Volleyball League Parent Handbook
Total Page:16
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City of Mesa Youth Sports Volleyball League Parent Handbook Fall 2021 1 City of Mesa Youth Sports Parent Handbook Volleyball League-Fall 2021 Table of Contents 2 Table of Contents 3 Welcome Letter 4 Important Contact Information 2 Table of Contents 3 Welcome Letter 4 Important Contact Information League Information 5 Game Schedule 5 Uniform, Protective Gear, and Equipment 5-6 Team Formation 6 Rosters and Participant Information 6-7 Equal Play Policy 7-8 Practices 8 Attendance Policy 8 Divisions 9 Scorekeeping and Standings 9 Picture Day 9 End of Season Celebration 9 Pre-Season Parent Meeting 9-10 Miscellaneous Gym Rules 10 Spectating Information 10-11 Volunteer Coaches 11-12 Child Abuse Prevention Policy 12-13 Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Policies Positive Play Project 13 Overview 13 Sportsmanship 14 Participants Code of Conduct and Guidelines 14 Spectator Code of Conduct 15-16 Coaches’ Code of Ethics 18 Awards 18 Culture Keeper 18 Trained Staff and Coaches 19 First Aid, CPR, and AED 19 Concussion Awareness 19 Injuries and Prevention 19 Nutrition and Hydration 19 Age-Appropriate Equipment, Dimensions and Rules 20 Appropriate Shoes, Attire, and Protective Gear 2 Dear Participants and Parents/Guardians, Welcome to City of Mesa Youth Sports. We are so glad that you have chosen to participate in our program. We are excited to have you! Youth Sports has taken great measures to increase the number of programs offered to children in the City of Mesa. We are dedicated to providing a diverse range of programs that include both traditional and non-traditional sports to ensure that the needs of all youth are being met. By offering an assortment of programs throughout the year, youth have a chance to participate in team sports and individual based sports. They also have the opportunity to try sports that are unique and new in the Phoenix metro area. All of these programs are focused on having fun, teaching the proper fundamentals and skills, being active and understanding the importance of physical activity, learning to play as a team, and developing good sportsmanship. Youth Sports programs utilize volunteer coaches when possible which not only helps keep program costs low, but allow for parents/guardians and community members to become more involved in the lives of their kids. Youth Sports is also committed to providing quality services that are convenient and deliver programs throughout Mesa at several sites to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to become involved. Affordability is also a priority. We keep our fees low to ensure everyone can participate. We also have fee assistance for qualifying Mesa residents. In addition, Youth Sports supplies majority of the equipment to help keep outside costs low for families. We strive to have staff members and volunteer coaches who demonstrate positive examples of professionalism and leadership and are good role models for our youth. Safety is our number one priority and we make sure our participants wellbeing is always at the forefront. In addition, our programs concentrate more on having fun and developing in the sport and less on winning and what the score is. We are equal play programs which mean equal opportunity for all to participate in both playing time and positions. The information contained in this handbook outlines the program you have registered your child for. It is meant to be a guide to help everyone have a fun, safe, and well-informed experience. If you have any questions about the program, please contact us. We are so glad to have you as a part of our program and thank you for choosing us! Sincerely, Lacy Freeman Recreation Programmer City of Mesa Youth Sports 3 Important Contact Information Lacy Freeman-Recreation Programmer .......................................... (office) 480-644-3040 ................................................................................................. [email protected] City of Mesa Weather Hotline .................................................................... 480-644-2765 City of Mesa Youth Sports Website ........................... www.mesaparks.com/youthsports Registration Office 708 W. Baseline, Building 4 Mesa, AZ 85210 480-644-PLAY Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:00 am-6:00 pm Athletics Office Eagles Community Center 828 E. Broadway Mesa, AZ 85204 480-644-5745 Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm Facebook: @ MesaParksAndRecreation Instagram: @ mesaparksandrec 4 League Information Game Schedule: *Thursdays, November 2-December 14, 2021 (No November 23) *Eagles Community Center (828 E. Broadway) *Game times will be between 6:30-8:30pm (game times are subject to change). See league schedule for game times. *Six weeks of games *First game of the season will be used to help teams and referees become familiar with the games/rules/officiating. *Disclaimer: All efforts will be made to reschedule any league games