Western State College of Colorado

Club Sports Manual

Club Sports Mission Statement

It is the mission for the club sport programs to provide a comprehensive co-educational experience facilitated by a highly competitive sporting environment. A club sport engages the student-athlete with multiple challenges of a significant magnitude on a regular basis, which include managing their team's budget, recruitment, fundraising, and competing on the collegiate level. We hope this will result in interpersonal growth, personal awareness and self-confidence.

Letter to the Clubs

To Western State College Club Athletic Teams:
Let me introduce myself, my name is Chris Martinez; I am your Club Sports Coordinator. You might be asking what does this mean for you? I have been put in the place to help our club sports teams compete on the highest level possible. I am here to help with everything from fundraising, recruitment, game scheduling, to facility acquisition. It is my mission to give all the club sports a professional face on campus and make it as easy as possible for you to run your respective clubs. There are going to be a few rule changes for your club and for you advisors. These rules are here to make an easy transition through the summer and in to your respective seasons. Because of this, I am at your service 24-7 and you can contact me at 970-943-3363 or on email at cmartinez@western.edu . Now let me tell you what you should expect from me as the Club Sports Coordinator. Every club will see that I am here to:

• Help you have the most successful season as possible by helping you with obtaining facilities, equipment, fundraising, retention of players and recruitment of players.
• Help you get your name out to the community for relationships with potential sponsors
• Help you obtain the professional image that you need to have an identity that is taken serious to all in the Gunnison community.

For the advisors, you can be sure that you can count on the following support from me and my staff.

Being aware of the goals, mission, and function, of the group you are advising.
• Consulting with the officers or committee chairs of the group when necessary, especially when there is policy change, purpose, or during a major program.
• Offering constructive criticism and guidance without domination, reminding the group of the college rules ad enforcing them when necessary. When the clubs actions are contrary to its general purpose or procedure or plans a program that is not approved by you, notify the Club Sports Coordinator as soon as possible.

 

Letter to the Advisors

To all WSC Club Sports Advisors:

As an advisor I believe you should be aware of what kind of commitment you are making. Your primary role is to be a college liaison with a sports team on campus. By Western State College regulations, every student group is required to have an advisor. So what are you responsibilities…?
Your responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Assist the team with college related business.
  
• Represent the administration and refer student to, or consult with, the Coordinator of Club Sports, concerning organizations and activities.
  
• Work with student officers prior to practices, meetings, and games.
Assist them in group procedures of leaderships appropriate for there group. Encourage them to plan their meetings, practices, and travel schedule agendas and to go over these agendas in advance with you.

• Encourage your members to operate within the framework approved by the Coordinator of Club Sports. Social activities should be approved through regular channels, and all money should be received or disbursed in accordance wit the financial codes.
  
• Familiarize yourself with the constitutional codes.
  
• Advisor should act in a consulting and advising capacity only. Final decisions should be made by a majority vote of club members.

So what makes a good club advisor?
As a club advisor you are in a unique position to help teach the tools needed to become a leader, not just in their college career but you will teach qualities that will follow them into their professional endeavors as well. As an advisor you are not just seen as a professional on campus but a mentor and friend. Many professionals tend to overlook the fact that learning personal growth and professional development are not confined to the classroom. Clubs in general are meant to keep students involved in the campus culture. As their advisor you are able to reshape their perspective of the college and to help them gain valuable leadership skills.

Rules and Regulations

As of February 1, 2006 the following rules will be put into effect for the following clubs: Baseball, Cheerleading, Frisbee Golf, Hockey, Men’s La Crosse, Men’s Rugby, Men’s Soccer, WSC Adventure Racing, WSC Dance Team, WSC Cycling, WSC Outlaw Rodeo Club, Women’s Rugby, and Women’s Soccer Club. These new rules and regulations will apply to the following; each perspective Club Executive Board, Club Advisor, and all Club Members. If any of the previously mentioned parties do not comply with, and respect the following guidelines their club will be jeopardized until all matters are resolved, or permission has been given back to the club by Chris Martinez, Club Sports Coordinator.

President:

As the president or captain you are the face of your organization. As the leader of your organization you are ultimately responsible for the decisions and actions of your club. You are the motivator, and as a motivator you must be willing to distance yourself from your friends enough to make the right decisions for the entire club. This is a tough position to be in, however this is no different then being in a managerial position, you are the manager of your team. Aside from being a manager you are also a mediator. It is your responsibility to hear all that is said by every member of your group. This is a democracy and it is your responsibility to make sure all that want to be heard can and will be heard. As the president you must be responsible for the following:

You must be present at all activists set forth by the club

• Creating and carrying out agendas, practice schedules, travel schedules
  
• Mediate meetings, and conflicts (with the help of your advisor)
  
• You are also responsible to delegate all responsibilities to others in the group
  
• You must address issues that might trouble the club like: rosters and retention, playing time, fundraising, meeting times, practice times, game times, and travel. You will not be the soul decision maker in these matters, but must lead the decision making process by which the club can establish a majority vote.
  
