LA CROSSE YMCA MONTHLY YOUTH

SOCCER TOURNAMENT

Leisure Model InformationProblemThe main problem I came across when coming up with the idea of a “Monthly Soccer Tournament” was getting a certain number of coaches or volunteers as well as getting a good amount of participants for the event. Supplies really aren’t that big of an issue simply because soccer doesn’t use many supplies – field space is the only concern here.

SolutionSince this is a program through the YMCA, resources will already be provided since they have a soccer league going throughout the year already. Volunteers should not be a problem since it is in La Crosse and is located very close to campus. There are always students looking for volunteer opportunities and this is only one weekend per month so it isn’t asking too much from them. I think as long as we market to the right crowd, getting participants will be simple. However, if there is less than expected, you can simply change the tournament to a lower amount of teams. This allows great flexibility to the program with the amount of teams or individuals that sign up. The La Crosse YMCA already plays on fields with their soccer program so it will be easy enough to just use that space and not have to worry about finding a new location for the event to run. Participation will continue to grow during each tournament as long as it is organized and run well. This event can be a great monthly program that children look forward to in order to build teamwork, skills, and communication that assist in building a valuable foundation for later in life.

La Crosse YMCA Monthly Soccer TournamentProgram Plan

IntroductionI am lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with the La Crosse YMCA in order to come up with a new program that will bring the community together for a half day. Since I have a passion for soccer, I thought of making a monthly tournament – open to youth participants in the La Crosse area.

Program OverviewI am designing a new program to bring all youth from the ages of 5-15 (elementary-middle school) together and have a giant two-day soccer tournament. Of course, since this is through the YMCA, promoting their mission is a huge focus for the tournament. “YMCA Mission: To put Christian principles into practice through programs that help healthy spirit, mind and body for all”. The day is not focused on winning – having fun is the number one emphasis in this tournament. It is my mission to create a new, fun, and exciting way to bring the community together in an original way.

Program Goals (Brief)It is my goal to reach a minimum of four teams for each age group in the tournament. Inclusion is an extremely goal that I have for every participant, so I came up with the idea of lowering the amount of individuals per team so each player feels more involved and has a higher impact on the game. In addition to these two goals, I want participants to meet and know everybody on their team by the end of the tournament.

Date & TimeJune 6-June 7 from 12:00pm to 6:00pm each day (age groups rotate out with each other during these times)

Target PopulationAs stated above, the population I will be attempting to reach is ages 5-15. This is both elementary and middle school age. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of organized tournaments for these age groups apart from school activities, so adding this idea would be a great way to exercise that option and open up new opportunities for both the YMCA and participants.

Risk Management (Brief)

Obviously when playing any sport, an injury is bound to happen. A first aid kit will be on site at all times and a certified CPR worker or volunteer will be there if needed. Waivers will have to be signed in case of a significant injury. This must be done beforehand – no individual may participate if they have not handed in their waiver before the event.

Marketing Plan (Brief)The most difficult part of this program plan may be getting the amount of participants wanted. A big bonus is that this put on through the La Crosse YMCA, who already has a lot of closely knit families and friends. My goal is to also successfully market the La Crosse YMCA Monthly Soccer Tournament through the La Crosse YMCA Facebook page as well as their Twitter account. Promoting the event on their website is also a very viable option that will reach many different sets of eyes. Putting up flyers around schools and in the YMCA is also a very effective strategy that I intend to express.

Criteria For SuccessIf my marketing plan goes smoothly, I should easily be able to get my goal of five teams per age group (i.e. twenty teams). However, it would be very easy to change the tournament around if more teams than expected sign up. Involving volunteers will be a massive part of this programs success. Since the YMCA is a nonprofit organization, paying a bunch of workers to put this on is just not an option. Obviously changes in weather can be a huge factor in this program since it is all outdoors. A field house must be reserved and used if the conditions aren’t what they are expected to be on the day of the event. Having access to equipment, supplies, and materials is another big factor, which will determine how this program runs. On the bright side, the YMCA should have all of this equipment available since the program is run through them, so this should not be a problem. Challenge by choice is always a big concern for events like this. If a child does not want to compete in the tournament, they are not required to. I will have planned different activities that they can do on the side if they do not want to participate in the tournament any more.

