2024 Board of Director Meeting Minutes
2024, the board moved to a quarterly board meeting.
January
April
Sunday, April 14, 2024
In Attendance – Nick Druga, Kim Rios, Kate Koch Holly Levin, Kirk Howard, Joshua Dadeboe, Nick Cushion, Jordan Snead, Julie McDermott, Jess Jackson, Jim Marsula, Theo Nelson
Absentee – N/A
Board of Directors report:
· Start of the season:
o Kate
§ Communication
§ Flow of information
§ Google Share
§ More people/volunteer
· Jr. Refs
· Fields
§ This club is well run – the process is in place
· Kim is doing a PHENOMENAL JOB
· It is no accident
· Nick – President report
o North district impacted with rain
§ We were able to host games for other clubs
§ We are doing the right things
o By design – I’ve lost a lot of visibility
§ There are things that I need people to say, Nick, do this!
§ Will be off of work for 3 months -
· Got a fellowship at work – to work on TOPSoccer!
· Looking to reestablish the Pittsburgh chapter
· Looking to build the program and events
· Taking to schoolboards
§ Family health things coming up
· Say this because that he wants to be focused on what you need
· He will not be as proactive as he would like to be
§ More engagement from a fundraiser perspective
§ Uniforms look great
§ If you need something, please reach out to me
· As someone new, don’t know what you don’t know
· In a new position
· Need to make sure that we have what is needed, documented
§ Water will be off
o We have several refugee players that are playing for Shaler Soccer Club
§ We can think through to put controls in place to put guidelines in place to help them have not such a tough time
§ From an admin perspective, we know the mayor of Etna
§ Scholarship fund
§ Create relationship with groups locally to contact
§ There is a deadline for adding a team, not for adding a player
§ Something to explore as a board
o PA West Report
§ PA West TOPSoccer (Signa and PA West)– taking the month of July off of work and a road show for TOPS
· Targeting underserved areas – Mountain area
· Introduce to the sport of soccer and then go into TOPS
· Going to be pretty busy
· Josh - Treasurer
o Purchased 10K of U8 goals – built and unfortunately haven’t seen game action
o We are financially healthy
· Kim – Board Vice President
o Spring Basket Order
o Registration – May through June
§ Check for availability in May/June at the library
§ Uniforms – parents ordering uniforms for kids
§ Soccer Source – working through the design etc.
o Summer programming
o May/June – Summer Party
o Meetings –
§ Want to look at meeting alignment
§ Change officer meeting to standing zoom meeting
§ Submit agenda items a week prior to meetings
§ Going to pivot thoughtfully so that we can be more effective moving forward
o Hahn Funeral Flag – Need to put out the flag Sat/Sun and will be added to the field flags
§ On Sunday
· Holly – Registrar
o We still have some uniform pick ups to work through
o Everything is in good shape
o Charlotte was a big help with the uniforms and flower forms
o For the fall
§ In person registration for a day -
· Talk about the parent’s meeting, etc.
· Get folks involved, etc.
· Potentially at the library with wifi
§ Uniform – changing to order as needed
· Travel only
· In-house - GPSA
§ Official request – for play up requests
· Formal submission for dates
· Opportunities for
§ Come the fall – annual registration to cover fall and spring
· That would have the number of players for both baked in
· People register for the wrong thing all the time
· If it makes sense, then we do it
· Kate – Secretary
o Look into referee payments – play them more
§ They get to see everything across the county
§ Connect with Mark – and get the going rate and pay up to that level or more depending on our financial situation
§ New Business in the April meeting for referee payment
· Board Reports
o Jess – In House Director
§ Jr Referee
· Talked with Parents
· Who you have are already trained
· We will have to have training this summer
§ If we are going to cancel, we need to cancel in a timely manner
§ If we cancel Friday activities, we can make a decision faster and get in contact
§ All commissioners doing well
§ Funeral flag – they did re-up and we should put out the flag
o Jim – ICL Director
§ ICL is good – we had some wins, we had some losses
§ There have been a few 8-0 wins/losses (Jim’s team and talked with the coach before hand)
§ Can’t tell the kids not to play
§ Have to send the scores to Chuck – only 1 game canceled (@ Fox Chapel), full slate of games at Fall Run yesterday (4/13)
§ First issue – practice last week, Wednesday
· Boys practice – 3 boys and 1 girls
· 1 player heard someone use a racial slur
· 1 coach said he thought he heard it, but wasn’t sure
· The coaches kid heard him say it and dealt with that word with the older kids
· Send an email explaining what happened – if they want to take it further, they would need to name the person. I don’t think that they want to do it. I truly don’t think that they know what it was/meant.