• The term of presidency will be for one year and elections for all leadership positions will be held annually.
  
• If elected president you must be president for the full year. In the event of only being in school for one semester, another president should be elected.
  

Failure to comply with these issues will result in your status as a club being seriously hindered until there is a change in Presidency or until actions are rectified.

Vice President:

As the vice president you are the glue of the organization and the liaison from the president to the rest of the club. You need to work well with the president and also play devil’s advocate for some situations. The following is a list of responsibilities for the vice president. These responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• You must be present at all activists set forth by the club
  
• Help mediate meetings, and conflicts (with the help of your advisor)
  
• You are also responsible in helping to delegate all responsibilities to others in the group
  
• The term of vice presidency will be for one year and elections for all leadership positions will be held annually.
  
• If elected vice president you must be vice president for the full year. In the event of only being in school for one semester, another vice president should be elected.
Failure to comply with these issues will result in your status as a club being seriously hindered until there is a change in vice presidency or until actions are rectified.

Treasurer:

As the treasurer you are responsible for all financial transactions that the club makes. You, your advisor and Chris Martinez the club sports coordinator, will be the only people able to access your club’s accounts. It is the sole responsibility of the treasurer to know how much money you have in your accounts. You will be the one in the club to give advice to the rest of the club to say what you can spend at any given time. With that responsibility it is your responsibility to keep your club in the red and out of the black. With that said that I will refer you to the financial statement on page 12.

Failure to comply with these issues will result in your status as a club being seriously hindered until there is a change in treasurer or until actions are rectified.

Secretary:

The secretary will be responsible for taking minutes for all the meetings. In order for there to be complete minutes each meeting will be done with parliamentary procedure. The secretary does not have to be a different person however the board might see that it is beneficial to have a person responsible taking the minutes. Minutes must be taken and turned in to Chris Martinez three school days after the meeting, failure to do so will result in a club being jeopardized. You will find that keeping good meeting minutes will protect the interests of the team in cases of past agreements, conflicts and important decisions that effect the organization.

Advisors:

The criteria to be an Advisor includes the following: being present at all events pertaining to the Club/Organization they are Advising, which includes, but is not limited to: meetings, fundraising events, and in some instances practices, dependant on the sport, there is an exception on games. If there is a game on the road, advisors will not be expected to be there, however if there is a home game the advisor will need to be present. Refusal to do so by the Advisor will result in the club’s ability to be a club can become hindered. The most serious instance of these situations can be being placed in a Defunct status, which will remain in place until there is a change in advisement or change in said advisor’s actions. It is essential to note that Defunct status means that the club Will NOT be able to practice, meet, participate in any games, or have access to funds on or off campus. In addition, a Defunct status means that Advisors must also be aware of the financial situation of the club and help educate and provide guidance to the club on how to maximize there financial status. Advisors will do this by helping with in season weekly expense reports with their club that will be signed by both the advisor and treasurer. This report must be brought to Chris Martinez Coordinator of Club Sports for final approval on Wednesdays. Out of season clubs will be required to submit a monthly report with there advisors and treasure signature, and turned into Chris Martinez Coordinator of Club Sports for final approval on the second Wednesday of every month. Refusal to do so by the advisor or club will result in the club being defunct until there is a change in advisement, club board members, or change in said advisors, and club board members actions.

Meetings:

Each club will have to meet no less then twice a month which will be mandatory for the Club Executive Board members which includes the Advisor, President, Vice President, Treasure, Secretary, and all members of the club that want to participate in their athletic season. Each meeting will be done with parliamentary procedure to keep the meetings as democratic as possible. Minutes must be taken and turned in to Chris Martinez three school days after the meeting, in ability to not obey these issues will result in your status as a club being seriously hindered until there is a change in the club’s actions. Meetings can not be considered as practice. Practice and meetings must be two different events, not one in the same. Advisors must be present at all events which includes, but is not limited to: meetings, fundraising events, and in some instances sport practices (dependant of sport) there is an exception on games. If there is a game on the road, advisors will not be expected to be there, however if there is a home game the advisor will need to be present. In ability to not obey these issues will result in your status as a club being seriously hindered until there is a change in the advisors actions.

Financial Responsibility:

At the beginning of the school year all club treasurers will make a financial plan for the upcoming year with their advisor. When clubs are in their season the treasurer will need to make weekly expense reports with their advisor, signed by both the advisor and treasurer. This report must be submitted to Chris Martinez for final approval on each Wednesday weekly. Out of season treasurers will be required to submit a monthly expense report with their advisors, and turned into Chris Martinez for final approval on the second Wednesday of the month. Refusal to do so by either the advisor or treasurer will result in your status as a club being seriously hindered until there is a change in the advisor or treasurer.