Supplies Water and possibly tents for staying out of the hot sun Water cooler with small cups for individuals who forget water or

run out of it during the event First aid kit in case of any accidents Soccer equipment – shin guards, socks, and tape in case anyone

forgets theirs Soccer balls and goals for different age groups

Coaching and referee equipment so volunteers, employees and coachers can run a smooth program

Shirts (from sponsors) will be given once everyone arrives and finds their teams

Possible concessions stand Additional waivers Awards and prizes for everyone and for winners of grade 7 and 8 Cones for warm ups Corner flags Paper and markers for team flags Patches for goals Camera for pictures to promote the next tournament Futsal (indoor soccer ball in case it rains) Challenge by choice equipment (information in back)

Goals and Objectives1. To teach participants about the importance of the YMCA’s mission on both days of the tournament.A. Encourage participants so they come away from the tournament stronger both mentally and physically.

S: Ensure that everybody is treating each other the way they want to be treated.M: Ask participants afterwards if they enjoyed their time at the event and ask if they think their skills improved.A: Encouraging all participants will create a positive impact and make them feel welcome back again.R: The YMCA’s mission relates to improving yourself, and you can do that by growing mentally and physically.T: Participants must grow in a positive way by the end of the tournament.

B. Challenge participants to meet the YMCA’s mission on and off the field in order to be the best person they can be.

S: Becoming a better person on the field is only half of the YMCA’s goal, off the field is just as important.M: Ask participants if they have a better understanding of the YMCA’s mission and how to apply it to life.A: Positively challenging participants to be better skill-wise and attitude-wise.R: The YMCA’s mission wants a better lifestyle for everyone and being the best person you can be fulfills this.T: Participants can tell a difference between their mindset from the time they arrive at the tournament until the time the tournament is over.

C. Educate volunteers, coaches, and staff about the YMCA’s mission prior to the event.

S: Have meetings prior to the event to inform, educate, and explain what they YMCA wants staff to do during the event.M: Ask if staff understand their roles and if the meeting before the event was useful for the day of the activity.A: Give a heads up when the meeting will be so all staff can attend it.R: This meeting will improve the overall quality of the program so it is very importantT: Staff will know when the meeting is in a timely manner and it will be close enough to the event so everyone remembers he details given during the meeting

2. To improve participants’ teamwork throughout the duration of the event.A. Teaching participants why teamwork is helpful during the event’s games and why it is essential later in life.

S: Show that sports aren’t all about winning; life lessons are learned through them.M: Physically seeing the team improve each game.A: After playing with each other for hours, that gives enough time to learn strategies and how each other play.R: Teamwork is used in later stages in life so the skill is extremely useful to improve now and later.T: By the end of the tournament teamwork should be improved.

B. Making sure that all participants are giving each other positive encouragement during games.

S: Negativity goes against the YMCA’s mission; making sure everyone is positive makes it an enjoyable experience.M: Coaches and referees will be able to hear the participants communicating with each other.A: Throughout the event participants should learn that positive reinforcement will help the team grow and play better.R: The YMCA wants everyone to feel welcome and encouragement is key in this process.T: From the time participants arrive on the field to the time they leave the tournament positive encouragement should be heard.

C. Have participants meet at least three new teammates that they have never met before throughout the duration of the tournament.

S: Teamwork relates directly with other people and meeting new participants helps to grow this skill.M: Asking at the end of the tournament who are the new people that each participant met.A: Teams will have more than three other people on them so meeting three new ones should be easy.R: The YMCA focuses on building relationships with others.T: Participants have the whole tournament to find new teammates they have never met before and friend them.

3. To successfully have enough participants to form at least four teams from each age group for the days of the tournament.A. Begin marketing the program at least 30 days before the tournament.

S: Go through my marketing plan and advertise with the YMCA at the building and schools.M: Get feedback from families about information and where to sign up for the tournament.A: By meeting my goals and outlines marketing my program will be attainable.R: Using marketing strategies that are used through the YMCA already and hope to reach the community they already created.T: Create flyers and promotional materials before the 30-day period and have them ready to distribute.

B. Promote my program on social media and La Crosse YMCA’s website 14 days before the tournament.

S: Create an event about the program on Facebook and have it approved by La Crosse YMCA at least 15 days before the program begins.M: Complete a Facebook event and have it posted 14 days before the event in order to monitor it for any questions people may have about the tournament. A: Attained through approval from La Crosse YMCA about sharing the event on their social media.R: Marketing through Facebook is an effective way to market since you can reach vast amounts of people in a short amount of time.T: Creating this Facebook event and having it shared on the La Crosse YMCA page at least two weeks before the tournament allows individuals to plan for the tournament and ask questions they may have.