· Need to have a team meeting about it (Friday), but was canceled
· Won’t be focused on one player (Wednesday’s practice), and will have it as a team meeting
· Want to build them as better people, not just play soccer
· Find it hard to believe that the child knows what it means
· Was it said toward another player? Not sure that anyone knows the context – did not say that he “called” someone that word
· As long as the end game is that the child knows the importance of what they threw around and not something that they should use
· It would be important that the parent knows – as a parent,
· Don’t think that we need to have everyone aware, heard from 2 sources that did you hear what happened at U10 – need to make a mindful decision to make sure that we are taking the correct steps
· Need to get in front of them and educate them directly
· We need to be comfortable with the direction that our actions are going the correct direction – full view of what is being discussed
· Want to make sure that it will be addressed – it will be a whole week (since the incident)
· He is fairly certain that the name will not be disclosed
· Nick may pop over – update gamechanger 15 minutes earlier for the meeting (Carlo’s team)
§ Second Issue
· Saturday – ICL is stepping stone between In-house and travel
· Trying to put together competitive teams, possibility of having a Sunday team (D6)
· If we have the players, we look to put together a team
· Under ordinary circumstances, we would look at the evaluations and put together a team
· Normally they will get together to discuss, look at the evaluation, experiences with the players and bring in other coaches as necessary – look and work down the list and then review with board.
o You can’t get all the kids (bubble kids)
o Fall to Spring – have a Girls Sunday team
o Do not have a boys team
· D4 is tryouts, D5 and D6 are not.
· Tryouts are really unfair for youth players – to judge them on one night, etc.
· At one point do the 4th grade girls have input – there is no point where the parents or players have input on make up of the team.
· Need to be transparent
o There is a girl playing on the girls Sunday team – that probably shouldn’t be on the team and then there is a bubble girl that would benefit from being on the team
o Girls were injured
· U10 girls do academy – you are there practicing, doing the same practices and the same instruction
· We are a community club – if we do the teams, we do the best we can for the competition
· Once we have set the roster, the parents are informed and have the right of refusal to be on the team.
· It is only visible here
· Ask that we detail about
· High level response, detailing
o Julie – Travel
§ Merge U12 boys due to injuries
§ Want to talk to Theo about wording for Sunday travel concessions
o Jordan – Director
§ Able to access the system
§ Spring season just opened 2 days ago– 3 total people have clearances
§ Get the communication out since it is open now
§ Focus will be on Spring
§ Courtney Scheduling
· Will be a team effort – Jim/Kim/Courtney – ICL, Julie/Kim/Courtney-Travel
· Coming up with a plan for referee assignor
o Kirk – TOPSoccer
§ Allow registration for TOPS at any time
§ Feel like people get interest at any time
§ Motion: Allow registration for TOPS at any time (Kirk/Joshua)
§ Several parents complaining about having to do volunteering (Be a Buddy!)
· Needs to be a season long opportunity
· There have been a new buddies –
· Send to the TOPS families – options to fulfill the volunteer
· Buddies are kind of like a coach
· Better communicate
§ Email to communicate the details
§ If someone
§ Going to add “TOPSoccer” – ‘Disability Soccer’
o Nick – Fundraising/Sponsorship
§ March Madness – made $500
· All vendors are good through the fall
· End of the season Summer/ party
· Work through if folks can come
§ Riverhounds game – April 27th
· Were at 54 people, if we hit 75 tickets (will be Looking at April 27th, May 4th?
