don’t try to do it all yourself. By giving jobs to other
parents on the team, you help to create team unity and support – and you don’t get
overwhelmed. Get the following areas covered:
 Treasurer - get someone to deal with the finances, collecting of money, etc.
 Tournament/Travel Planner - get someone to handle booking tournament hotels, working
out meals, coordinating travel arrangements, etc.
 Team PR Rep – put someone in charge of taking pictures at team events, sending out a
team email every so often asking if anything great is going on with the players, etc.
 Send a weekly email on Wednesday or Thursday (after confirmation email with the opponent)
that reminds parents/players of game time, uniforms to wear, opponent info, driving directions,
etc. ALWAYS REMIND THEM TO PACK ALL UNIFORMS FOR GAMES. THERE ARE
PLENTY OF GAMES WHERE ONE TEAM ENDS UP HAVING TO CHANGE JERSEYS –
MAKE SURE YOUR TEAM IS PREPARED TO DO THAT!
 Make sure you are clear with parents about player availability and that you are given ample
notice when a player will not be available for a game so that you and the coach can make
arrangements for guest players needed.
 A Buddy System should be used for bathroom breaks or any other time when players need to
break away from the team – ESPECIALLY WHEN TRAVELING. Kids should travel in groups of
2-3.
 Set up a Dropbox or Google Drive – Upload PDF copies of Player Med Forms, Player Cards,
Copies of Birth Certificates, etc. Name the files with Jersey Number-Player Name-Document
Name (Example: 02-John Smith-Player Card | 02-John Smith-Med Release) so that if you need
to send another manager any info on a player – you can do so on the fly and the file name
already includes the player’s jersey number, which is always needed for adding to another team
roster. If you have this done from the beginning – there is no problem getting another manager
info if an emergency arises and a player is needed on a field. Certainly beats responding with
“It will be a while, I am not at home and I need to scan the document.”
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