C. Get enough participants for four teams from each age group on the tournament day

S: Getting enough team members for each team is important so that each participant gets the full effect of how the tournament is supposed to be run.M: Participants are counted before the game begins and after halftime to ensure each team has the same amount of players on the field.A: This number will be hit by working the market plan through the La Crosse YMCA, schools, and social media.R: The number of participants chosen is needed in order to successfully create enough teams to have a tournament.T: Begin marketing 30 days before the program to ensure that enough people show up to the event.

4. To facilitate the program to the best of my ability without any issues on the days of the event.A. Create a trial run to go through a few days before the event to determine if everything will run smoothly.

S: Weeding out any questions or flaws that may be in the program is key and a trial run is best for this.M: Determining if the trial run was successful afterwards.A: After a meeting with the staff, take everyone out to where the event will be held and go over everything so they know their roles and what to do during the day of the event.R: Try and mock the trial run as close as possible and pretend you have the full amount of participants throughout the trial.T: Doing the trial run within a week of the actual program will keep everyone’s minds fresh for when the tournament running.

B. Make a checklist of tasks to do on the day of the event so nothing is forgotten at least ten days beforehand.

S: This helps me to realize what supplies I need to purchase and where I need to be at certain busy times of the event.M: Determining if the tasks were well written or what needs to be added to the list for next time to have a smooth tournament.A: Realizing what is needed for the event and the number of people is important before creating the list so it makes sense and people know where to be at certain times.R: Relates to the event because forgetting one little item might set back the tournament time, leaving everything messed up.T: Doing this list ahead of time leaves less stress once the program starts.

C. Check in on staff to ensure they don’t have any problems throughout the day of the event.

S: This ensures that every “station” is running well and checking in on thing would allow any questions to be answered on the spot.M: Asking staff afterwards if they felt as though they had enough support and if they were comfortable running their portion of the event.A: As the director, it allows me the freedom to check in on everybody and assist the staff in need of a hand.R: Using this check-in, I am making sure the staff is comfortable which, in turn, makes the participants comfortable and gives them a better experience.T: Doing check-ins throughout the tournament is key in running a successful program.

The TournamentNote: The time given in parentheses is an estimate as to how long the event will be at each stage.

Rules: There will be no team “eliminated” from this tournament. The only thing that this tournament is aiming for is for the younger age groups is to have fun. Developing motor skills at this stage is very important. At young ages, the goal is to get them to work together and spread out rather than bunching up and chasing the ball. Once we get to older grades (5 through 8th grade) we will begin to keep score. Again, no team will be eliminated, but score does become a factor whether we try to stop it or not. Youth at this age range begin to be competitive and keeping score will keep their interest in the game and maximize their willingness to compete. For every game you get a set amount of points. Win = 3 Points, Tie = 1 Point, Loss = 0 Points. Like professional soccer, you tally up all your points at the end, and whoever has the most is the winner (but everyone gets the same prize in the end).

Age Ranges: Since there is a wide variety of skill ranges in this tournament, it will be split up into grades. For example, grades 1 and 2 will play with each other, 3 and 4th grade will play with each other, 5 and 6th grade will play with each other, and finally 7 and 8th grade will play with each other. This will even out skill level and reduce any significant injury possibilities greatly.

Schedule of the Day:Grades 1 and 2The first teams to arrive at 12:00pm on June 6th will be the youngest ones. They will play two 20-minute games on June 6th and then return on June 7th in order to play two more games. This will allow all volunteers and workers to ease into the tournament rather than jumping into the oldest age group right off the bat. The main goal for this age group is to keep their attention throughout their time at the tournament. Keeping energetic and inspiring them to do their best is extremely important at this stage. Parents will be encouraged to cheer on their kids and teammates as the tournament goes on as long as they are keeping a positive attitude and not criticizing any players, referees, coaches, or other participants of the event. Smaller goals will be used for this age group as well as a smaller ball. Taking water breaks during quarters or halftimes are extremely important at this age. If they are having fun and enjoying themselves, everyone is winning.(Time Elapsed: 1 hour) - 1:00pm

