General - SWA members, with or without dependents, may be involved in minor sports (little league) as a fan, coach, manager, or administrator. Minor sports can be defined as all sports with a registration into a minor sports organization. This is not the junior ranks, college sports or professional. In general, SWA members should get their dependent athletes ready for the season. In general: players play, coaches coach and watchers watch.
Pre - Season - Costs for pre-season training for you athlete is covered under the household budget, should both parents agree. Enrolled training not in agreement and signed up for by SWA members, come out of the members annual budget (% of total household income). SWA members have a responsibility to get their minor sport athlete ready for the season, within their means.
Equipment - SWA members must ensure their dependents are ready for their upcoming season as it relates to all areas of equipment. Equipment can be defined as any physical item that is used in playing the game. Equipment should come out of the household budget and not the sports watchers budget.
Try-out - during the try out process, as a parent, members will not interfere. They will provide encouragement to their dependents. If a SWA member is a coach or administrator, they will have an unbiased view and pick players based on merit. SWA member parents shall follow the rules as it relates to inquiries about the try-out process. They will be their dependents advocates through the process. SWA members reserve the right to sit anywhere, with whomever and have no preconceived notions to do otherwise.
Team meeting - SWA members may attend the team meeting under the rules and regulations set out by the minor sports organization. SWA members should have the option to raise questions in front of the group or in private. No topic should be offside, including finances.
Team -
Fundraising - Fundraising is a part of minor sports. SWA members families must do their best to participate in team fundraising. Fundraising may be more important to some team members than others, so full effort is required by everyone. Fundraising ideas could include, but are not limited to: selling something for profit, sponsoring player contests, bottle drives, and the like.
Tourneys - Tourneys that start during the week (I.e. Fridays) will have travel responsibilities decided at a weekly household meeting. SWA members who are responsible for travel must take/get work off (assuming employment) and must not schedule any on-site work. Any cost to team events are taken out of the household budget and not the SWA budget. Between games, SWA members can take advantage of all aspects of the CBA, while following team rules.
Driving to games - all decisions related to driving to games including which car, music, seat selection and game prep discussions are decided during the household weekly meeting. All gas is paid for by the household and not out of the SWA member sports budget.
Sitting at games - SWA members reserve the right to sit wherever they want with whomever they want. 100% attention on the minor sports event is not mandatory, viewing other sports on mobile is allowed.
Watching non-dependent games - SWA members reserve the right to watch games their own dependents aren’t playing in. This could be scouting the competition, friends dependent games or other. SWA members know watching non-dependent games could affect their monthly grade and may have time commitment restraints on tasks, errands, to-do lists and project management. SWA members may sit wherever they’d like for non-dependent games.
The Parking Lot - The parking lot is a spot for parents to congregate for food and beverage between games. Parking lots groups may appoint a beer president for the duration of the parking lot time.
Driving home from games - During the drive home, SWA members should take a position of support for their dependents play. Firm but fair for games when their dependent didn’t play as well as they can. As far as music, seat selection, additional team mates, those decisions are all made individually by the household.
Social Media - SWA members or the household are permitted to start social media account for their athletes. Post should be about the team, the teams direction and their players contribution to its success. SWA members should also consider what social media can do as a promotional tool for the next level of your players career.
Dependent travel selections - When more than one dependent have sporting events on the same night, travel considerations (who drives who) should be made as a household decision at the weekly household meeting. SWA members reserve the right to state their case why their position is the correct one. If the SWA member is a member of a coaching staff, their position will dictate who they drive. Head coach trumps assistant coach, trumps manager.. Trainer status will be dictated by the association (are trainers a must at the event?).
Private Elite Training (PET) - In the event your player wants to get better and their minor association resources for development are exhausted, private elite training may be an option. The decision, payment and timing, drive to and from are all decided at the household weekly meeting. Should the SWA member insist the player enrolls in PET, the payment, and drive time can be taken from the SWA member budget and be worked into the weekly schedule. Errands, tasks, to-do lists and projects not being completed would have an adverse effect on the SWA members monthly grade.
