Summary of Managers/Coaches Responsibilities
While all volunteers must abide by all the club rules and various codes of practices, the team managers and coaches have many functions other than to train the team and look after their team on match days.
Pre-Season:
• Each year every manager/coach/volunteer must fill in a registration form indicating what position they wish to apply for. Where there is more than one application for a position an interview process will be undertaken, and an interview committee will be established.
• Each manager should assist the football/coaching coordinator by issuing a list of players rolling over from the previous year’s squad.
• Each manager should assist the football/coaching coordinator with trials and grading at their age group to ensure players are playing at the appropriate level. All players up to U14 level must play at their own age group. Players may play above their age group after U14 with the agreement of the football/coaching coordinator. The only exception to this rule is where players are required to make a team and a surplus of players are available from the younger age group below. This is only done with the agreement of the football/coaching coordinator.
• Each manager will assist the football/coaching coordinator by issuing the league registration forms to all their players and ensuring they are returned in a timely manner to the club to enable player registration with the league.
• Once players have registered with the club and paid the initial fees the club will issue to each manager a list of eligible players. The manager must ensure that only players on this list can play preseason challenge matches.
• Each manager should request parents to apply for the league identity cards know as PIP cards for each player by logging into the online portal www.ageofimages.com
• Each manager should take stock of equipment (jerseys, balls, bibs, cones, first aid) and request additional equipment where necessary in writing to the football/coaching coordinator.
• Prior to the new season training roster being confirmed each manager should request training times when required from the “book a pitch” coordinator. The committee may decide to assign pre-season training slots as per the previous seasons training roster prior to the new training roster being confirmed. Section 5 – Summary of Managers/Coaches Responsibilities
• Communication between the manager and parents is essential. It is advisable that each manager use social media such as WhatsApp to communicate effectively with the parents.
Training:
• Each manager should on a weekly basis carryout a training plan so that there is structure to each training session and so that progression can be easily monitored.
• Where managers are new to coaching the club will assign a senior coach to mentor in the first couple of months.
• It is good practise to keep a role call for each training session.
• Managers will need to ensure that at the end of each training session that players remove any empty bottles from the pitch and leave the facilities in good condition.
• Where managers are the last team on the pitch, they must ensure that the clubhouse/portacabins and gates are locked and that all floodlights are turned off.
• Where managers cannot make training, they should notify parents as soon as possible. So that the training slot can be used by others, managers should advise other managers of the free slot.
• Where an injury occurs during training the manager must fill in an incident report form and submit it to the club secretary. If the injury is serious and beyond first aid an ambulance must be called. The parents of the player must be notified as soon as possible. Where the injury requires further treatment such as physiotherapy the club secretary must be notified.
Only the clubs appointed physiotherapist can be used. Should players choose to use an alternative physiotherapist the club will not cover the costs.
Matches:
• All fixtures are published online by the respective leagues. Striker Online Facebook page will list all league fixtures on a Sunday or Monday. Each manager should notify the team/parents on the Monday of the following weekend’s fixture and request confirmation of availability.
• Each manager should check the Ratoath Harps website from Wednesday onwards to ensure that kick off times have not changed.
• The day before the match the manager should check with the fixture secretary that the home pitches are playable. Should it be an away fixture the manager should contact the home team fixture secretary to confirm the match is still going ahead. Generally, all club have all contact details on their websites. The NDSL/MGL/LSL also has contact details for the various clubs on their website.
• Prior to match day the manager should confirm numbers and do the team sheet ensuring that each player is allotted the minimum playing time as set out by the FAI Player Development Plan.
• On match day the manager should ensure that they have all the necessary equipment including a first aid kit.
• Where goals are to be set up the manager should ensure that the FAI safe goals policy is adhered to. Goals are only to be moved using the bogeys or the proprietary wheels fitted to the goals. After the match the goals should be removed from the all-weather unless the goals are needed for another match.
• The manager should collect subs from each player to pay the referees fees. Referees fees differ for each age group and change regularly. For current referees’ fees the relevant league website should be checked. If unsure, please contact the club secretary.
• Managers will need to ensure that at the end of each match that players remove any empty bottles from the pitch and leave the facilities in good condition.
• Where managers are the last team on the pitch, they must ensure that the clubhouse/portacabins and gates are locked and that all floodlights are turned off.
• Where an injury occurs during a match the manager must fill in an incident report form and submit it to the club secretary. If the injury is serious and beyond first aid an ambulance must be called. The parents of the player must be notified as soon as possible. Where the injury requires further treatment such as physiotherapy the club secretary must be notified. Only the clubs appointed physiotherapist can be used. Should players choose to use an alternative physiotherapist the club will not cover the costs.
• Each manager should send the results of their match to the club fixture secretary the day of the match via text message.
• If the club receives a fine as a result of a manager being sent off for violent conduct or abus- ing a match official the manager will be liable for paying the fine and not the club.
Post Season:
• At the end of the season all managers are to issue to the coaching/football co-ordinator a full inventory of jerseys, balls, bibs and cones. If the manager is stepping down from their position at the end of the season, they must return all club equipment and keys to the coaching/football co-ordinator.