- Find your team (5 minutes)- Get warmed up for the games (5 minutes)- Play one 20 minute game (22 minutes including halftime)- Break (5-6 minutes)- Play other 20 minute game (22 minutes including halftime)

- Time to leave (allow 10 minutes for next age group to arrive)Staff: 1 referee per field, 1 volunteer coach per teamGrades 3-4The second team to arrive on each day is the 3 and 4th graders. They will arrive at approximately 1:10pm. This will give all volunteers and workers a chance to clean up after the first round of games and set up appropriately for this age group. This age group will play two 25-minute games on June 6th and come back on June 7th and play two more games. Again, for this age group score does not matter. However, rules will be implemented to prepare them for soccer in the future. Referees will begin calling “handballs” and “fouls” against the teams when needed. Again, keeping the attention of this age group is a big challenge, but staying energetic and encouraging can go a long ways. This age group will use the same size goals as the previous, however the fields will be slightly larger. (Time Elapsed: 1 hour 10 minutes) – 2:20pm

- Find your team (5 minutes)- Get warmed up for the games (5 minutes)- Play one 25 minute game (27 minutes including halftime)- Break (5-6 minutes)- Play other 25 minute game (27 minutes including halftime)- Time to leave (allow 10 minutes for next age group to arrive)

Staff: 1 referee per field, 1 volunteer coach per team

Grades 5-6The third team to arrive on each day is the 5 and 6th graders. They will arrive at approximately 2:30pm. This again will give volunteers and workers a little bit of time to get set up and ready to go for the next age group. This age group will play two 30-minute games on June 6th and come back on June 7th and play two more games. Fields size and goal size will both be changed for this age group. Again, rules will be emphasized scores will matter with this group. Volunteers, coaches, and workers must enforce that winning is not everything, however. Implementing teamwork, communication, and promote a “healthy spirit, mind, and body”. At this stage including everybody is a big factor. If as a coach you are not concerned about winning the games. You are concerned about making all the children feel included and make sure they are having a fun time. (Time Elapsed: 1 hour and 20 minutes) – 3:50pm

- Find your team (5 minutes)- Get warmed up for the games (5 minutes)- Play one 30 minute game (32 minutes including halftime)- Break (5-6 minutes)- Play other 30 minute game (32 minutes including halftime)- Time to leave (allow 10 minutes for next age group to arrive)

Staff: 2 referees per field, 1 volunteer coach per team

Grades 7-8The fourth team to arrive on each day is the 7 and 8th graders. They will arrive at approximately 4:00pm. This will give all volunteers and workers some time to clean up and move equipment to where it needs to be for this age group. At this age group, competing is a big factor. You don’t just want to play the game for fun - winning means something. Having an identity and a team name is a fun way to grow together as a team and improve team building as a whole. Therefore, teams will meet again, but this time will decide on a team name and create a flag for their newly found club. This way they will have a sense of teamwork and communication that the other groups did not have. Having a small prize for first place is an option for this age group as long as everyone else gets a prize for participating as well. Days will consist of two 40-minute games on a bigger size field, goal, and ball than the other age groups. Rules will be enforced and harder, more complicated rules will be explained to those participants who are not aware of them. Although this age group is more competitive, that does not mean any of the other rules don’t apply. Parents must be respectful to all players, referees, and coaches. Coaches must still focus on having fun, not winning.(Elapsed Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes) – 5:50pm

- Find your team (5 minutes)- Create flag (10 minutes)- Get warmed up for the games (5 minutes)- Play one 40 minute game (42 minutes including halftime)- Break (5-6 minutes)- Play other 40 minute game (42 minutes including halftime)

Staff: 2 referees per field, 2 volunteer coaches per teamSoccer Tournament & YMCA Mission StatementHow La Crosse YMCA Monthly Soccer Tournament relates to the YMCA mission is simple. Soccer is a very team-oriented game. Without any one position, you are at a severe disadvantage. Participants, throughout this tournament, will work together in order to be the best that they can be while being surrounded by supporters that are encouraging them to succeed. No negativity is acceptable at all throughout the event. This puts every individual in a healthy state of mind, and allows him or her to have a healthy spirit. While exercising hard on the field, it gives you a healthy body as well.

