Board Meeting
September 14, 2006 Minutes


Meeting called to order by Sophia Meyer at 6:20pm.
Roll Call: Sophia Meyer, Steve Schaffer, Jim Oebker, Sandi Zadjeck,
Leslie Nemeth, Cathy Ivazes, Dan Vielhauer, Thomas Breiter, Chuck Hemmert.
District Meeting: CYSA coach of the year nominations need to be received by October 1, 2006. Information is on the web. General discussion about leagues hiring independent contractors rather than employees. Referees are currently considered independent contractors. Leagues can only increase their registration orders by 20% a season. Surplus needs to be returned to the district registrars.
Camps: This years camps had the highest attendance yet. The British Challenger camp had 140 kids register and we had good feedback. They needed our direct assistance less than the MLS camps that want back in. Our club trainers ran specialty camps under the name CLEATS and had very successful turnouts as well.
Referees: So far the problems for referees have been small. The league had coaches who are using the wrong size soccer balls for the age of their players, and teams were not arriving early enough to get checked in. We will post these requirements on our website and send a reminder to coaches. The marked technical area worked well for coach containment. Referees need to call all slide tackles! (GCYSL policy.)
Metro: Teams have started league play. Our club trainers are available for training recreation league teams and need to have exclusive rights to our league’s facilities in order to make working for a small league economically feasible. There has been a request by a recreation league coach for use of another trainer on our league facilities. Unfortunately, this arrangement would be in conflict with GCYSL’s current commitment to its metro club’s trainers. Although all teams and players in GCYSL are free to attend any training offered outside the league at any time, specific use of our limited field space for outside trainers cannot be granted. Motion by Steve S.,“GCYSL will deny this particular request to use outside trainers.” 2nd by Steve L. all approved.
Registrar: refunds are ready. There is an interest in moving registration ahead next year to include the first two weeks of May. We wait much longer than other leagues and are always time impacted with this process. Sophia will look into preparing a proposal.
Uniforms: Both Xara’s and Samba’s Contracts are up this year. We expect new bids. Most leagues have received their uniforms before we order them. We are currently being treating as a league of individuals thus creating ordering and distribution issues. We can use our database better and collect sizes need for the 400 or so new players we pick up each year. New bids should be received be November 2006.
Volunteers: Schools want us to tell families that dogs are not allowed on school property.
Webmaster: Our website is working well, people are using it often. Parents, coaches and referees all find that accessing schedules has been especially helpful.
Fields: Although football and soccer teams shared the use of some fields in previous years, this year we will not be allowed to use Seven Hills together.
Thomas brought a possible field site to the board’s attention. Unfortunately, it is far too expensive and located in a residential area making it more difficult to acquire for our purposes. A suggestion was made to lease land in Penn Valley near the park, if available, and possibly build a complex there. Since land prices are skyrocketing and our funds are not, we need some creative solutions soon if we are to ever build soccer fields in our area.
There is also a grant, the Quimby Funds, which the city, county and athletic associations need to come together in order to qualify.
Other field issues include coaches starting practices at 3:15pm when the school doesn’t let out until 3:30pm, as well as people overflowing the school’s garbage cans. The schools are not responsible for the leagues garbage. Parents, players and coaches need to take their trash home with them. It was suggested GCYSL make signs to place out during set-up for games and stored with equipment at the end of the day, stating No Dogs Allowed, and Please Remove Your Trash.
Also, goals and nets are getting ruined by kids climbing on them.
Coaches: We had 30 coaches quit this year. Some at the last second. Mostly we have been seeing the normal amount and type of parent and coach complaints, nothing substantial at this point.
Assorted business: Lots of people complained about port-a-potties, especially at the seeding tournament, but not all the problem toilets were ours. Perhaps we should lock up the toilets that belong to other groups during these events.
Good of the game: Board member and coach Sandi watched her son’s team win their first league game 3-0.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30pm.


Minutes submitted by Cathy Ivazes.