Youth Sports Commissioner Handbook

Youth Sports Commissioners Handbook

 

The Department of Recreation and Parks would like to welcome you as a commissioner for your organization! We sincerely hope that this season is enjoyable and provides a worthwhile athletic experience for you and your organization’s athletes. 

This handbook was designed to help you know and understand the basic rules, policies, and expectations set forth by the County. We ask all commissioners to review this handbook's contents and use it as a resource to answer your questions as the season progresses. Information contained within this handbook is reviewed periodically by the Athletics Staff and is intended to be a general guideline for you and is subject to change. 

We wish you the best, and we challenge you to accept the numerous opportunities offered to you with an open mind, a clear purpose, and a determination to succeed. We appreciate you and all the volunteers who make our programs run smoothly, and welcome your participation. 

Have a great season, and remember that what you contribute to your activities will determine a large part of what you derive from them. 

Sincerely, 

Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks

Table of Contents

Provide leadership and supervision to coaches of your organization's teams registered in Anne Arundel County sports leagues, including but not limited to lacrosse, football, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and cheerleading. 

Your responsibility to your chosen sport could include, but is not limited to: 

  • Ensure that all coaches and volunteers abide by County, Departmental, and sport rules and regulations
  • Recruit coaches
  • Plan, organize, and supervise the placement of athletes onto teams ·
  • Plan, organize, and distribute practice times to each of the organization’s teams 
  • Plan, organize, distribute, and collect uniforms and equipment 
  • Attend various organizational meetings with Recreation and Parks
  • Work with Recreation and Parks to ensure that each coach and assistant coach has been subject to and passed an Anne Arundel County background check
  • Field questions, concerns, praise, and complaints from the Organization, parents, and citizens
  • Work with coaches to organize end-of-season banquets (if applicable) 
  • Work with coaches to schedule team pictures for each team (if applicable) 
  • Performs related tasks as designated by your Organization
  • Familiarize yourself with the Recreation & Parks Guidelines and Reference Manual, Organized Sports rules section.

Organizations/Individual administrators and coaches are responsible for paying for their criminal history record checks. A list of approved administrators and coaches is available on the Recreation and Parks website (Active Volunteer Report). If a name is not listed, the coach may not be allowed onto the field with players. It is recommended that the background check procedure be initiated at least three (3) weeks before the beginning of practice and games. 

We thank you for assuming this role, and your ability to work well with other adults and children of various ages is paramount. You will need to have some knowledge of computer software (i.e., an internet browser, Microsoft Excel, and Word), an active email address, and advanced knowledge of department and sport-specific rules, policies, and regulations.

Your time commitment varies depending on the number of teams your organization places in the leagues, and how many various sports, organizational, and Recreation and Parks meetings there may be during the year. 

Several coaches' associations in Anne Arundel County serve as governing bodies alongside the Department of Recreation and Parks for various sponsored leagues. The Association works as an extension of the Department of Recreation and Parks to improve the quality of their respective sports for the County. 

The Association functions in an advisory capacity and works with departmental staff in overseeing County sports. This oversight may include, but is not limited to: 

  • Recommending League Rules 
  • Setting Up Age Divisions and Levels of Play 
  • Monitoring Games 
  • Coordinating Events 

When requested by the departmental staff, Associations may assist with fact-finding regarding an unsportsmanlike incident or other disciplinary matters, while still adhering to the set of bylaws and guidelines prepared by the Department. Any organized event conducted by an Association is subject to the approval of the Department. These events include tournaments, clinics, out-of-season leagues, all-star games, competitions, etc, and require the submission of a Special Event Form and may incur additional fees.

While all commissioners of County organizations in good standing are encouraged to participate in County meetings, votes, etc., joining and participating in specific organizations is not mandatory.

  • Background checks for all Coaches 
  • Concussion Forms (Completed electronically via the Parent Portal once a player is rostered, and hard copies are kept by the organization) 
  • Player Contracts (Completed electronically via the Parent Portal once a player is rostered) 
  • Coaches' Pledges for all coaches (completed electronically when a coach logs into the Team Sports Portal each season)
  • Field Availability
  • Payment for AA County league registration fees (check, money order, credit card, or cash)
  • Payment for officials’ fees (sport-specific)
  • Roster for each team in the Organization (each player listed must have a Player Contract on file)
  • Printer rosters for teams to be presented to the opponent before each game

There is a Commissioner/Administrator Help guide at the end of the document to assist with the completion of team registrations.


 

Per the County Guidelines and Reference Manual, ALL head coaches are encouraged to hold a Coach, Athlete, and Parent (CAP) meeting before the beginning of the season, at which time the Parents’ Pledge should be fully discussed.

