Leadership Roles
The Loveland Youth Soccer Association sponsors programs for players of all ages and abilities in Loveland and surrounding communities through recreational soccer, competitive club soccer and an academy program for aspiring competitive players. Recreational soccer has been the core mission of LYSA since its inception in 1976. Participation has grown by nearly 50% over the past five years.
This fall recreational soccer has over 1025 participants playing on 100 teams with over 175 volunteer coaches. In addition LYSA uses 8 locations, 30+ individual fields and 60 sets of goals and nets each season.
LYSA has a number of volunteer positions that need to be filled to support the organization's growth and replace work being done by people leaving these positions. Each of these roles summarized below is critical to LYSA’s ability to offer recreational soccer to the community.
The goal is to fill the roles by the end of October so that the new leadership team can adequately prepare for the coming season. None of the roles requires a lot of time each season.
LYSA Vice President for Recreational Soccer
This position along with the leadership of FC Storm has been handled by the President of LYSA in recent years. Over the past five years the recreational soccer program has grown by nearly 50%; each season now has from 800 to 1000 youth participating making Loveland one of the largest recreational soccer programs in the Cincinnati area. Prior experience coaching soccer is helpful.
The duties of the Vice President include the following broad areas
Serve on the LYSA Board representing recreational soccer
Oversee the planning that is needed to put on a professionally run program each season
Coordinate the various other roles to ensure all of the work is being done, including Registrar, Club Admin, Referee Coordinator, Practice Scheduler, Game Scheduler and others.
Representing LYSA on the SAY North Leadership Team (SAY North is the local recreational league our older teams play in)
Develop effective relationships with Symmes and Miami Township leadership to ensure LYSA continues to have access to the public park space needed for practice and games.
Manage the relationships with NECC (now Sanctuary Church) and VFW to ensure continued use of private field space
Create a vision for the continued growth of recreational soccer in Loveland with a focus on growing participation of our 7th through 12th grade players
Identify new roles as needed to manage the recreational soccer program.
Field Coordinator - Goals
LYSA owns all of the goals that are used each season for recreational soccer. Many of these have to be moved in the spring and fall seasons because the fields LYSA has access to are different in the spring and fall. LYSA maintains a master field schedule for each season indicating what fields are used and what size goals do on each field.
This position is responsible for the following:
Moving goals to the correct fields at the beginning of the season and moving them off the field at the end of the season. The goals range in size from small ones used for Cubs (4ft x 6ft) to large goals used for older teams (6ft x 18ft). Either a large (26 ft UHaul) truck or trailer is needed to move the goals.
Organize a team of volunteers to help move the goals
Making sure the goals are safe; and are anchored with metal anchors or sandbags
.
Field Coordinator - Nets - FILLED!!
LYSA owns and maintains all of the nets used on the goals used each season. The nets need to be removed at the end of the fall season and stored in labeled bins. They are put back on the goals each spring. Most of the goals require nets to be secured with zip ties. Some goals have built in brackets for securing the nets.
The position includes the following responsibilities
- Hang nets on all goals in the spring
- Remove nets in at the end of the fall season and storing them in bins in a storage shed LYSA rents (we have been leaving nets on goals during the summer)
- Organize a team of volunteers to help do the work
- Check on nets during the season to replace broken zip ties
- Maintain an inventory of all nets
- Replace worn nets; most of the nets last 3-5 years depending on the quality of the net
This position needs to be filled by October 15; the person doing this work is leaving their leadership position in LYSA.
Field Coordinator - Field Maintenance
LYSA contracts with a local company (Holly Bee Mowing) to have fields mowed at Northeast Community Church (now Serenity) and VFW. LYSA also contracts with Rumpke for trash bins and porta potties at these fields.
This position includes the following responsibilities
Ensure the mowing service is started in the spring.
Have the mowing frequency changed to once a week in the off-seasons when we don’t play soccer
Contact Rumpke to start and stop service
Monitor the fields for any holes or areas that are getting worn during the season
Work with the Storm Field Coordinator for on maintenance issues affecting fields jointly used by the rec and Storm programs
This position needs to be filled by October 15; the person doing this work is leaving their leadership position in LYSA.
Website Manager -- FILLED!!
LYSA maintains a website www.lovelandsoccer.org that is hosted on a free platform provided by Stack Sports, a subsidiary of Dicks Sporting Goods. The website is an important source of information for coaches and parents, practice and game schedules and field information. All of the information coaches need is posted to the website. In addition, it is used to direct families to the registration platform on Team Snap. All of the seasonal information needs to be updated at the beginning of each playing season.
This position includes the following responsibilities:
Update the links each season for registration on Team Snap
Update the program information so that it is current each season
Post information for coaches
Create links for practice and game schedules that are maintained as google docs
Update other features of the website; pictures, news, etc
Update field closure information when fields are closed due to bad weather
The current website architecture doesn’t allow for much creativity. We would like to evaluate alternative website design options that would offer more functionality but not be overly complicated to update and maintain.
Coaches Social Coordinator - Filled
LYSA needs over 150 coaches and assistant coaches each season. They are volunteer parents who spend many hours with our players each season. Without them we could not offer soccer to all of the families in the community.
In 2019 we kicked off a Coaches Social to help say ‘thank you’ to our coaches. It was held in the outside area of Narrow Path Brewery, and the coaches loved it. The event included free beer and pizza along with door prizes. In spring 2021 we held a scaled down social event. Another one is planned for Fall 2021. These have the potential to be bigger and more fun for our coaches but need a volunteer leader to coordinate it. There is not a lot of work involved and it is limited to a short period of time each season.
This position includes the following responsibilities:
Work with Club Admin and Vice President to set date
Arrange location; Narrow Path has been a great location in the past
Communicate to coaches
Coordinate food options (e.g. pizza from the Works, food truck)
Decide on door prizes if any
Records Management - FILLED!!
LYSA coaches are required to complete and maintain their certification in three areas; concussion awareness, Lyndsay’s Law compliance on sudden cardiac arrest and SafeSport on physical, mental and sexual abuse in youth sports. In addition, all coaches are required to pass a background check every two years. The club is required to maintain records of coaches compliance with each of these requirements. LYSA needs a volunteer to work with the Club Admin to ensure compliance with these policies. The work is limited in scope to the several weeks during which LYSA selects coaches.
The position includes the following responsibilities:
Collecting certificates (electronically) show completion of training in Concussion Awareness, Lynday’s Law and SafeSport from all coaches.
Maintaining a database of the certificates
Handling the background check administrative work
Currently, the record collection process is done manually. Ideally, LYSA would like to find an on-line data management tool to make the process more efficient and easier to track since some of the certifications are valid for several years before needing to be renewed.
Service Project Coordinator - Filled
Part of the mission of LYSA is to give back to the communities in which we live and play. LYSA held its first community service project in many years in spring 2021 when it held a food drive to support the L.I.F.E Pantry. LYSA would like to hold an annual service project, but needs a coordinator to identify a club-wide project and coordinate the club’s participation.
This position includes the following responsibilities:
Identifying service project opportunities
Organizing the service project
Getting volunteers as needed to help
Social Media Manager - FILLED!!
LYSA maintains a Facebook and Instagram account. They are used to communicate key events like registration and celebrate the successes and fun our teams have. These platforms are under utilized due to the lack of volunteer time to post information on them. LYSA is looking for someone who enjoys connecting with people through social media to give the club a better presence and share with our families the great things that are going on with all of our programs and teams.
This position includes the following responsibilities:
Posting information on Facebook and Instagram on a regular basis. Includes registration information and pictures/stories from teams
Soliciting stories, pictures, etc from coaches