Meeting Minutes – 8/5/08
Meeting Held at Avon Lake Public Library
Present: John Kenny, Daegen Duvall, Chris Orlinski, Kelly Eisaman, Randy Srail, Linda Glasser, Ingrid Mills, Will & Cindy Herzberger, Rob Fernald, Cheryl Hecker, Mark Wladecki, Jim Shuki, Mary O’Malley
Purposes for forming a soccer boosters club:
- Provide a foundation and support system to enable the program to move into an elite level in the Cleveland area.
- Ensure continuity in the program so that future generations do not have to “reinvent the wheel” but rather will be able to take the program and continue to step up to higher levels.
- Create an environment where our players can expand and develop their skills.
- Create an environment where the valuable lessons of teamwork and goal achievement can be realized through a positive 4 year experience in the program.
Topics covered:
1) Coaches Update – Discussed upcoming activity schedule including roster assignment procedures, picture day, Alumni game, & Lorain County Showcase.
2) Concessions:
During the past year we have operated the concession stand as a committee amongst the parents. This has worked pretty well for us. For next season, we can always use additional volunteers for the jobs as listed below and we may combine some tasks over time. Let me know if you are interested.
1) Setup – this would involve getting the stand ready to go by the 5:00 p.m. start of the JV games. Cindy Herzberger has volunteered once again. We could use at least one more person.
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2) Staff – this is usually not a problem as people sign up and work their shifts. Ideally, people only need to work one game per season. JV parents work Varsity games and Varsity parents work JV games.
3) Close –up – we need someone to close down the stand, pack up the food, secure the money, etc. Cindy Herzberger will handle this also. Once again, we could use additional volunteers.
4) Inventory – we need a volunteer to keep the food and equipment between games and over the offseason. By default, this will fall to Cindy H. also.
5) Purchaser – we need a volunteer to purchase the food supplies we need to stock the stand. Ingrid Mills has volunteered to assist with this important task.
6) Financial – volunteer to manage the booster club account, deposit receipts, and dole out money for apparel & other items. This will fall to John Kenny initially.
7) Looking for an incoming freshmen or sophomore parent or parents to complete our staff. We would like to have parents from each grade level familiar with the operations of the concession stand to ensure a stable transition from year to year.
4) Fundraising:
A new idea that we have been approached with is selling discount cards for various businesses around Avon Lake. An outfit by the name of MyBoosters does all the work of getting businesses to participate in the card. The card sells for $15 and we keep approx. half. You sell to family and friends and then we do one teamwide “blitz” day. Other schools are making $4 to $5,000 using this fundraiser program. A problem for us is that the Choir already sells a similar card, so we probably will not be able to do this fundraiser at this time. Need to have this clarified from ALHS administration.
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5) Team Related Activities:
These are activities that we do during the year for and with the girls. We need to find volunteers as coordinators for next year for the activities listed. A brief summary of what we have done over the past year is listed below:
1) Father’s Day Tournament – We work at two field locations during the two days of this tournament. We need someone to coordinate the logistics of the two locations including the purchasing of items, getting volunteers to work at the two locations, and setup/closeup. We have general instructions on how to run the stands as well as data on what needs to be bought and how much. Pat Tartar has volunteered to head this event. We could definitely use another person to help here. Pat will be e-mailing a sign up sheet and there are still a large number of slots which need to be filled. Update – Another event that we pulled off successfully. – we netted approx. $1,900 in profit. Once again, thanks to all who worked and a big thanks to Pat Tarter & family who handled the logistics throughout the weekend.
2) Relay for Life – Our main community service project as a team. We raise money by walking, having car washes, and running games at the Relay itself. Our “score a goal and get a stuffed animal” is always a hit. Yes, we do stay the entire night. Need an overall coordinator and two parents per shift to oversee the girls. Pat Donegan has volunteered to coordinate this event again this year. Update – Everything went smoothly, weather was perfect, and the girls did their part. I believe the amount that we raised was around $1,300. Thanks to all who participated.
3) Alumni Game & Picnic – Date for this year’s game is Saturday Aug. 9th. Ginny Wladecki, Chris Orlinski, & Audrey Rickey have volunteered to coordinate this event. The game & picnic will be held at Walker Rd. Park. A sign-up sheet will be circulated for parents to bring a side dish. All parents and players are invited to attend. We will also be selling past year’s uniforms and warm-ups.
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4) Lorain County Showcase – Another event that we host which serves as a preseason scrimmage for any Lorain County high schools that would like to attend. This is a one day deal and we operate a concession stand to make additional cash for the program. Update – Ingrid Mills has stepped forward to coordinate this event – many, many thanks!! The date for this year’s event is Saturday 8/16.