Outcomes and BenefitsThere are several different positives that this added program would bring to the YMCA. Training before the event will teach staff and volunteers the skills to weed out any flaws that the program may have during its first tournament. Many volunteers are needed for the event and if they enjoy their experience through the YMCA and are not a

member yet, they may consider joining the company and becoming one. A benefit of working with the YMCA is the audience they already reach. This allows me to do reach more people in a shorter amount of time. Reaching the attendance goal shouldn’t be a problem with this program. Local businesses may be eager to donate since this program is associated with the YMCA. We can offer the company’s logo on the back of the shirt in return for some money or other equipment they can provide. Of course there are multiple benefits for the participants as well. They get to meet new people (maybe outside of their normal classmates) and work with them in order to succeed. Making everyone feel included and important will drive them to be the best they can be, and that is what this event is focusing on. Since I am planning this as a monthly program, an audience will begin to grow each time as long as the program is done correctly each time. Feedback is essential with a newly formed program, and with all volunteers and stuff, I can find out what needs to be done in order to improve the event as a whole.

Staffing NeedsWithout volunteers, employees, or participants, this program would not be able to run. Each one plays a vital role in putting on the event – even if one individual does not show up, it could make things ten times harder for the rest of the group simply because somebody else has to fill their spot.Employees: Employees are expected to work because it is their job. But using a high amount of employees at events like this can be costly. However, if you can’t find enough volunteers to help out, then employees are a must. Most of the time, employees are the ones who ref the games and organize the event.Description: Employees are expected to be available for the whole time when needed at various positions where volunteers wouldn’t normally know. Employees are normally trusted with the more difficult jobs that come up including customer service.

- Number of employees grades 1-2: 1 per field- Number of employees grades 3-4: 1 per field- Number of employees grades 5-6: 2 per field- Number of employees grades 7-8: 2 per field- Number of employees available throughout the day for special

care or assistance of others: 2- Number of employees needed for medical staff: 1- Number of employees for Challenge by Choice activities: 1

Volunteers: Volunteers are a vital part of the program. They supply the numbers in terms of people when help is needed in areas. Hiring all employees would cost too much to run the event, so the number of volunteers the program has will make or break it. As a thank you, volunteers could get a coupon to the YMCA or get a prize along with the participants.

Description: Participants normally have the jobs that are needed for the program to run. For instance, coaches a lot of times are volunteers. They can step up if they feel as though they can run the team (normally has a child on the team). Concessions are another important area where volunteers normally help out.

- Number of volunteers at concessions stand: 2- Number of volunteer coaches for grade 1-2: 4- Number of volunteer coaches for grade 3-4: 4- Number of volunteer coaches for grade 5-6: 4- Number of volunteer coaches for grade 7-8: 8 (assistant coaches)

Management Team: I include this because the YMCA has some work to do of their own after I suggest this program to them. They must prepare the park, verify that they have all the proper equipment, and also adjust to the needs that I may have if something wrong comes up. Other than that I do most of the work on my own, just with some help from a few people from their team.Staff Recruitment ProcessFor this job I am looking for individuals who want to make an impact on the youth on the community. Volunteering just to get hours is not going to cut it for this program. You have to WANT to help. I want this experience to be the best possible event for youth, and that won’t happen if someone is dreading coming to volunteer because they had to do it for a class. An interview process would be a bit too much for volunteering, but filling out a survey may be the perfect way to measure their integrity. Coaching, on the other hand needs to have an interview. I will not hire people just from looking at a sheet of paper and trusting them to work with a team of kids. I need to get to know that person and make sure that they know how to create excitement while improving the skills of the kids on their team.

Physical EnvironmentSoccer can be played both inside and outside. I want to focus this program on outdoor soccer. The YMCA has multiple locations in which the program could be at. I don’t really have a specific location picked out, however working on an area with a lot of flat ground is a must since that is what soccer requires. An area with a shelter for keeping cool and to get out of the sun would be a plus as well. Another option to factor in would be a jungle gym at a park and how that can be viewed as challenge by choice. If an individual does not want to be a part of the program, a jungle gym near by is a great second choice activity. In terms of indoors, there really aren’t too many options for the soccer tournament. The program would need a massive field house in order to play inside which would need to be reserved ahead of time. An indoor soccer tournament would restrict multiple activities I had in mind but it is much better than cancelling the whole program.

