Sonoma County Alliance Soccer Club - SCA Meeting Minutes 10/10/07

1. Call to Order: 6:10 p.m.Present: Tony Behen, Shawn Ziemer, Don Angotti, Karla Woerner, Eileen Mateo, Danny Ortega

2. Approval of Minutes: No quorum

3. Treasurer’s Report: Tabled

4. Old or Unfinished Business

    i. DOC Contract: Next committee meeting 15th October. Josh has been sent the contract with the recommendations from SCA attorney.   The committee did meet and because we’re behind one year with contract, determined clause for extension necessary to renew contract without negotiations in next year. Also, need to consider raises and fees for DOC but not at this time. Contract needed major revisions due to elimination of Rohnert Park alliance. New contract will be simpler. Will need to raise fees to families/participants if give raise to DOC. Board will need to consider raising fees for future years.

Behen: job description typed up for DOC and sent to Sterling for review. Added that DOC provide annual report to Board re: coach’s performance.

Ortega: additional issue is that of insurance. Need agreement with coaches that they will not transport players in personal and/or rented vehicles.

In the previous contract the wording was such that the agreement was between PYSL, SCA and DOC. Now that DOC is a corporation, then need to have sub contract with Sterling Inc.

    ii. Club Brochure: Completed. Will be presented at the next meeting to the Board. Last hesitation is with the photos. Prior photos are with players who left Club, and another photo not acceptable. Current photos can be used, but not high resolution.   Molly can use anything as long as she has the materials. Can email photos to her or Tony.

    iii. Referee Coordinator: Tony has identified a candidate for coordinator and will be in contact with them to see if they would be interested in participating in this position.
Problems – limited amount of referees. Additionally, prior people who have refereed are not participating at this time.
Angotti: Those people who are actively refereeing know how to get games. A list of referees is not a bad idea. Ziemer: if there are younger players/refs they have a tendency to participate if they are called. They don’t necessarily go on the web site and sign up.
Next year need to stress to teams that they need to have parents or siblings on teams to step up to referee if no one sins up for the games.   Behen will talk to Dave about getting a short list of referees.

Behen: no one is currently actively pursuing refereeing classes for the older teams. Issues with older teams having an available weekend to schedule classes. S. Ziemer will own this and will contact the referee contact to get the training coordinated.    She will set up and start promoting,

5. Event/Special Committee Reports

    i. Executive Board Report
Windsor approached Sterling and A. Ziemer re: running class I program up north. Behen went to the Windsor soccer board meeting with Sterling and A. Ziemer. Sterling gave presentation re: SCA. All but one person expressed support on the competitive board. Windsor agreed to set up exploratory committee. Want SCA to participate on the committee and establish criteria for setting up U-9/U-10 academy and the development of program for teams U-14 and younger.

Ortega – criteria needs to include how going to set up Class I vs. Class III programs. Will the two support and cooperate in tryouts and establishment of teams. Need to look at the future and potential growth. Need to get definition for Class I competitive soccer.

Ortega would like report out of academy for this past year. Need to make sure structure is good and a strong focus is put on this age group. Behen will give S. Ziemer raw data from the survey. S. Ziemer will also get info from the coaches.   Should have understanding of how want this program to proceed so that info is available when people come for tryouts.

Club survey – participation is currently low. Will continue for additional two weeks. Survey is anonymous.    This year we ask that the participant name the coach they are rating.

    ii.

6. Director’s Reports

Behen: Keep focus on the Club survey with teams. Please try to get 100% participation. The survey is anonymous . Do adjust the program based on the feedback.

Recommended a separate player survey.   There is a team rep is aware of that has constructive things to say.   Questions would have to be differentiated for the age group. Recommend that the coaching staff also be surveyed.

Idea: put the survey on a laptop and take it to the field where there is practice. Let the kids complete after or during the practice. Tell coaches that the players will be rotated thru to complete the survey.   Or, paper is old fashioned, but all players and the coach can sit down and complete in a few minutes.   Might get more responses this way. Then someone on the team can compile and enter into electronic form. Need to then follow thru with the recommendations or at least respond.