Why? 

  1. Affirms the goals and objectives of the coach and league. 
  2. Allows the coach the opportunity to find those parents interested in helping out with the team (i.e. beverages, assistant coaches, phone chain, end-of-season party planners, etc.) 
  3. Create an opportunity for the coach to share his/her ideas on coaching, and participating from the beginning (i.e., responsibilities of the players, sportsmanship, practices, etc.) 
  4. Chance for the coach to review the rules for the game with parents. 
  5. Creates an open line of communication for parents. 

When? 

It is recommended to have your parent meet 15 – 20 minutes prior to your first practice. However, whenever the coach can get the majority of the team's parents or guardians together is just fine.

What? 

Some things that can be covered, distributed, shared, or reviewed: 

  1. Coach’s phone number and email address. 
  2. League playing rules. 
  3. Any possible Sign-up sheets for such duties as: beverages, party planners, team moms, phone chain start, etc. 
  4. Players' health issues that might affect his/her participation. 

  5. Game cancellation number and procedure

     

The Department has moved to an online process for coach certification (https://www.aacounty.org/services-and-programs/coaches-certification)

Volunteer Background Consent/Release Form (https://www.aacounty.org/services-and-programs/volunteer-background-check)

Any adult (age 18 and over) with care and custody of a child and recognized by a Recreation/Sports Association as a prospective volunteer/coach is required to submit the following documents to the Team Sports Portal (partial/incomplete submissions will not be accepted):

NAYS FREE Coaches Training

Any adult (age 18 and over) with care and custody of a child and recognized by a Recreation/Sports Association as a prospective volunteer/coach is required to submit completion certificates for the courses listed as required.

There are many training courses through NAYS; however, Coaches are required to complete only those indicated as required. These courses are FREE and provide certificates at completion, which can be uploaded to the Team Sports Portal (partial/incomplete submissions will not be accepted). By clicking on the NAYS FREE Coaches Training, you will be directed to the Anne Arundel County landing page for the required training courses.

  • Bullying Prevention Training Certification (required)
  • Concussion Training Certification (required)
  • Sudden Cardiac Arrest Training Certificate  (required)
  • Mental Health and Youth Sports
  • Protecting Youth Athletes for Coaches Training

The department has several Google Forms available for use by commissioners and coaches to report incidents that may be observed during games.

Roster Protest

Throughout the season, the subject of player eligibility arises. Therefore, the Athletics Division has created a Youth Athletics Player Protest Form. This form should be completed and submitted by the commissioner with input from the coach.

The Department shall apply the Player Eligibility Rules in such manner as the Department and its sports supervisors deem appropriate to uphold the spirit of such rules. The Department could impose sanctions, suspensions, or other corrective action as it deems appropriate under the facts and circumstances of noncompliance with the player eligibility rules. All coaches, players, and attendees are bound by any such application of the rules and corrective action imposed by Anne Arundel Recreation and Parks. 

Sportsmanship Incident Report Form

The behavior of players, spectators, and coaches is very important in Youth and Adult sports. The behavior on and off the field will set the tone of the game. Recreation and Parks cannot respond to incidents of poor or good sportsmanship until an official Sportsmanship Incident Report has been submitted. This incident report can be shared by the commissioner with anyone: Coach, Player, Players' Official, or Spectator, attending a County game.

Once submitted, the report will be read and acknowledged by an Athletics staff member within 48 hours. If more information is needed, the Recreation & Parks staff will request such information.

When the Department reaches a plan of action, the accused individual(s), the commissioner(s), and the officials (if warranted) will be informed of the incident report and pending decision. 

Any claims of inappropriate sportsmanship on this form are independent of an ejection of a player, coach, or fan by an official during a game. Ejections/cards/fouls are not to be reported with this form.

Examples 

The following are types of Inappropriate Sportsmanship (regardless of any actions taken by officials or clubs): 

  • Parent/Fan Sportsmanship - conduct toward players, opponents, or officials
  • Offensive Language - confirmed ethnic, gender, hate speech, or other slurs; profanity; threats of violence, to name a few.
  • False Representation - lying, changing jerseys to avoid suspensions, impersonating another player, impersonating or claiming to be an approved A.A. County Recreation and Parks Coach
  • Intentional dangerous play on the field - multiple incidents regarding the same player or coach
  • Fighting, Non-fighting ejection – Carded actions or ejections. These are outlined in the Guidelines and Reference Manual
  • Repeated offenses - 3 or more, do not have to be for the same infraction, do not have to be in the same sport or same game.
  • Recreation and Parks will review all reports on an individual basis and may rule differently based on the factors surrounding the report.