Inclusion PlanThe YMCA is all about reaching out to everybody in the community. Leaving no child behind is my mindset. Obviously with this event we want every child feel as though he or she is the center of attention. Including each and every child is just as important as planning the event altogether. Some people, when hearing about this event might think, “I’m not good enough at soccer” or “I’m a girl, I don’t want to play with boys and get hurt”. These are examples of what I want to knock out. Instead of children questioning the program, I want them getting excited and preparing to compete in such an awesome opportunity. I will expand the inclusivity of the program by stressing that everyone of every skill level, race, or gender is welcome to come and play as a community in this program. Often times, it is the parents who need convincing, not the children. By showing that the program wants to include everybody from the community, more and more people will come each month. I want to especially expand the program to girls. Since this event is co-ed, some girls might be afraid to play with boys. However, since the program is based off of fun and not competitiveness, injuries won’t happen as often. This goes along with age ranges; if I were to throw all ages together in one giant tournament injuries would be bound to happen. I will accomplish this by targeting more racially diverse areas of La Crosse and letting them know about the program as well as using marketing as a key factor in my inclusion plan. An example on how I would use marketing with inclusion would be to add a picture of a girl on the flyer to promote girls to come play at the event. I could also add a wide range of races on the flyer as well. Individuals with special needs are also welcome to join the program. This may cause some difficulties when playing during the games, but working with one another and building teamwork is what this program is all about, and welcoming individuals no matter who they are is what the YMCA thrives on.

Marketing PlanGetting a good amount of participants to attend this event is the main focus of my marketing plan. My idea is to target locations with flyers that will give out important information concerning the event. Hanging up flyers a quick and effective way to get the event out there to the public. An even more effective way to market this event would be through the YMCA’s already established market. My plan is to market the event in the building of the YMCA with several posters and flyers that will capture attention of any parents or children who would be interested in playing soccer. Since the YMCA already has soccer programs, sending both coaches and parents an email would target the audience, which is already interested in both the sport and the organization itself. Lastly, my plan would be to create an event on Facebook of the tournament and have the La Crosse YMCA promote it

on their page. This would allow their Facebook followers to view it and potentially sign up on the spot.Who: I will focus on targeting parents since the children may be a little too young to sign up themselvesWhere: I will post flyers and posters up in schools and the YMCA as well as send emails to participants already in soccer programs through the YMCA. How: Posters, flyers, social media, emails, and word of mouth are my main ways of letting the community know about this event.Materials: There really aren’t many materials when considering the marketing of this event since a heavy portion of it is online. The only materials that would be needed are those of the flyers and posters, which would consist of paper, a printer, and tape to post the flyer in different effective locations.

Risk Management PlanIt is impossible to think that injuries won’t happen in sports. However, taking steps in order to drastically prevent injuries is a good way to look at things. There are several different types of risks when talking about soccer, and each and every one should be looked at to see what could be done to prevent them from happening.

Environmental RiskSince this tournament is being run outside, (unless weather doesn’t permit) there are several factors that may be a potential hazard to participants. Wet grass can be a hazard to anybody at the event and could cause someone to slip and hit their head. Another danger on the ground could be sticks or stones on the fields of the players. Potholes are environmental risks that are hard to prevent, yet are still apparent in almost any open field. In the case of bad weather, the games will be moved indoors and this could result in slippery floors and the potential of running into walls.Managing Environmental Risk: Scout the area a few days ahead of time leading up to the event. This will prevent any surprises on the day of the program. For instance, noticing any potholes or wet surfaces will determine weather or not the ground is safe enough for the tournament to be held on. Obviously this is not possible for some environmental risks such as sticks that could fall on the day of the event. Having a back up indoor area that is free of hazards is key in case of rain during the event in which a sudden change of locations is needed.

Infrastructure RiskBuildings are not a huge factor with this event since it is being run outdoors, but in some minor cases could be an issue. For example, the jungle gym for challenge by choice could cause a significant injury if the participants are not playing on it correctly. Moving the tournament indoors due to weather would greatly expand this category of risks. For example, a ball hitting the ceiling could cause a falling light. A major concern from moving games outdoors to indoors is the slippery floors that could tag along with it.Managing Infrastructure Risk: Explaining “challenge by choice” participants on how to use the jungle gym properly before they play on it would prevent traumatic injuries from happening (i.e. falling off of a slide, etc.). Making sure everybody wipes their feet before entering the gym floor would be a big deal in the case of moving the event indoors.

