Benefits of being a team manager

[Unregistered]

You are correct

If your manager is only liked by the coach and a couple of parents, this is not a good sign. A good manager should try and meet and know and befriend parents, know their kids names, and help build team espirit de corp. You don't think so? Well then, you are likely one of those managers that most parents dislike or find useless. MANAGERS, please get off your @s# and engage in being a positive influence. If not you, then who the heck else? Kids respond to feedback that is tough and negative, but they ALSO respond to positive feedback too. Look, managers can do whatever they want, it is a free country and yes we know you volunteered and don't get paid to do this garbage, we know it is a thankless job MOST of the time, but the wise managers, the good ones, the ones liked and viewed as succcessful, they HELP build team synergy by positive actions. They set a POSITIVE example. Successful managers are in essense the PR arm of the team/coach. Just scheduling practices and tournaments is NOT enough. At practices, meet some parents, learn their names. At games, help cheer, and encourage positive cheering among parents. Be an agent of success by your example in what you DO AND what you SAY. If you cant be a positive influence, then find another hobby.

You are indeed correct. I doubt that those that think that being a team manager is hard work truly are wrong. If it is truly hard work for someone to be a team manager, than it's usually because that person is not capable of doing the rather simple job. As my DD got older, she and most of the team came to despise the team managers who mainly did it to further their DD's career.

[Unregistered]

I've been a team manager. Easy work with few downsides. Of course, unless you are an idiot, you learn about the other parents. If you think that being a team manager is hard work, I suspect you only known about hard labor, because you would never make it as a private business manager.

The amount of work is relative to the quality of the team. The better the team is, the more work for the team manager as they are orchestrating NW Champions League, Surf Cup, Santa Clara, Mustang, things like that. A good team manager is in correspondence with the Coach daily, and in correspondence with the families routinely, but is cleaning up the messes behind the scenes that few parents see. Does it take a rocket scientist? No. But it takes a competent, thorough, and most importantly, a willing volunteer to take on an additional 5-10 hours per work per week. Unless you have a sucky team, then it truly is very easy as you are playing lower level league and Kick in the Grass. Any dummy can handle that, maybe 1 hour per week.

In conclusion, Your team must suck.

[Unregistered]

You are indeed correct. I doubt that those that think that being a team manager is hard work truly are wrong. If it is truly hard work for someone to be a team manager, than it's usually because that person is not capable of doing the rather simple job. As my DD got older, she and most of the team came to despise the team managers who mainly did it to further their DD's career.

answering your own posts is pretty sad.... just so you know.

[Unregistered]

I've been a team manager. Easy work with few downsides. Of course, unless you are an idiot, you learn about the other parents. If you think that being a team manager is hard work, I suspect you only known about hard labor, because you would never make it as a private business manager.

Well good for you! Must be nice to walk on water. I wonder what age group you were a manager for because at the U13 and above it goes beyond scheduling after game snacks and juice boxes and organizing the parent tunnel for the players to run under.

[Unregistered]

The amount of work is relative to the quality of the team. The better the team is, the more work for the team manager as they are orchestrating NW Champions League, Surf Cup, Santa Clara, Mustang, things like that. A good team manager is in correspondence with the Coach daily, and in correspondence with the families routinely, but is cleaning up the messes behind the scenes that few parents see. Does it take a rocket scientist? No. But it takes a competent, thorough, and most importantly, a willing volunteer to take on an additional 5-10 hours per work per week. Unless you have a sucky team, then it truly is very easy as you are playing lower level league and Kick in the Grass. Any dummy can handle that, maybe 1 hour per week.

In conclusion, Your team must suck.

Well said and I agree completely. Who get's called when even the smallest detail is different that what the parents think it should be? Yup, the manager. And who gets complained to when some detail is off, generally due to something out of their control? Yup, the manager. But yes, as you say, if your team only practices a couple times a week, usually at the same time and place, only playes in the local league and only goes to one or two local tournaments, then yes, it is an easy job for the most part.

[Unregistered]

Blah. Blah. Blah. If the parents hate the manager, there is a problem. If that person is unliked and unknown by most, it is a problem. If all a manager can say is parents are whiners, it is a problem. Leadership works when followers believe and respect that leader. If not, it creates angst, retards team growth and people leave. A team manager need to be a leader. Not some glorified mummy running around acting like head cheerleader in high school. Poor little miss popular needs attention? Maybe I will be a team manager so everyone has to like me or else.

