Checklist for New Coaches

Office Information:

Name

Office Telephone:                  

 Email Account:          

Fax Number:              

Computer Log In

When logging into computer for the first time, call help/information desk for password at extension 3619.  Do not download programs onto any college computer without first receiving permission from the information technology department. 

U:\ Drive – directory with individual accounts

Ordering Office Supplies

Order regular office supplies, e.g. pens, tablets and manila folders from Groves Office Supply.  Supplies are usually delivered within 3 business days.  Supplies can also be purchased from the Juniata bookstore.  We receive a 20% discount off office supplies at the bookstore.  Groves’ is still less expensive.  Regular supplies are paid from the General Athletics budget.  Big ticket or specialty items are charged to individual sport accounts.  Blank video tapes and video editing supplies/equipment are charged to sport accounts.

 NCAA Compliance

NCAA Rules Test

Each member of the athletic staff that has recruiting responsibilities must complete the NCAA’s on-line Rules Test on a yearly cycle.  Please contact the Compliance Officer (Scott McKenzie) upon your arrival and schedule a time to take this on-line test.

 NCAA Compliance (continued)

Declaration of Playing Season (Pre-Season)

The NCAA requires that playing seasons be declared annually for each sport.  The playing season includes every week that a coach may engage in athletically related activities with his or her team.  Playing season declarations should be made by August 15th every year to NCAA Compliance Officer (Scott McKenzie). 

Eligibility/Drug Testing Consent (Pre-Season)

NCAA required form.  This should be done before your first team practice.  No athlete may compete without completing this paperwork.  Fall sport athletes should make sure that their incoming freshmen are 18 years old.  Minors must have a parent sign the drug testing consent form.

Roster Management and Roster Changes

Please make sure to notify the following people as soon as changes are made to your roster.  Please notify Lori Hoffman (all sports) and Belinda Zauzig (football and baseball only), Tony Nabozny (Equipment Manager), Pete Lefresne (Sports Information) and Jeff Leydig (Athletic Trainer) of any roster changes as soon as the changes are made.

Compliance Orientation

Please schedule a brief compliance orientation meeting with the Compliance Officer (Scott McKenzie).  An overview of compliance related matters (recruiting, fundraising, etc) will be discussed in this meeting

Record Keeping

Sports Information (Pre-Season)

Pete Lefresne will distribute and collect during preseason.  Necessary for hometown releases, media guides, etc.

Training Room – Insurance Forms (Pre-Season)

Every athlete must complete and turn in health insurance forms prior to the first practice.

Budget:

Coaches can gain access to their sport budgets on the Juniata College Intranet (The Arch).  You will need a password.  Budget transactions are updated periodically.  It is good practice to check the budget frequently.  Sometimes charges are mistakenly debited from a sport account and it is easier to correct these mistakes if they are found early. 

11- Account is the regular sport account and should be used to cover routine costs such as travel, professional fees, recruiting and equipment.  Funds do not carry over from year to year. 

12- Account is sport specific fundraising.  12 account funds generally cover non-traditional season travel, special trips, big ticket equipment purchases, etc.  These funds may not carry over from year to year unless the coach makes a special request and receives approval from the College Controller’s Office.  No direct “asks” or solicitations for money can be done without prior approval from the VP of Development.  12-account monies will also be used to cover any year-end deficits in the 11-account.

Purchase Orders:

Use the college purchasing-card for as many transactions as possible.  If absolutely necessary, purchase orders can be done through Lori or Belinda.  Invoices will not be paid if the date of invoice precedes the date on a purchase order.  If you place an order over the phone, be sure to ask vendor to delay any invoice until a purchase order number has been assigned. 

Budget Reassignments:

The Accounting Office prefers to do budget line reassignments (transfers) once per year.  Usually transfers will occur in April and early May.

Travel:

Buses and Vans

Buses should be utilized whenever budget permits.  All Landmark and Centennial Conference travel will be arranged for by the Athletics Office and charter service is required.  Lori and Belinda (for football and baseball) coordinate team bus travel.  Coaches should provide their schedule and preferred transportation to them as early as possible so that they can get bus prices for your budget management.  It is customary to tip a bus driver at the end of any trip. 

For College vans, the sport’s travel budget will be charged.  Vans should be reserved through Lori or Belinda (football and baseball) as early as possible – in July and August for fall and winter sports.  The College has only a limited number of vans and other clubs and departments on campus request their use.  It is not unusual for all of the vans to be in use on a weekend.  Although Enterprise can sometimes provide rental vans, their supply is also limited.   Hertz at the State College Airport is an option for mini-vans.

The Athletic Department van policy is to limit the total number of passengers to 12 and travel by traditional 15-passenger vans is discouraged unless there is an emergency.  Students are not permitted to drive, unless there is an emergency.  Coaches must pass a driving test, administered by Facilities Services, before driving vans.  Finally, speed limits and good judgment must be obeyed at all times.  Read the Athletics Department Policy Manual.

Cash Advance

Give Belinda or Lori two days notice to arrange any cash advance you will need for meals during team travel.  Lori can also provide copies of Tax Exempt Forms to save your budget any the cost of state sales taxes. 

Cash advances must be cleared within one week of travel or prior to any subsequent trip (whichever comes first).  Travel expense forms are located in the Accounting Services public folder on Microsoft Exchange.  Receipts should accompany the expense form.   Again, a new cash advance will not be given until all old ones are cleared.