Board meetings will be conducted at Lucchessi through the rest of the month because Liberty School has double booked. Reps will contact the schools and hospital to see if space is available for future meetings.

Youth Coordinator:   (Ziemer)
Awards nights U9-U13 is scheduled for 1/9/08 at Lucchessi Center 6-9 pm. Opportunity for volunteer hrs.

Nor Cal State Cup – all scheduling? If any problems contact S. Ziemer.

U12 Girls, can’t find the schedule or the roster. Thus, he can’t download the came card, etc.

Venue for the U9 boys changing for State Cup.   Copa Del Ray filled. Looking into another tournament and/or if there is a way to get the younger teams into the Copa Del Ray.

PR/Media: (Mateo)

We like to get lots of information on the web site about the teams. Each team should have a publicity rep. Okay to send in information even if don’t win the tournament. Encourage team that if they place or have a great game, have one person take a picture and email to Eileen Mateo. She will put that on the web site along with headline. Don’t always need write up.

Vice Coordinator: (Ortega)

Board would like to thank Jane Rabbit for her contribution for coordinating barn dance and all those parents who participated. First Club event of this type ever. Goal is to increase attendance and participation of families and donations. A lot of effort went into this event to make it a success. Need to communicate to parents to value of this event – i.e. all proceeds go towards Hoek Camp. Appeared all that went had a great time. Will give coordinator better support next year.

Not uncommon to have a fundraiser type event start out with low participation, but they grow.    Issue with the end of the season. Once High School break starts little contact with parents on the team. May need to look at the date?   Can also consider that through the years grow with the team. Want the support.

Other feedback is to change the theme. Not a lot of interest in a “Barn Dance”. Casino Nights are always a hit. Golf tournaments are also a good fundraiser. Need to start earlier with the planning. Suggest a representative from each team be on the committee. Could put a table out at Lucchessi to sell tickets. Make this event be part of the volunteer list.

Ortega – still looking for a Booster Rep on the Board also. A Booster Rep would be able to reach out to all the teams.

Behen will give feedback to Jane Rabbitt. All other suggestions can be emailed to Tony Behen.    Also, suggested that a team job be part of the team structure which includes this event or other fundraising.

What’s the cost of funding the name on the back of the jersey? We can get the amount.
Next year will have available to local businesses ability to sponsor our website and newsletter. Can an individual team get local sponsors? This can be done. Each sponsor needs to be put past the Board first. There are some limitations to types of businesses that can be sponsors (i.e. no alcohol, drugs, tobacco).

Behen on behalf of DOC –
Will be program at end of season for those younger teams that still want to train. Last year open to both United and SCA. Will be a cost.

U11-U14 playing District V. Winning more then lose. CYSA giving out no trophies for 2nd and 3rd place this year. Nor Cal Cup started. Most teams will proceed in the gold level. Bring Team handbook to the games.

Evaluation for u10-u 14 will be completed in November.

ID-2 program discussed. US Club development program.   Two SCA players identified and sent to So Cal to train. Sterling invited to be a coach at ID-2.

Play at home program. There is not a lot of incentive for the players to participate. Not many players feel it important to fill out and submit the paper work.   Idea is to encourage kids to play at outside of practice. Behen would be willing to get better prizes, i.e. movie tickets, etc. Feedback - Filling out the form is laborious. Needs to be less stressful on the parents and easier to collect the information.

    Chairman – (Behen)

Windsor Soccer Club interest in Class I program run by SCA was discussed. Committee will be formed to review. Deadline to form end of 12/07.

Tryouts – need to discuss lessons learned from last year and get more organized with registration and first team meetings.

Parent – can the team meetings occur earlier? One team formed on Wednesday and had their first game on Saturday.   Behen: actively looking for someone to chair tryouts for the younger’s and the older's. Karen Turner, prior coordinator, may be able to mentor new coordinators. 2008 Tryouts to be announced in the near future.

Club Chairman, Treasurer, Senior Coordinator positions will be open for elections for 2008 positions.   Two year terms. Open for nominations in November. Elections in January.

Suggestion: Matt/team manager has Polaroid camera to take photos and is willing to do that during registration.

Adjournment:   9:10 pm

Respectfully Submitted:
Karla J. Woerner, Secretary