[Unregistered]

Maybe I will be a team manager so everyone has to like me or else.

I highly doubt it. You sound too lazy to be a manager and nobody would like you anyway.

[Unregistered]

Blah. Blah. Blah. If the parents hate the manager, there is a problem. If that person is unliked and unknown by most, it is a problem. If all a manager can say is parents are whiners, it is a problem. Leadership works when followers believe and respect that leader. If not, it creates angst, retards team growth and people leave. A team manager need to be a leader. Not some glorified mummy running around acting like head cheerleader in high school. Poor little miss popular needs attention? Maybe I will be a team manager so everyone has to like me or else.

Spot on. Hold me, love me I need power to fill my empty soul. Someone look at me. Am I the fairest of them all magic mirror? Now, go get me and my DD a juicebox or I will have the Coach bench your kid. Bow down before my countenance you soccer serf. I am Soccer Mom Manager, Leader of the Pride, hear me roar!

[Unregistered]

Spot on. Hold me, love me I need power to fill my empty soul. Someone look at me. Am I the fairest of them all magic mirror? Now, go get me and my DD a juicebox or I will have the Coach bench your kid. Bow down before my countenance you soccer serf. I am Soccer Mom Manager, Leader of the Pride, hear me roar!

Do you really think a head coach is going to base playing time decisions on anything that a team manager says to them? If you think that then you are even more stupid than you sound.

[Unregistered]

Spot on. Hold me, love me I need power to fill my empty soul. Someone look at me. Am I the fairest of them all magic mirror? Now, go get me and my DD a juicebox or I will have the Coach bench your kid. Bow down before my countenance you soccer serf. I am Soccer Mom Manager, Leader of the Pride, hear me roar!

So you think that all managers are power hungry? Far from it. I know some that are just highly organized and are good fits for the job. They couldn't care less about the power (actually, our manager has little power). Go ahead and do the job if you think it comes with power and is easy.

[Unregistered]

Well good for you! Must be nice to walk on water. I wonder what age group you were a manager for because at the U13 and above it goes beyond scheduling after game snacks and juice boxes and organizing the parent tunnel for the players to run under.

No kidding. I know first hand the work that goes into organizing all of the information and the work for a top tournament like Las Vegas, Mustang, Surf, Disney, ... It's a lot of work and a lot of emails.

[Slow Xavi]

You are indeed correct. I doubt that those that think that being a team manager is hard work truly are wrong. If it is truly hard work for someone to be a team manager, than it's usually because that person is not capable of doing the rather simple job. As my DD got older, she and most of the team came to despise the team managers who mainly did it to further their DD's career.

Have had good secretaries and bad secretaries; not sure it is rocket science but the ones that take pride in their work, are good team players, give you a head's up when their is dissension in the ranks, know when you are overloaded and can see when you need extra help are invaluable. Team managers are not dissimilar.

Your dd despised team managers? . . . there is stuff about girls' soccer I still don't get.

[Unregistered]

Have had good secretaries and bad secretaries; not sure it is rocket science but the ones that take pride in their work, are good team players, give you a head's up when their is dissension in the ranks, know when you are overloaded and can see when you need extra help are invaluable. Team managers are not dissimilar.

Your dd despised team managers? . . . there is stuff about girls' soccer I still don't get.

Well, I despise despots. Et vous? Question: Can a manager be despotly seeking soupçon? Ooooh la la, But I digest. Let me show you the culinary delights of the Juicebox heir Xavi. Ahhhh, a straw, a box and.....magnific!!! Bon Appetite mes ami.

[Unregistered]

The biggest benefit I got from being a manager was double billing families for costs here and there. Siphoning off a hundred here and there from fundraisers and tournament fees. I was able to sell one of the dad's pro quality digital camera on Craigslist that he left at a team BBQ and nobody even suspected me. In the end the $5000 I collected was chicken feed compared to the time investment so I didn't feel bad at all.

The small side benefit was the occasional "lost" player card that prevented an obnoxious parent's kid from playing a few games. Oops.

No seriously, I'd never really do any of those things.

At least you weren't sleeping with the coach to get preferential treatment for your kid. You weren't, were you?

[Unregistered]

Naw !

At least you weren't sleeping with the coach to get preferential treatment for your kid. You weren't, were you?

Not a chance. Wrong club. Check in at Liberty HS "training".