that are cancelled due to weather, facility conditions, etc. Make-ups may be held on any day or at any facility depending on availability. An email will be sent out with details. Practices that are cancelled due to weather, facility conditions, etc. may be made up at the league and coach’s discretion as well as facility availability. Refunds will not be provided if game(s) or practice(s) cannot be made up. Uniform, Protective Gear and Equipment: *Participants will receive a team shirt with a number on the back at their first game. This shirt must be worn to each game. *No items may be added to the team shirt including iron on patches, screen prints, etc due to established relationships with our sponsors and the City of Mesa’s inability to endorse any additions. *Participants are required to wear closed-toe athletic shoes and knee pads to all practices and games for safety reasons. If you have a participant who does not have proper footwear or knee pads, let Youth Sports administration know as we have a supply of new and gently used athletic that they can have. *Participants are encouraged to wear a mouth guard for safety reasons. *Players may tape their forearms, hands and fingers. Players may wear gloves, elbow pads, and kneepads. Braces with exposed metal are not allowed. *Participants should wear athletic shorts or pants which allow for more comfort while playing. *No jewelry except medical alert items. Earrings may not be taped. *Volunteer coaches will be provided with age appropriate balls, first aid kit and other equipment for practice and games. This equipment is on loan from Youth Sports and is a benefit of our program. *Youth Sports will provide the game balls. *Participants may bring their own ball, but should make sure to put their name on it. Youth Sports is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged property. *Players should always practice with the same size of ball that is used in games. This allows kids to accurately practice their skills and is necessary in their proper progression in the sport. Team Formation: Youth Sports is committed to providing a fair and equally balanced recreational league for all participants. We have a responsibility to make sure the best interest of our kids is always in the forefront. After much review of feedback from coaches, parents/participants, and staff as well as needing to be proactive with issues that frequently arise, Youth Sports has policies on how teams are formed in order to achieve balance and minimize issues. 5 *Participants will be notified of their team, coach, practice time and location, and game schedule via email on Monday, October 18 by 5:00pm. Participants should also be contacted by their coach by this time as well. *Teams will be assembled as near to the current elementary school attending and middle school zone as possible. *Each participant may make one friend request and it must be included upon registration or by contacting Youth Sports administration at time of registration. We try our best to accommodate, but unfortunately cannot guarantee any requests. *Due to the complexity of forming teams including many moving parts such as number of teams, coach locations, number of kids in a given area, friend requests, etc. we try our best to place children on a team as close to home as possible. *No coach requests will be taken. *No roster requests from coaches will be taken and no full teams will be allowed to register as a group. *Participants and teams are taken on a first-come, first-serve basis during the registration process. *Teams will consist of approximately 12 players depending on division. Team sizes may vary based on registration numbers and is at the discretion of the Youth Sports administration. *Teams will be formed based on grade, not age. Each team must be made of girls or boys who are in the proper and corresponding grade for each division. Official school records will be used to support proof of grade if the question of proper placement is raised. Only Youth Sports administration can request such records. Proof of grade shall be provided within one week of request. *Participants may only play on one team in our league. *Due to the complexity of forming teams, large volume of special requests, and fairness to everyone, players may not be switched to another team once teams are announced. Rosters and Participant Information: *Only players who have registered with Youth Sports will be placed on a team roster. Volunteer coaches will receive their official team roster at the coaches’ meeting. Only players on the official roster may participate in practices and games. *Volunteer coaches will receive important information for each participant and should be used for team related reasons only. *Participants must bring a bottle of water with their name on it to keep hydrated at practices and games. Water fountains will be available as well at games. Equal Play Policy: *This is an equal play league which means equal opportunity for all kids to participate in both playing time and positions.