GREATER CLEVELAND SOCCER ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

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CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I      NAME and ADDRESS

This organization shall be known as the Greater Cleveland Soccer Association, a non-profit public educational organization, incorporated under the laws of the State of Tennessee, hereafter referred to as GRCSA or the Association.  The mailing address for official correspondence is:

 

GRCSA

P.O. Box  4054

Cleveland, TN  37320

 

The physical address for the GRCSA complex is located at 5940 Mouse Creek Road, Cleveland, TN.

 

ARTICLE II     PURPOSE

The purpose of GRCSA shall be to provide quality soccer instruction to children while fostering a spirit of teamwork and fair play.  There shall be two divisions to GRCSA: Recreational and Select soccer.  Emphasis within the recreational program will be placed on teaching and educating youth in the rules, laws, skills, and fundamentals of soccer all within the framework of having fun.  Recreational teams offer a learning experience where everyone should have an equal opportunity to play.  The logical progression of talented players that emerge from the recreational program will provide the foundation of the select soccer program.  Within the select program, teams will be composed of the best players available within age-groups.  Games will be played in a competitive environment as the teaching and learning of the game intensifies.  GRCSA will also be the training forum for new referees.  As players progress it is hoped that some will become licensed referees within the league.  It is the goal of GRCSA to focus on player development from a young age resulting in young men and women who will truly represent the spirit of the game.

 

ARTICLE III   AFFILIATION

GRCSA shall be an affiliate of and comply with the authority of Tennessee Soccer (TS), and thereby shall also be an affiliate of and comply with the authority of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) as administered by its Youth Division, the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), and its Amateur Division, the United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA).

 

ARTICLE IV   GOVERNANCE

The Association shall be governed by its Constitution, Bylaws, and Playing Rules, except when these provisions are superseded by the governing authority of USSF and its divisions or by TS with whom the Association is affiliated.

 

ARTICLE V    MEMBERSHIP

Members of the Association shall be affiliated players and soccer officials and other organizations and individuals interested in advancing soccer within the geographic area served by the Association.  All players will be registered with TS.

 

ARTICLE VI   FUNDING

GRCSA shall be funded primarily through player registration fees and with support from the Cleveland City Recreation Department.  GRCSA will also be permitted to accept contributions from members, participants, sponsors, and interested persons and to conduct specific fund raising functions in accordance with its legal status as a non-profit organization.  All contributions received and funds raised shall be used only to further the specific purposes of GRCSA.  All fund raising functions must be reviewed and approved by the Executive Board.

 

ARTICLE VII              LEGAL AND TAX EXEMPT STATUS (Ian, this part was taken directly from the TN soccer website but needs your thorough review!)

The purposes for which the organization is organized are exclusively educational within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, this organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law.

 

In the event of dissolution, the residual assets of the organization will be turned over to one or more organizations which themselves are exempt as organizations described in Sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) or the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or corresponding sections of any prior or future Internal Revenue Code, or to the Federal, State or local government for exclusive public purposes.

 

ARTICLE VIII.            AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws must be approved by a majority of the voting members of the GRCSA executive board.

 

BY-LAWS

By-Law #1       GOVERNING AUTHORITY

The affairs and business of GRCSA shall be vested with the executive board whose roles shall be delegated within these by-laws.

 

The board of directors shall be comprised of the following minimum elected positions.

  • President
  • Vice President
  • Treasurer/Accountant
  • Registrar
  • Risk Management Coordinator
  • Director of Coaching and Player Development
  • Director of Facilities
  • Director of Purchasing
  • Referee Assignor
  • Recreational League Commissioner
  • Competitive League Commissioner

Additional board positions including “at large” positions shall be added at the discretion of the existing board.

 

All officers shall be elected for a two-year term that begins June 1st and ends May 31st (between the spring and fall recreational league seasons) on the even numbered years.  There will be no term limits, thus an officer may be re-elected for multiple terms of office.