5) Annual weekend outing – This is a team building event to get the girls comfortable with each other and revved up for the season. Usually held during July at a location outside of Avon Lake. This is an important event on a number of levels. Update – We put together an event with Dr, Darla Sedlacek which took place on Saturday July 12th. The girls seemed to enjoy the event and we had a cookout afterwards and then attended a Cleveland City Stars game.
6) Team Dinners – Our favorite subject!! Once again, a lengthy discussion was held regarding the direction of these dinners. Out of this discussion came some concepts which the Seniors/Captains will discuss with the coaches. The general feeling was that the dinners should be held on a team specific basis, rather than all together – much easier to coordinate and then can reasonably be held at a parent house. Emphasis on serving healthy foods. We will only have a few dinners during the season as to not disrupt study requirements. More info. will come as we approach the season.
7) Senior Night – We try to have a little reception after the game and make sure things are coordinated for the pre-game ceremony also. After 4 years in the program, we need to ensure that the girls are properly recognized in a dignified manner. Should be coordinated by a senior parent or parents. Update – to minimize the disruption before the game, the coaches suggested that we hold the senior festivities at half time. Kiko to check with AD Barone on the feasibility of this idea.
8) End of season gifts – Need coordinator; also parents of seniors plan on helping.
9) Findlay game – We will need to provide food for the both the JV and Varsity teams when Findlay makes a return trip to AL next year. Maybe we could organize some sort of cookout. Need volunteers.
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10) End of season party – This is a new idea and I kind of like it. I think the parents enjoy the socializing more than the girls, but it is a positive way to end the season no matter what our results. The Wladecki’s have ventured out upon a fragile limb and are considering hosting next year’s event.
11) Post season games – We need to make a habit of attending District championship games, Regional games, and State Tournament games. Hoepfully, we will soon be playing in these games. For that matter, we need to have our JV girls attend our own playoff games. At any rate, the girls need to experience the atmosphere at these games so that when they do play in them, they know what to expect. The crowds and atmosphere at Regional and State games are very different than your normal regular season game. Those who prepare for success will experience that success. Once again, I will need a volunteer to coordinate this activity.
6) Program Related Activities:
These are specific tasks that can be done by parents to support and enhance the overall soccer program:
1) Program – Work will start on the program beginning with Picture day on Saturday Aug. 9th. Once again, Bush Printing will be doing the work on the layout and printing of our program. So, please consider Bush Printing for any printing needs, promotional items, or printed apparel needs. Owners Pat & Kathy Bush are parents of a former Shoregal soccer player. Next year, we would like to consider selling some advertising space and gradually assume the full cost of the program.
2) Website – please continue to visit our website – www.alshoregalsoccer.org . We continue to add more links and more information. This is the place to find out about all things Shoregal soccer. A main intent of this website is for it to be a resource for both the girls and their parents. Thanks to Pat Tartar who is our resident webmaster.
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3) Film games – We are looking for new volunteers for next year. We would like to film Varsity games, JV games, and focus on filming the girls who intend to play in college so that game films can be made for each girl to send to various colleges. We need both parents and JV’s to help with this task and there will be some compensation involved.
4) Game Banners – We are trying to create an atmosphere and make girls soccer games an event. Banners and signs add to the ambiance. We want to expand our sign making for next season.
5) Stat Keeper – right now the coaches handle this duty, but it would be helpful if a parent was willing to keep stats while watching the game. We will instruct you on what to do, you just need to be very observant. Still looking for volunteer.
6) Scouting – once again the coaches handle when they can, but it would be helpful to have others involved to lessen the burden. We would like to scout ahead on challenging opponents and you would be instructed on what to look for. Still looking for volunteers.
7) Soccer ball sign keeper – We need someone to coordinate the soccer ball signs for the varsity and store over the winter/summer and do a little maintenance when needed. Mary O’Malley has volunteered to babysit our signs over the summer. Please get your signs over to her.
8) Picture taking – Vic Strimbu has volunteered to help us here and will be doing a season highlight disk as well.
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7) Offseason Program:
We have moved into the “in season” portion of our year. Near the end of the season in late October we will start to develop plans for the next offseason.
8) Shoregal Soccer History:
I have the all time stats put together with the info. that has been made available to me, but I am still missing data for a number of years. Info. that I need to make the records complete include:
1) I need to borrow a 1999 ALHS yearbook from whoever may have one.
2) I need help with data from 1999, 2000, 01, 02, & 03. I have minimal or no data at all from those years. Coincidentally, they happen to be the highest goal scoring years in the history of the program. Anyone that knows of any players or parents from that era, please let me know. I would like to get in contact with them to see what data that they may have.