Programmatic RiskAs much as management teams want to be prepared for everything, it is impossible – especially when you are just starting a program. There can me a wide range of programmatic risks and errors that occur, even if you try to plan for the worst. For example, staff and volunteers could drop out, get hurt, or even quit. T-shirts may be running late and unavailable for the event. Fields may be wet from previous storms. In this case moving indoors would be ideal but this would lead to possible overcrowding of the gym since soccer requires a very open space. There are multiple risks when concerning the program and in some cases trial-and-error is the best way to learn.Managing Programmatic Risk: Practice makes perfect. You will not have a flawless program the first time you put it on. Making sure to learn from your mistakes is key as program organizers. Having back up plans in case individuals do not show up is very important – having too many volunteers is better than not enough. This goes hand in hand with t-shirts; ordering too many is better than not enough, resulting in leaving participants out.

Emergency RiskPlaying a sport always has a risk of serious injury; this is what waivers are for. Dealing with these injuries at events is extremely important and can even be life saving. Having individuals who know CPR on site is a significant part of any event. Injuries such as broken bones, sprained ankles, concussions, and cuts or slashes may occur. In cases like these individuals who know how to handle the situations in a calm and professional manner must be present.

Managing Emergency Risk: Like stated above, risk of serious injury is always apparent in sports. Taking steps towards precautionary actions about the risks and helping to prevent them is the best way to do this. Having meetings with volunteers, coaches, and employees will allow management team to inform every member how to properly teach participants how to play the game safely while still competing. Along with helping to prevent injuries, planning for after the fact is just as important. Medical staff must be prepared for the worst and should be educated on what to do if the situation arises.

Transportation RiskWith any event that is not on location, transportation must be arranged; this of course, involves risk. Any time you are driving on the road you are at risk of being in an accident. This does not have to only include participants. An example would be an employee driving back to the YMCA to grab equipment that they forgot to bring to the event. A more serious form of transportation would be kids riding their bikes or walking to the park where the event is put on. Encouraging parents to drive their children or to drop them off at the event would solve this issue.Managing Transportation Risk: Making sure all participants have a safe way of getting to the event is extremely important. Ride sharing is a great way to get to and from the event and the YMCA has an extremely family oriented community with families who would love to help if another child can’t get to the event safely.

Applicable YMCA Emergency Plans (Please check website for more info)- Emergency Response Procedure- Privacy Policy- Inclement Weather Policy- 911 Policy- Emergency Procedures for Critical Incidents

o Criminal Action/Assaulto Illness or Injuryo Left Child Policyo Lost Child Policy

- Procedures for Non-Critical Incidentso Bloodborne Pathogen Exposureo Implementation Schedule and Methodologyo Vehicular Injury Accidents

Sources http://www.laxymca.org/membership/policies/www.annarborymca.org/sites/default/files/pdf/staff/emergency.pdf

Challenge by Choice

At the YMCA it is important to include everybody – no matter what gender, age, sexual orientation, origin, or physical disability. Those who do not want to take part in the soccer tournament are encouraged to participate in challenge by choice. I have come up with multiple different and fun activities for those who wish to not play in the tournament.Activities:

1. Kites2. Coloring Station3. Jungle Gym4. Tennis5. Bingo

Release of Liability (Soccer Tournament)I, the undersigned, hereby release the La Crosse YMCA (The Y) and all affiliated with the YMCA from any liability or claims for injury, illness, or property damage that I sustain and/or cause during my participation, or sustained by my son/daughter/minor in my care participating in this event, program or other which is in any way related.

I expressly accept and assume all of the risk inherent in this activity or that might have been caused by the negligence of releasees. Releasees are defined as partners, sponsors, officers, members, agents, employees and any other organization, entities, and individuals who are serving The YMCA including all volunteers assisting with programs, events or other activities.

I hereby voluntarily release, forever discharge, and agree to indemnify and hold harmless releasee from any and all claims,

demands, or causes of action which are in any way connected with my participation in this activity, or my use of their equipment or facilities, arising from negligence. This release does not apply to claims arising from intentional misconduct.

Player Name (Print):

Parent/Guardian Name, if under 18 (Print):

Player Signature (Parent/Guardian Signature if under 18):

Date:

***This completed form must be on-file with The Y prior to the start of the program

Source: www.mtrymca.org/youth