 

Meetings of the executive board shall be held monthly as determined by the President.  A quorum of at least six members shall be required to conduct the business of GRCSA.  Each member is entitled to ONE vote, except the President, who shall only cast the deciding vote in the case of a tie.

 

Any officer may be discharged for conduct reflecting unfavorably on himself or GRCSA by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

 

 

 

By-Law #2       DUTIES OF OFFICERS

General Duties:

  • Each officer shall carry out his or her duties in a responsible manner, acting only in the best interests of the Association and its membership. 
  • Each officer shall be prepared to report on his or her activities and areas of responsibility at meetings of the Executive Board. 
  • Each officer shall be familiar with the rules of the Association, TS, USSF, and its divisions.
  • Each officer shall interpret and enforce the Association’s Constitution, Bylaws, and Playing Rules. 
  • Each officer shall be expected to form and serve on special committees to promote and maintain the programs of the Association.
  • Each officer shall follow the Association’s financial policy regarding budget proposals, expense reports, and handling of Association funds.
  • Each officer shall recognize that the recreational program is the primary and most important function of the Association and that the select program is part of the natural progression and advancement resulting from player development.

 

Specific Duties:

President shall:  Be responsible for the overall operation of GRCSA and shall preside at all Executive Board meetings. Be spokesperson for the league to all outside entities including neighboring soccer associations, local and civic groups, and governmental bodies.  Represent or appoint a delegate to represent GRCSA at all meetings of the organizations with which GRCSA is affiliated.  Enforce the philosophy of play adopted by the league regarding players, coaches and parents (spectators) on the field and at practice.  Keep the vice president informed of all ongoing operations and issues.  Ensure that minutes of meetings are recorded and distributed.

Vice President shall:  Be responsible for the operation of GRCSA business when the President is absent.  Assist the President in all matters as deemed necessary.  Work directly with the league commissioners for recreational and competitive soccer to ensure appropriate planning occurs prior to each season.

Treasurer/Accountant shall:  Be responsible for maintaining financial records and receipts of all funds to be deposited in a recognized bank in the name of the Association.  Prepare financial reports to be presented at executive board meetings that include statements of receipts and disbursements, cash on hand, accounts receivable and accounts payable.  Pay all accounts by check with his or her signature.  Prepare and file annual IRS documents in a timely manner.  Prepare and file annual documents pertaining to the Association’s Charter of Incorporation and tax exempt status.

Registrar shall:  Arrange for and oversee the registration of players for each GRCSA season, including being involved with pre-season calendar planning and development of advertisements.    Maintain communications with Tennessee Soccer concerning procedures for registration of players.  Be responsible for collecting fees and player forms; submitting all registration data to the state association in a timely manner; and ensuring that all players are properly registered.  Assist the Age Group Coordinators as needed with assigning of players to teams.

Risk Management Coordinator shall:  Communicate and distribute educational material on risk management for GRCSA.  Obtain signed Employment/Volunteer Disclosure Statements for all coaches, managers, administrators, employees, and volunteers with exposure to youth of the Association.  Certify in writing that all goals, fields and grounds utilized by the Association are in compliance with Tennessee Soccer requirements.  Submit annually Goal/Field Inspection forms to state office.

Director of Coaching and Player Development shall:  Stay informed of state coaching school training dates and communicate these training opportunities to the Executive Board.  Be responsible for scheduling coaching clinics for all Recreational coaches prior to each soccer season.  Plan and conduct/oversee new player evaluations.  Periodically coordinate special events during each season to provide additional opportunities for advancement of skills for both coaches and players alike.  Be a liaison to local middle school, high school, and university soccer programs to promote the advancement of youth soccer within the community. 

Director of Facilities shall:  Be responsible for the overall maintenance of the facilities, including scheduling any needed repairs as authorized by the Executive Board.  Be a liaison to the City Parks and Recreation Department to ensure grounds maintenance is coordinated with the activities of GRCSA.  Develop a schedule of critical dates and activities necessary for closure and shut-down of facilities in the winter and re-starting of facilities in the spring.  Be responsible for assessing field conditions for posting field closure messages on the phone-line when adverse weather or other conditions require such measures.