9) College Corner – This is a feature where I will present options that are available for the girls to play soccer in college. Many parents are bewildered by where to start to find a place for their daughter to play in college. One of the functions of our booster club should be to help parents through this process and we have compiled a number of resources to help. I have on hand the The Sport Source’s Women’s Soccer Guide which lists 1,300 women’s college soccer programs throughout the U.S. The book is available to be circulated among all the parents in our program. Let me know if you want to take a look. Also, we have a number of links on our website to assist with college recruiting. In addition, I have the following three books on college recruiting on hand:
1) The Student-Athlete & College Recruiting by Rick Wire
2) Athletic Scholarships for Dummies
3) Make the Team The Art of Self-Recruiting by Avi Stopper
These are all available to be circulated throughout the group.
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The coaching staff has expressed a sincere interest in helping the girls to play soccer in college. They have numerous contacts with college coaches, they are going to attempt to have coaches attend our more significant games, and are going to circulate info. on the girls on a wider basis. In addition, Coach Duvall and myself will be working on a “College Night” for the girls and their parents where a realistic picture of what it is like to play in college and what college coaches are looking for in players will be presented.
This time I would like to present an overview of NCAA recruiting rules. There are many recruiting rules and they differ by Division I, II, & III. I will present a general framework of the way that the rules work. For more detailed information, please visit www.ncaaclearinghouse.net.
There are 6 primary ways that a coaching staff may contact a prospective athlete:
1) Recruiting materials – exactly what they sound like - any type of letters, brocheres, questionnaires, media guides, camp info., etc. For soccer players, these can be sent to you at any time during you high school career.
2) Telephone calls – we will discuss these rules in further detail below.
3) Off Campus contacts – any contact by a member of the coaching staff off the college’s campus to either the athlete or the athlete’s parents. You are permitted 3 off campus contacts per college during your senior year only.
4) Official visits – you may make official visits to prospective colleges starting at the beginning of your Senior year. An official visit is a visit where the college pays the expenses for you and/or your parents to visit including transportation, meals, and lodging. A prospective athlete may make 5 official visits limited to one per college.
5) Unofficial visits – These are visits to college campuses where the athlete and their parents pay their own expenses. You may make as many of these as you like at any time that you like.
6) Evaluations – These are times when a college coach comes to visit your high school, or comes to a practice, or comes to one of your games. Coaches are permitted 7 of these visits during the senior year of the prospective athlete.
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The times that coaches may contact prospective athletes are governed by 4 general periods during the academic year. These periods vary by NCAA division and by sport. The college coaches know these periods well and they will let your daughter know when and when they cannot have contact with them. The periods are known as:
1) Contact period – all of the 6 types of contact are permitted.
2) Dead period – no in person contact either on or off campus. May write or telephone the prospective athlete.
3) Evaluation period – coaching staff may watch the athlete play or visit the high school. No in person conversations are allowed.
4) Quiet period – no in person contact off the college campus during this time. Also, the coach may not visit the high school or attend games or practices. The athlete may visit college campuses and the coach may write or telephone the athlete.
Some general things to keep in mind:
1) The recruiting process really starts in earnest after September 1st of the prospective athlete’s junior year. That is when soccer coaches may begin to specifically contact and recruit players that they may be interested in.
2) Phone calls – After June 15th before your senior year, college coaches can call one time per week. Keep in mind that the prospective athlete may call the coach an unlimited number of times whenever they want at their expense, but the coach can only call back once per week.
3) Contacts – as stated above, the coach may only contact, in person, the prospective athlete 3 times after June 15th before the senior year. Once again, keep in mind that you can initiate an unlimited number of contacts with the coach through unofficial visits and by attending summer camps. The coach may come to evaluate the prospective athlete 7 times during the senior year, but if they have an in person conversation with either parent or prospect, that will count against their 3 contacts. I have noticed a number of college coaches attend our games this year to scout specific girls, but they won’t visit with you after the game for the reasons stated above. So don’t be concerned that a coach came to the game and didn’t talk with you – they really can’t. However, they can either e-mail or call you to talk about the game and your performance afterwards.
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4) Most everything that I have talked about above applies to Division I & II schools. D-III schools can pretty much have contact with a prospect in any manner as many times as they would like starting after the junior year.
5) NAIA – schools that belong to this governing organization have their own set of rules and they are pretty wide open. They can contact a prospect at almost anytime in any fashion. A prospect can even work out with the college team while still in high school.
The topic for the next minutes will feature College Soccer Clubs and what they are all about.
This time I will also be distributing our college database list. We currently have 14 colleges represented and would like to expand our list even further. This contact info. is strictly voluntary on your part.
10) Open Discussion:
1) A possible idea for both a fun item and a fundraising item would be Shoregal Soccer window clings and/or car magnets. J. Kenny to investigate.
Our next meeting of the SHOREPALS will be on Tuesday Oct. 7 at 7:00 p.m. in the M. Jean Parke room at the Avon Lake Public Library.
Respectfully submitted by
John Kenny
