2008-2009 Member Services Department Report – Sarah Cantwell, Director
Player Registration

Indiana Youth Soccer welcomed three (3) new clubs during the 2008-09 seasonal year.
Northwood Soccer Club
Nappanee, IN
District 3
MC United
Camby, IN
District 13
FC Mystique
Michigan City, IN
District 2

In March of 2009, after much thought and analysis, the staff of Indiana Youth Soccer made the
decision to adopt GotSoccer as its registration database provider for the future. Many factors
were taken into consideration when making this change that affected all members of the
association.
o All Indiana Youth Soccer Competitive Leagues were already using the program for
league play scheduling and game reports
o Referee administrators were using the program to assign referees for league games
o The Indiana State and Challenge Cup Tournaments used the program for the
application, scheduling and game reporting process
o GotSoccer provided the state association with the registration and tournament
applications for no cost. (a $20,000/year savings)
o Risk Management background checks could be completed with much less staff
involvement/time.
o The use of the Club Pass System for League Play made the availability of club/team
roster to league administrators a necessity.

The state office began training sessions for clubs on the Gotsoccer system in May of 2009.
Josh Poe, the Indiana Gotsoccer Rep, visited the state office and conducted five(5) club training
sessions in May, along with extensive in-house staff training. The office staff then began to
travel to sites throughout the state to train club registrars on the program. Training continues to
be a focus for staff as new registrars are appointed and new clubs join the organization.

The state office composed a list of items that Gotsoccer needed to address in order for the
program to work most efficiently for the membership. Many items have already been
completed. This list is continually updated by office staff and Gotsoccer staff. A second version
of the registration program will launch in early 2010 that will solve many of the problems of the
current state system.

Team approved rosters as well as team travel permits, now performed through the Gotsoccer
System, and can be held in each team account are available for printing at any time.

Club invoicing is now being done in each club account in the Indiana Gotsoccer System. Clubs
can view and print their registration invoices directly from the club account. Payments for player
registration still lag behind player registrations and clubs are being assessed late fees if the club
was not given an extension for payment by the state office.

The learning curve for this new program has been somewhat slow as club players, managers
and coaches adapt to using Gotsoccer personal and team accounts.

A significant part of the Indiana Youth Soccer Strategic Plan is focused on membership growth.
In 2008-2009 Indiana Youth Soccer recorded membership of 56,010 players which equaled
about a 1% membership decline over the previous year. The declining economy appears to be
the primary reason why club registrations are down. Registrations for the fall of 2009 were
forecast to be lower than 2008.
Risk Management
Risk Management encompasses much more than a background check. Emphasis on safety at the
soccer fields is a top priority, and the state office is working to provide information on the following
topics to help club officials keep all members safe:

Goal Safety – making sure goals are secure, safe and kept free of “horseplay” by children.
Coaches, managers and club officials have been encouraged to develop a system where all the
goals are routinely checked and anchored safely. The development of a “Risk Manager”
position in each club is strongly suggested;

“Tournament Cancellation Insurance” – Indiana Youth Soccer has encouraged all sanctioned
tournaments to investigate the merits of this product;

Severe Weather Plans – this includes plans for extreme temperatures and lightning;

Field Safety - keeping the playing fields clear of debris, sharp objects and other items that could
result in injury to the players, referees and spectators;

Player Safety - teaching coaches how to recognize and treat heat-related illnesses and how to
adhere to extreme weather guidelines.
Background Checks

All adults having significant contact with club players or club funds are required by Indiana
Youth Soccer to have a background check performed every two years. This includes all
members of a club’s Board of Directors. The cost for these National Criminal Background
checks is free of charge to the membership as part of their member benefits. Each adult must
now access their own personal account in Gotsoccer to fill out their disclosure. The approval
will appear in this account once the background check has been run successfully. If a
background check produces documentation of an individual with a criminal history, the club risk
management coordinator will be informed.

Approximately 6,500 background checks were performed in 2008-09.

Background checks were also performed for referees aged 18 and older.

A background check on an individual is good for two years.

Clubs will be held liable for any claims against adults in their membership if background checks
are not performed.
Insurance

The state office oversees the liability and secondary medical insurance coverage for the
membership. Insurance claims are processed through the state office with Pullen Insurance. All
claims are immediately reviewed by staff upon receipt and sent to Pullen Insurance for
processing, review and payment.

Clubs are encouraged to communicate with their members that secondary medical insurance
coverage exists and how to use it. Any questions about insurance coverage should be directed
to the state office.