Director of Purchasing shall:  Maintain active accounts with necessary vendors for annual supplies including, but not limited to: uniforms, trophies, field lining paint, goals, and nets.  Order such items in a timely manner to ensure delivery dates consistent with the seasonal soccer schedule.  Keep open lines of communication with Recreational and Competitive League commissioners and Age Group Coordinators regarding procurement of necessary supplies.

Referee Assignor shall:  Be responsible for recruiting, assigning, supervising, and evaluating referees for GRCSA.   Be responsible for arranging periodic training and assessment of referees and assistant referees.   Ensure that referees are properly registered annually with USSF through the state association.  Ensure that each assignment is consistent with the individuals’ level of training and experience.

Recreational League Commissioner shall:  Be responsible for developing and overseeing the recreational soccer program.  This includes, but is not limited to, recruiting and training Age Group Coordinators for each age group; developing and scheduling a time-line of necessary meetings, trainings, and game dates prior to each season; and keeping open lines of communication with the Director of purchasing to ensure all necessary supplies are well stocked.  Two commissioners shall be appointed; one having oversight for ages U-13, U-10, and U-8 (these are the age groups that use referees) and the other having oversight of the U-7, U-6, and U-5 teams (micro-soccer).  To ensure no double-scheduling of coaches who have teams in more than one age-group, one of these commissioners shall coordinate the development of game schedules for the entire recreational league.

Competitive League Commissioner shall:  Be responsible for overseeing the management of the competitive soccer program.  This includes, but is not limited to, interpreting and enforcing the competitive soccer playing rules; working directly with the Director of facilities to ensure appropriate fields have been laid out to best accommodate the needs of the competitive teams in any given season; Keeping in contact with neighboring associations to facilitate communication between coaches and to make competitive teams aware of upcoming tournaments.

 

By-Law #3       ROLES OF AGE GROUP COORDINATORS

Age Group Coordinators (AGC’s) shall be appointed by the Recreational League Commissioners and serve as the liaison between the Executive Board and the recreational team coaches.  AGC’s will be invited to all Executive Board meetings but will not have a vote at such meetings.  Each AGC shall be responsible for recruiting coaches for all teams within their respective age group.  AGC’s shall be responsible for collecting signed “Coaches Agreement Forms” prior to the beginning of each season and collecting player evaluations from all their coaches prior to the end of each season.  AGC’s shall coordinate all activities within their age-group and ensure that all coaches are familiar with the GRCSA recreational playing rules.  AGC’s shall ensure necessary information flows in a timely manner between the Executive Board and the coaches.  One of the primary functions of the AGC each season is to form the team rosters.  The following guiding principals are to be used by AGC’s in forming team rosters:

 

Prior to the fall season each year, the registrar will provide AGC’s with a packet containing all the player forms for children that have registered to play within their age group.  AGC’s shall separate the player forms into groups based upon the following information:

 

  • Player ratings from the previous season
  • Personal knowledge of a child’s talent level
  • Years of playing experience shown on the player form

 

Based upon the number of children in each age group, the AGC shall determine the number of teams to be formed for that season.  AGC’s will then proceed to form each team by equally distributing the talent among them.  A fair and unbiased way to achieve this is to make individual piles of each talent level and then “deal” those players to each team similar to dealing a deck of cards.  Where possible, an attempt to balance the distribution of girls and boys equitably among the teams should be considered as well.

 

For any given team, AGC’s shall ensure that the coach’s child and assistant coach’s child is placed accordingly.  No other team placements are guaranteed.  The process for splitting teams in the spring season is the same as above with the exception that the foundation of each team from the fall season will be kept intact.  This allows returning players and coaches to play two seasons (fall and spring) together before being reshuffled into different teams.

 

By-Law #4       PLAYING RULES

Recreational and Competitive League Playing Rules are written and maintained by the League Commissioners.  These rules shall be based upon recommended Tennessee State Soccer guidelines for each age-group and shall be made available to all coaches prior to each season.