2007 - 2008 Athlete and
Parent Contract
General
You are about to join an elite, competitive volleyball program. Competitive team athletics, by its very nature, creates situations where everyone may not be happy all the time. Team success is intimately Iinked to individual success. Each player will fill a necessary role on the team. Although some roles are larger than others, none are insignificant to the overall success of the team. Coaches will discuss and define each role with the individual. Players are encouraged to use practices as an avenue for further developing their skills and expanding their role on the team. Players and Parents must understand that the only desire of the coach is to assist the team in reaching its full potential. We can only achieve this by encouraging, acknowledging and supporting each others effort in practice and games.
Athlete Section
As a member of the GBVC you are expected to adhere to the following:
A) be punctual and ready to start practice at the prescribed time
B) notify your coach by phone or in person if you will not be in
attendance
C) organize your time so your obligations to us do not hinder your
obligations to others
D) make sure information sent home is seen by your Parents
E) return all forms on time and complete
F) act in a sportsmanlike manner at all times, on and off the court. Remember that when you are on court, whether in a club uniform or school uniform, you are an ambassador of the GBVC
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Players must understand that practices are key to the success of the team. If a player reaches a point where the coach feels she has missed an exceptional number of practices, the coach, player and parent will meet to discuss the cause and remedy of this issue. Again, players must notify the coach by phone or in person in advance if they are to miss practice. It is simply common courtesy to let the coach know if you are going to be absent.
Players should give their practice and tournament schedule to their boss at work and to their school coaches. When there is a conflict between club and school events, we expect you to come with us. If our schedule conflicts with a school championship, we expect the players to attend the school event. The reason behind this is that school tournaments on weekends are extracurricular, whereas our tournaments ~re our league games.
Please do not bring boyfriends to practice. We need your full attention. If friends or family members attend tournaments or games, remember that your first commitment is to your team. Stay with your tea m mates and be ready to fulfill your requirements to your team promptly.
Please understand that any action by a player that is contrary to the positive development of the team will result in the player being dismissed from practice or sent home from a tournament. If problems persist, there will be a meeting with the player, parents, and disciplinary committee, to determine a course of action, which could include the player being released from the club.
Players must believe in their abilities, we do or we would not have selected you!
Parents Section
A) assist your daughter to meet her requirements as laid out in the
Athlete section
B) provide or coordinate punctual transportation to and from practices
and games .
C) be a fan of your daughter and her team mates, not a coach or a
critic
D) act as good ambassadors of the GBVC at all functions in which we
have an interest
E) treat all members of the GBVC coaching staff and VP A executive
with respect, they have certainly earned it
F) Assist the VPA Board of Directors with fund raising and other club
functions when able
Knowing when to communicate with your daughter's coach is a concern for almost every parent at some time during the season. Most often the concern is how to inquire about issues surrounding playing time.
The GBVC encourages athletes to talk to their coach when she has a problem about her playing time, or if she is unclear about what the coach expects from her either in practice or in competition. The appropriate attitude is for the athlete to ask the coach what she needs to do to get more opportunities to play in matches. If the athlete is too emotional to discuss the problem in an adult manner, the conversation should be delayed until the athlete is ready to do so.
When parents have a concern that is specific to their daughter, we also encourage them to talk to the coach. What coaches will not do is discuss “coaching decisions". Coaching decisions include, among other things, specific match decisions ( who played when, who was subbed out and when etc.). The amount of time any given athlete is on the court is the result of a complex determination, in that coaches opinion, of the athlete's ability, the athlete's potential, the athlete's position, the teams needs at the moment, and the teams needs for the future. The coach will not be required to defend his/her thought process or conclusions in these determinations, and it is improper for a parent to make that request. In addition, coaches have been instructed not to discuss any athlete with a parent other than the parents own child.
It is inappropriate for an athlete or parent to approach other GBVC members about a problem the athlete or parent is having with a GBVC coach, about objections to coaching decisions, or about disagreement with an administrative decision. Asking uninvolved persons to take sides in an issue is unfair to the third party and to the club. Any member who is approached and asked to listen to or express an opinion about matters between two other parties in the club, is strongly encouraged to direct the complaining party to take the matter up with the coach or a club director. Repetitive complaining by an athlete or parent that interferes with the clubs efforts to pursue its stated pledge and purpose, may be cause, in sole determination of the club, to ask a member to resign.
For the psychological health of the teams and the club as a whole, grievances need to be handled between the parties involved and the decision makers in the situation
Grievance Procedure
Specifically, the procedures to follow if you as a parent, or your athlete as a member of the GBVC, have concerns about GBVC policies or actions, are in this order: 1) The athlete should speak to the coach about the matter. If the matter remains unresolved, or if the athlete has reasonable concern that speaking with the coach will not resolve the matter...
2) The parent should speak to the coach on behalf of their athlete. Meetings are to be at times and locations other than tournaments. If a parent approaches a coach during a tournament, we have instructed the coaches to refuse to discuss any controversial matter and to walk away from the situation. The recommended time for a parent or athlete to talk to a coach about a problem is a previously arranged meeting time either before or immediately after practice. 3) If the matter is still not resolved, the parent may speak to a club director and request a meeting with the coach and disciplinary committee. In certain situations, we may ask the athlete to attend the meeting. Meetings should be previously arranged and will not be scheduled during or at a tournament site. The coach and committee will not engage in discussions regarding coaching decisions.