· $1 beer night,
· Have a chance to make $1500
§ Fundraising
· Powerhouse subs
o Lunch deals – sandwich, chips, drink - $10
o Can ask for our order to do lettuce separately
o Parents asking for this through the week
o Turkey and Italian sold well
o Really tough because we have not had a typical week
o Make the dumplings seasonal
o Will do Italian and turkey (15 each), order today and do next Monday
· Date for the end of season party
o Theo – Parent Volunteer Coordinator
§ Working through
· New Business
o Flower basket order form –
§ Do the pick-up at the greenhouse
§ Will still require the same amount of volunteers
§ It is a lot of work
o Parking
§ Need to remove the one parking lot line to eliminate the last spot to allow for a turning radius
§ Some people could not get out today
o Permanent Registration sign
§ Permanent sign to post the dates at Denny field
§ Holly’s husband will create a sign
o Registration yard sign – Inventory and alignment for posting
§ On School property is a no brainer
§ Kim looking to create a good list of what we have
§ Theo working to add to the sign up genius
§ Email Kim with ideas of where to put the signs
§ This way, we will know where they are and be able to collect them
o Motion – Allow TOPSoccer players to register at any time during the season, understanding that they may not be able to have a shirt due to timing (Kirk/Joshua)
§ Is there a team size that we cannot exceed?
· At this time, no, even with steady growth year over year
§ Could we create an inventory of extra shirts?
· We may not guaranteed a shirt
· Want to keep an opportunity to update the colors
§ Approved – motion accepted
· Motion to adjourn: Kate/Jess
July
Sunday, July 14, 2024
In Attendance –
Absentee –
Board of Directors report:
· Start of the season:
· Nick – President report
o PA West – Nominations for
o Fall declaration date
§ August 15
§ U10B/G, U12B/G and Middle school district wide Sunday League,
§ JV/Varsity not in the traditional sense in the fall – partnering with the east and west to form the first annual 5v5 tournament
· Will take place across the season
· Keeping track of standings through the season – playoffs at the end
· Medals at the end of the season
§ Each age group will have a slight nuance – for the North District
· Middle School – U12 through U15 (based on birth year)
· Focus on the level of competition not size
· All travel 4 leagues – Section 1 through 4 (one being the highest) – will combine where we have to or partner with the other districts (west or east, etc.)
o Striving to get rid of the blowouts
o Based on the performance from the last season ( a team is a team if the team is 50% of the team is intact)
o All clubs are aware in advance to build their teams
o Striving to do this on 2 points -
§ Even the playing field at all levels of play (divisions 1 through 4)
§ Focus on the academy style – every player gets the same quality level/playing experience
o Presidents admin meeting – Hampton is hosting
§ July 30th
o Referee assignor meeting (scheduling) – the following week
o Registrar and field assignor meeting – August 20th (Pine Richmond)
o Work collaboratively to build the schedule for multi-team
o PA West Open Recap
§ Had finalists – U12 girls, U10 boys
§ Quarterfinalists – U10 girls (2 U10 girl teams go)
§ Good showing over both weekends
§ Getting there – definitely good to get
§ Evaluate and talk through our support
§ Contin
o ODP tryouts going on now – boys and girls – after the fall season will kick off
· Josh - Treasurer
o Purchased 10K of U8 goals – built and unfortunately haven’t seen game action
o We are financially healthy
· Kim – Board Vice President
o
· Holly – Registrar
o Registration – 403
§ In House – 174
· Lil Kickers - 16
· U5 – 32 (Struggling with coaches – need 8 coaches)
· U6 - 39
· U8B - 54
· U8G – 33
· TOPS - 10
§ Travel - 229
· U10G – 48 (8 coaches for the girls)
o Will have to defer to the girls coaches for Sunday
· U10B – 48 – last season – 3 teams of 12 (11 coaches for boys)
o Don’t really see that there are Sunday Kids
o Trying to keep the same kids for the fall from the spring
o For the fall, the academy night should be ongoing evaluations – so that we can field 1 Sunday team in the spring
o As long as the coaches know it is ongoing evaluations – nothing set in stone
· U12G - 46
· U12B - 44
· U14B - 26
· U14G - 8
· U16 – 6
· U19G – 2
§ Uniforms – only 23 uniforms have not been ordered
· What is the recourse is by the parent meeting if they did not order their uniforms