Monetary theft by a volunteer or paid club personnel is a real threat or possibility within youth
soccer organizations. Historically, this type of theft is reported to the state office by at least one
member club each year. Indiana Youth Soccer and Pullen Insurance offer a policy for
affordable insurance coverage (Fidelity Bond) for club purchase and thus lessen the risk of
severe monetary loss by theft. Consideration of the purchase of a Fidelity Bond (insurance) is
strongly encouraged by Indiana Youth Soccer. An application for this policy can be found on
the Indiana Youth Soccer website including coverage information.
Meetings and Events
Annual General Meeting and Workshops

The 2009 Membership Workshops and Annual General Meeting were held at the Renaissance
North Hotel in Carmel Indiana on February 7-8, 2009.

On the evening of Saturday, February 7, Indiana Youth Soccer hosted the Annual Awards
Dinner which coincided with the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Club Presidents were treated to the “President’s Breakfast” on Sunday morning where the
Tournament of the Year and Club Website of the Year Annual Awards were presented along
with a message from Indiana Youth Soccer President Murray Clark.

The Annual General Meeting was held on Sunday, February 8 and attended by 39 member
clubs.

Three individuals were elected to serve on the Indiana Youth Soccer Board of Directors – Larry
Rowland, Bill Vieth and Tony Zirille


There were no bylaw amendments presented to the membership.
One retiring board member – George Topall, was recognized for his service to Indiana Youth
Soccer.
Mid Year Meeting

On Saturday, August 1, Indiana Youth Soccer offered a meeting for the membership at Center
Grove High School, Greenwood, IN. Workshops were held on Gotsoccer Registration, the Club
Pass System of Play, and the U9-10 Academy changes for fall 2009 along with the self
scheduling of U9-10 Academy games by the coaches. A competition summit and the ISL
managers meeting was presented in the afternoon. Complimentary lunch was provided to
meeting participants.

About 50 members attended the sessions.
District Meetings

State office staff traveled during the first three weeks of November to visit the membership and
listen to their needs and concerns. Meetings were held in 12 district locations throughout the
state.

The purpose of district meetings is for the staff to come to the membership, listen to what clubs
in each district have to report and learn what opinions and suggestions the member clubs offer
on different topics.

Topics discussed at District Meetings this year included:
o Club Wellness Blueprint
o Indiana youth Soccer website/communications
o U9 Academy
o Competitive Calendar
o Gotsoccer
o ISL (Indiana Soccer League)
Service Awards


Each year, Indiana Youth Soccer offers the membership an opportunity to recognize people in
thirteen categories for outstanding achievement or service. The categories include:
o Administrator of the Year
o Good of Soccer
o Parent of the Year
o Recreation Coach of the Year
o Boys Coach of the Year
o Girls Coach of the Year
o Young Male Referee of the Year
o Young Female Referee of the Year
o Referee of the Year
o Club Web Site of the Year
o Tournament of the Year
o Team Manager of the Year
o Club Director of Coaching of the Year
The top four candidates for each award were invited to the 2009 Awards Dinner at the
Renaissance North Hotel in Carmel where the winner was announced and presented with an
award. The 2009 winners are listed in the Awards Committee Report.


Indiana Youth Soccer players Allison Abbe and Kaitlyn Hayes were presented with 2009 Spirit
Awards by Vince Ganzberg, Indiana Youth Soccer Director of Education.
President’s Awards were presented to the following:
o In recognition of Zionsville Youth Soccer Association for planning and building an
indoor soccer facility in 2008 for the enjoyment and benefit of their members.
o In recognition of Center Grove Soccer Club for planning and building an indoor soccer
facility in 2008 for the enjoyment and benefit of their members.
o In recognition of Dan Nava for serving as the Indiana State Referee Administrator from
2000- 2008.
o In recognition of Samir Yasa for outstanding service as Indiana State Youth Referee
Administrator from 2004-2008 and his commitment to the referee community and youth
soccer in Indiana.
o In recognition of Pullen Insurance, Inc. and Pat Pullen, with gratitude for the support
of Indiana Youth Soccer, commitment and vigilance to keep the game of youth soccer
safe and fun for all participants .
o In recognition of Lauren Cheney for achievements as a member of the Olympic Gold
Medal winning USA Women’s National Team.

Indiana Youth Soccer is determined to recognize volunteers and those who help create a better
environment for youth soccer. Annual Awards are a formal recognition, but Indiana Youth
Soccer plans to use the website, e-news and the newspaper to honor other special people in
our ranks. New annual award categories may also be added in the future.