Cannons Lacrosse Volunteering
Cannons Lacrosse simply cannot survive without the help of dedicated volunteers. Regardless of your lacrosse experience, there is always a need for your time and talents. As parent volunteers, it is our responsibility to ensure that we provide the best possible program for our athletes. During registration you will have the opportunity to sign up for a volunteer category. Please review the volunteer opportunities that the League offers and determine where you might be able to contribute.
Beginning with the 2019 Spring Season, Cannons Lacrosse is requiring each family to volunteer their time during the season, or in events that support the league during the year. During registration, you can choose to opt-out of this commitment, but you will not receive the $100 parent volunteer discount at check out.
Signing up for volunteer time during the season will be Super EASY. After you choose one or more of the volunteer programs during registration, you will be invited to sign up for a volunteer opportunity within that program during the season.
Cannons Lacrosse Volunteer Policy
Our Volunteer Policy evolves season to season and is used to encourage volunteering for parents across all divisions within the league.
As of October 1st 2018 the policy is as follows:
Volunteer Discount
During registration, parents will have the opportunity to sign up for a volunteer category. If a category is chosen, a $100 parent volunteer discount will be given at check out. Should a parent decide to opt-out of volunteering, no discount will be offered.
Missed Hours Volunteer Fee
Should a family not meet their volunteer commitment for the Volunteer Year (December 1st through November 1st each year), they will be required to pay the volunteer fee for the previous season before their player can be registered for the following season.
Missed Hours Assessment Fee
Parents who did not opt-out of volunteering (see opt-out policy below), and who did not complete the required hours will be assessed a Missed Hours Assessment Fee which must be cleared before the player can be placed on a team for the next spring season.
Volunteer Opt-Out Fee
For parents who are unable to volunteer for work, family support, or other reasons there is an available Volunteer Opt-Out Option that may be payed at the time of registration.
Parents who select the Volunteer Opt-Out Option during registration will not be assessed a missing hours assessment fee.
Volunteer Fees for 2019
Note: these fees are reviewed each season and are subject to change.
- Season Volunteer Opt-Out Fee: $100
- Season Missing Volunteer Hours Assessment Fee: $50
Claiming Period
Beginning with the Spring 2019 Season, Cannons Lacrosse has established a Claiming Period for volunteer hours.
The period begins in the first week of March, and concludes in April each year.
During this time, parents are asked to review their current Volunteer Hours to ensure they have met the volunteer requirement for the season. If any hours have been missed - this Claiming Period is opportunity to work with the Volunteer Coordinator to reconcile hours and have them credited.
Important: Volunteer hours performed during the Spring and District seasons that have not been reconciled by the end of the claiming period will not be credited during the following Spring Registration.
It is the responsibility of the Parent and not the league to ensure hours have been credited properly.
Volunteer Opportunities and Descriptions
There are various volunteering opportunities.Each position has an indicated maximum number of volunteers per team for that role.
Volunteer Positions
Board Member role can include 1 Volunteer per OPEN position:
Board of Directors – Executive Committee
- President (Filled)
- Serve as first line contact to Cannons Lacrosse and have general knowledge of club Lacrosse operations.
- Provide timely, responsive assistance to all Cannons Lacrosse members.
- Preside over all meetings and calls of the club.
- Ensure Cannons Lacrosse is in compliance with club bylaws at all times.
- Delegate specific responsibilities to club board members to ensure seamless activity
- Can serve as a director in a specific area of programs and operations.
- Serve as an active member of the Central Texas Youth Lacrosse League
- Vice President (Filled)
- Have general knowledge of Cannons Lacrosse operations.
- Preside over all meetings and calls of the club when the President cannot be present.
- Take over the responsibilities of the president when necessary.
- Ensure Cannons Lacrosse is in compliance with club bylaws at all times.
- Assist in the delegation specific responsibilities to club board members to ensure seamless activity
- Can serve as a director in a specific area of programs and operations.
- Secretary (Filled)
- Draft agenda for meetings and calls based on club activities.
- Coordinate meetings and calls alongside the president.
- Take minutes of all meetings and calls and send to Webmaster to post on the club website.
- Assist with compliance paperwork.
- Keep an updated list of chapter board members with contact information.
- Keep a record of the club bylaws and any other historical documents.
- Treasurer (Filled)
- Ideally the treasurer should be, by profession, a CPA. If not, then an individual who has familiarity with financial and tax matters.
- QuickBooks is the recommended software for maintaining the club’s financial records.
- Assist the club in making sure operations rotate on a fiscal year.
- Must be prepared to produce financial statements, including an income statement and a balance sheet, in a format that accurately reflects the operations of the club.
- Reconcile the bank or bank accounts of the club on a monthly basis.
- Prepare the tax returns, both federal and, as required, local tax returns on an annual basis.
- Webmaster (Filled)
- Responsible for website creation, maintenance and updates
- Creates and maintains registration process for each season
- Creates reports from registration for fee reconciliation, rostering and communications
- Maintains and updates Teamsnap site
General Board of Directors
Non-voting board members.