· In-House cutoff – GPSA printing (ask Roxanne)
o TOPS program
§ Butler - Bulk order at the beginning of the season
§ Like the tie-dye for the TOPS
§ Ruckus – will be provided at 50% off
· Kate – Secretary
o Dates –
§ Coaches meeting – July 25th @ Denny Field (6:00 – 8:00) Inhouse, ICL and Travel
· Jr. Referee – 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (confirmed with Mark)
o 5:30 – 6:30 PM – Training/refresher
o 6:30-7:30 PM – Referee game
§ Parent Meeting – September 3rd via Zoom – 8:30,
· Uniform nights 4th and 5th pick up
§ Fall Set-up – August 3rd starting at 9AM
· Add Glenshaw Valley
§ Net Night – August 13th @ 6:30PM
§ Fields for practices
§ Start of the Fall Season – September 7th
§ Fall Mum Fundraiser – September 14th
§ Deer Lakes under the Lights –
§ Homecoming – September 21st
§ End of Fall Season
§ Plum Kick off – Registration closes the 29th
§ Fox Chapel Moonlight Madness – October 19th
o Look into referee payments – play them more
§ Jr. Referee - $100 for the training
· Date for training – August 5th
· Pick up is 6-7:30 – would need to start at 5:30
§ They get to see everything across the county
§ Connect with Mark – and get the going rate and pay up to that level or more depending on our financial situation
§ New Business in the April meeting for referee payment
· Board Reports
o Jess – In House Director – not in attendance
o Jim – ICL Director
§ ICL is good – we had some wins, we had some losses
o Julie – Travel coaches
§ All coaches filled
§ Have possibilities
§ Playup request – Chris Lovato
· Motion to accept the play up requests (Holly/Joshua)
o Jordan – Director Risk Management (not in attendance)
o Kirk – TOPSoccer
§ Summer Series at Shaler this Wednesday
· Foam Party
· There are 24 Players scheduled
· The HS boys team rescheduled their practice for the AM to allow for help as buddies for the summer series – nice to be 1 to 1
· Communication – call for buddies – target 13 and up – arrive by 5:45 at the latest
o Please email Kirk – add email to send them kirk@kirkhoward.com
o Members of the police force are coming up this Wednesday as well
o Should be a good nigh
· Riverhounds – Customized medals, t-shirts, hopefully 360 photo booth, group birthday party, go out with the tunnel, buddies and volunteers recognized at halftime
§ Want to have good involvement with Shaler
§ 3 new programs that want to start
§ TOPS – leaving the program due to being freaked out about the check
· More communication for TOPS – to state that being a buddy is/counts as a volunteer shift
· We can list the shift as buddies – and make a link for all the opportunities for TOPS
· Let the TOPS parents sign up first – have 10 so far
· On the registration for TOPS – referred by, referral – signed up for TOPS when they may not have known about it
o Count as a volunteer
·
o Nick – Fundraising/Sponsorship – Not in attendance
§ Fundraising – nothing submitted
§ Sponsorship – needs to be updated
§ Leagueside is season to season
§ Kim to reach out to Nick to discuss sponsorship plan for this season
o Theo – Parent Volunteer Coordinator
§ 18 – Just cash my check
§ 65 – Families did not fulfill their requirements
§
· Lighting the fields –
o RFP – updating all the parks
§ Talked with Judy at the township – did not blink at the lights, blinked a bunch at Turf
§ Bids and quotes will be welcome
§ Going to open the purse and organization – talk to someone at the school district ( current light situation)
· AGM changes are needed By August – need to distribute any updates to the bylaws –
o Since we redid all last season to meet the information/meeting cadence, there probably isn’t anything there that we need to update there
o Nothing currently – please take a look at them
§ We haven’t had anything come to the board that would necessitate a change
· Meeting Structure
o Will have 1x per month Zoom
o Quarterly in person
o Officer meeting 1 week prior – President, VP,
· Youth Night for High School
o September 24th – Tuesday night – 7:30PM vs. Kiski
· U12 Behavior on Pick-Up night has been unacceptable
o Kids are not playing nice
o Language and Physicality is not acceptable
· New Business
o Play up Request – Moving from U10 to U12
§ Wesley Lovato - Strong player – received 2 coach recommendation from his previous coaches
§ Motion accepted
o Sponsorship for the Boys Soccer – (Kim/Joshua)
§ Motion - $900 for the Boys Soccer boosters for a banner, inside front and cover program (Design TBD) –
§ Motion Accepted
· Motion to adjourn: Joshua/Julie -