Health Insurance/Training Kit

Teams travel with a training kit to every contest.  Be sure that kit has been stocked before leaving the training room.  Coaches should also pick up a binder with the health insurance information for their student-athletes.  The kit and binder should be returned to the training room after each contest.

Individual Travel

Head Coaches are responsible for the travel party on college trips and the travel policy dictates that any team travel must utilize college transportation.  Any athletic related trip must have college transportation available for athletes and coaches.  Coaches may set their own policy regarding whether players may travel home from trips separately with a parent.  If individual travel is permitted for emergency reasons, a release form must be signed by the parent.  No other people may travel other than with the team unless written permission is given by a parent. 

Recruiting:

New coaches should schedule a meeting with Scott McKenzie within the first week of work to discuss NCAA recruiting guidelines.

Communication with Enrollment

Names of recruits and related information (address, phone, high school, graduation year, p.o.e. etc) should be sent to the Enrollment Office.  The Enrollment Office can then enter the information into the prospect database.  This database is called “Datatel”.  This ensures that the recruit will receive regular enrollment mailings.

To schedule a visit, call Enrollment at extension 3428 at least one week in advance.  If leaving a message, be sure to spell the recruits name.  Also you should confirm a visit by calling the recruit within 48 hours of their expected arrival.  Missed appointments can cause a great strain on the resources of the Enrollment Office.  Some cancellations are inevitable; however, coaches should do their best to minimize no-shows.

Athletic Ranking.  One of our most valuable data collection tools is the athletic rank.  Do your best to rank all recruits according to the following scale:

            1 – Blue Chip, better than player currently in program at position

            2 – Strong Prospect, at level of current player in his/her position

            3 – Depth Recruit, should develop into contributor by Jr. Year

            4 – Questionable, may not have abilities to be a college athlete

            5 – Have not had the chance to evaluate candidate

Ranking information should be done on the Datatel system when application is received and after an evaluation is made.  Lori or Belinda can tell you how this is done.

Communication with Financial Aid Office 

Be careful about conversations about Financial Aid.  Coaches have no influence on packages, so do your best to eliminate any hints of improper communication.  Conversations with the Financial Planning Office should be related to process questions, e.g. has information been received or is information complete.

Equipment:

Tony Nabozny, x3517 manages all athletics equipment issue and locker room assignments.  Speak with Tony 2-3 weeks prior to preseason to discuss equipment and locker issues.  Tony will also assist with ordering equipment but will work almost exclusively with our designated vendor, Sportsmen’s in Johnstown.

Locker Rooms

Locker rooms should be kept in neat appearance.  It is up to each coach to remind student-athletes to keep items off the floor.  Locker rooms that are cluttered will not be cleaned as regularly or as well as desired. 

Student-athletes should also be reminded to keep items locked away.  It is difficult to restrict access to locker rooms and property may be stolen out of the lockers.  This is especially important when visiting teams are sharing locker room space.

Practices

Practice Times

Generally, practices should be held between 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 pm during the week.  Saturday practices should be coordinated with the Training Room staff.   Sunday practices and competition are to be avoided unless extenuating circumstances arise and prior approval is obtained.  AD, trainer and equipment manager approvals are needed prior to any Sunday competition, practice or training.  Any changes in scheduled practice times must be communicated immediately to the Head Trainer, Greg Curley and Equipment Manager. 

Facilities

Priority for scheduling gym and field facilities for practices is described in the policy.  Practice schedules should be provided to Greg Curley at least one week in advance to reserve appropriate space.

Training Room

Practice schedules should be provided to training room and equipment room at least one week in advance.  Certified trainer coverage is mandated for all intercollegiate practices.  Our staff of three certified trainers cannot be present at every minute of every practice.  The medical policy describes the trainer response/presence expected for various levels of practice.  That response varies from trainer presence at site, to trainer response within four minutes to CPR certified coach presence.  Response expectations are related to the injury rates for different activities.  E.g., no trainer may be needed for a basketball practice that involves shooting only with no cutting, jumping or contact involved, trainer should be present for collision football drills.  Any questions about training room coverage should be directed to Jeff Leydig.

CPR and first aid Certification

Coaches, including all assistant coaches, must have CPR certification renewed prior to the first practice.

Student Managers

Each coach is responsible gaining approval for and for finding student managers to assist with practices and competition.  Student managers must complete appropriate paperwork with the Human Resources department to receive payment.  Student managers are paid a flat stipend.

Competition

Schedules

Schedules should be provided to Lori Hoffman as early as possible.  Lori sends contracts during the summer months.

Student athletes should have a game schedule and travel departure times on the first day of the semester.  Travel departure times should also be provided to Lori and Belinda for posting on the Athletics Department Public Folder. 

Coaches should provide travel itineraries to students prior to their initial practices.

Game / Event Manager

Every sport will have someone assigned as a game day manager.  The game day manager will direct student workers, provide officials with checks and see that programs are available, etc. 

Officials

Officials are compensated from the “Professional Fees” line on individual sport budgets.  See Lori about the assignor for your sport and arranging for appropriate payment to official.

Student Workers

Though all support personnel are generally arranged and provided by game-day managers and the Sports Information Office, coaches are ultimately responsible for hiring student workers for their games. 

Sports Information

 Be sure to call or see Pete Lefresne or his designee with results following any competition.  Pete will hire student workers to assist with collection of statistical data and keep official books.