- Sponsorship Chair (Filled)
- Responsible for procuring sponsorships for Cannons Lacrosse
- Uniform and Spirit Wear Chair (OPEN)
- Responsible for negotiating uniform and spirit wear contracts with vendors
- Orders all uniforms and spirit wear for the Cannons Lacrosse org each season
- Volunteer Chair (OPEN)
- Coordinates all volunteering activities
- Manages volunteer reports and communications
- Event Chair (OPEN)
- Coordinates all events for teams and the entire organization
Team Parent role can include 1-2 volunteers per team:
- Obtaining and distributing the team roster
- Sending out team communications to parents (re: special events, game or practice changes, parties, etc.)
- Organizing a snack schedule (if agreed by team)
- Planning the team’s end of season party
- Organizing and tracking volunteers among the team to cover game day commitments
Field Activities – maximum 3 per home game
This position will be responsible for maintaining the fields for your team before and after HOME games. If needed, it is beneficial to solicit additional help from team parents as well.
Duties may include:
- Manage and perform all pregame and post-game field maintenance duties (home team)
- Remove all litter, team and spectator, and place in trash containers
Scorekeeper – maximum 1 per home game
This position is required to attend and keep score at each game according to the team schedule. It is also helpful to solicit additional help from team parents for backup. However, only the designated team scorekeepers for that team will receive credit for this commitment.
Duties may include:
- The Home team must provide the Scorekeeper to keep Official Score Book for that game
- Arrive to field 15 minutes before game time begins
- Bring 2-3 pencils with erasers to each game
- Keep score – track the ground balls, shots on goal, goals, assists, clears and saves
- Return Official Score Book to the coach after the game.
Spotter - maximum 1 per home game
Assists the scorekeeper by spotting scorekeeping activities for the scorekeeper to log.
Timekeeper – maximum 1 per home game
This position is required to attend and keep game and penalty time at each game according to the team schedule. It is also helpful to solicit additional help from team parents for backup. However, only the designated team timekeeper for that team will receive credit for this commitment.
Concession Volunteers: 1 – 2 hour shifts
Concession stands will be available at all Cannon's home games
- There should always be at least 2 adult volunteers at the Concession Stand
- Children under the age of 16 are not permitted to work the Concession Stand.
- Register for shifts during the season through Sign Up Genius. You will receive an email reminder the day before your shift
- Duties to include: Selling food and drinks at the counter, and cleanup
- Parents will not be asked to work shifts that coincide with their son's game
There is no prior experience required for any of these volunteer opportunities. It is the Volunteer Coordinator’s responsibility to work with Team Parents to insure appropriate coverage for all shifts. For any substitutions to the shifts or cancellations, a Volunteer Coordinator must be contacted in advance. Failure to show for your scheduled volunteer shift without any communication will result in an automatic charge of the Opt-out fee.
SPECIAL EVENTS VOLUNTEERS: 2 – 3 hour shifts
There are a number of special events throughout the Cannons Lacrosse season. This position will act in any number of ways to ensure those events run smoothly. Working with the Volunteer Coordinator, you will be scheduled to work at a particular event, and will be directed on requirements and time needed for that event. Some of the necessary areas required would be set up, check-in table, shepherding, team organization for pictures, tracking, clean up and/or could involve a Concession shift on a special event day.
Volunteer Registration and Volunteer Application hour shifts
Thank you for joining our parent volunteer’s organization. We would not be successful without your commitment to the League! Register today for your volunteer preference. You will be notified of your confirmed commitment and informed of any further scheduling that needs to take place.
Q: I signed up to volunteer, but my top two choices have already been filled. Does my family still need to fulfill the volunteer requirement?
A: Volunteer slots are assigned on a first come, first served basis. The earlier you register as a volunteer the greater the chance that you will be assigned an opportunity of your choice. However, there are many ways you can make a difference in providing a fun and enriching experience for our children.
Q: What if I have volunteered to work and it rains after I've appeared?
A: If you show up to work a shift and the game is cancelled the concessions and field activities will obviously not be needed. In this case you will receive credit for your volunteer commitment however you will need to contact your volunteer coordinator if a makeup game is rescheduled to see if you are still available to volunteer.
Q: I'm a Coach, Scorekeeper or other Team Staff Volunteer - when are my hours posted?
A: In mid April the Volunteer Coordinator will solicit input from Team Parents to confirm their team volunteers and that they completed the season duties. Near the end of April, hours are posted for team staff so that they may review them and escalate any issues they may have.
Q: I helped my child's team at practice, may I receive volunteer hours for helping?
A: The short answer is no - only Team Staff positions receive season credit for helping at practices and games. However, we do encourage parents to help when ever they are able as this greatly benefits the team and player experience.
Q: Can Volunteer Hours for Team Staff Be Shared (Pro-Rated)?
A: Once again, no - Team Staff positions are full season positions and are limited to one member per position.
Q: Why is it that Team Staff positions cannot be shared?
A: There are a number of reasons, but the primary one is that these are elevated volunteer positions that are performed by members with a season long stake in the team. These volunteers are given hours, but the expectation - and experience - is that Team Staff volunteers put in many more hours than they are credited for.