SMAC Charger Stampede Weekly eNews

July 14, 2020

I know you’ve all been waiting patiently for details and guidance. I will be attending a CYO AD meeting this evening and our Athletic Commission will be meeting on Thursday. I am certain that for many of you Volleyball Safety Protocols may be front of mind, understandable so. CYO has not yet provided guidelines, but we will be following, at minimum, Return to Play recommendations of USA Volleyball. I hope to have a full plan presented by this coming Friday, July 17. I am working with Fr. John and the Athletic Commission to create a maximally safe and inclusive environment for our CYO athletes, based on Ohio Department of Health and Diocesan Guidelines for Ministries. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have about how St. Mary CYO is moving forward with Volleyball plans. Again - look for communication on this by Friday.

FINAL DAY FOR VOLLEYBALL EARLY REGISTRATION IS JULY 15. 

Volleyball registration is OPEN for grades 3-8 to members of the St. Mary School and Parish community (including those enrolled in PSR). Early registration on/before July 15 is $110. https://reg.sportspilot.com/106012/leagues 

This season, payment IS NOT REQUIRED at the time of registration. Simply choose “Partial Payment” option FROM THE DROPDOWN MENU and continue to click through to checkout. Registration fees will be due after specific health and safety guidelines are released, prior to the start of the season. We appreciate your cooperation! If you are unfamiliar with the process, registration is through SportsPilot. You will need to set up an account. 

FORMS, FORMS, FORMS - Please pay close attention to this. All athletes must have a CURRENT / NEW PreParticipation form ON FILE. Forms are valid for 13 months from the date of physical evaluation / physician’s signature. All athletes MUST turn in a fully completed CYO PreParticipation form which includes a valid physician’s signature, signature of witness, and completed COVID-19 release (as part of the form). The form can be found HERE. Please do not use old forms. They will NOT be accepted.

CYO Waivers and Pre Participation Forms (REVISED FOR 2020)

IMPORTANT - FAQs for Pre Participation and Waiver this document explain additions to the Pre Participation Form including witness verification and Covid-19 waiver. It also covers common eligibility date and expiration questions.

SMAC will NOT be offering physical exams this season, so please make the completion of this form a priority. No player will be permitted to practice without an updated PreParticipation form. Sports physicals are available at CVS Minute Clinic locations: https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/services/sports-physicals

UPCOMING DATES TO NOTE: 

Athletic Commission Zoom Meeting - Thursday, July 165, 8 pm

Volleyball Coaches Zoom Meeting - Wednesday, July 22, 7 pm

 Parent Information Session Zoom Presentation - Monday, July 27, 7 pm

Volleyball Schedules - Practices will begin after August 1 (of course, subject to state and county regulations). Expect to practice twice per week at the Fr. Garrity Center, with one or two games on the weekend tentatively beginning at the end of August / early September. Games will not conflict with Mass times. Seasons tend to wrap up by late October. St. Mary will again host games on most Saturdays during the season.

Volleyball – 3rd Grade Coaches Needed. To date we have had NO interest. We are seeking 2-3 volunteer coaches for 3rd grade this year, including a head coach and assistant coach. Experience is helpful but not a requirement and the other coaches are always happy to serve as resources. Head coach is allowed one child to participate at no cost. 

Please note: Coaches MUST be trained by the Diocese in Virtus, attend a CYO Coaches Development Program (virtual this season), pass a background check, and complete a Parish Volunteer Application. Before you get overwhelmed, please know, the process is neither long nor difficult but does need to be scheduled so the sooner we get volunteers, the better. Full CYO requirements to coach: https://ccdocle.org/cyo/coaches/requirements-to-coach-in-cyo

Best Face Masks for Running and Biking - Quick Google search yielded this article. May be something to strongly consider this season. 

Opportunity to Help - We are looking for parent volunteers who are willing to help clean equipment and facility spaces over the course of the season. Cleaning will be done between practices and games. Coaches will be impressing upon players the importance of cleanliness and emphasizing everyone’s responsibility to pitch in to keep our gym and our equipment sanitary. For parents, this is not a big time commitment, but these are simple tasks to benefit everyone and can / should be shared by parents and players. Please contact me if you are willing to help in this capacity. 

Go Chargers!

Chris Garr

(440) 655-9792

cgarr@stmaryberea.org

SMAC Charger Stampede Weekly eNews

July 7, 2020

Volleyball registration is OPEN for grades 3-8 to members of the St. Mary School and Parish community (including those enrolled in PSR). Early registration before July 15 is $110. Late registration is $130. https://reg.sportspilot.com/106012/leagues 

PLEASE REGISTER BY JULY 15! Given the uncertainty regarding guidelines from state, health, and CYO officials, we understand some of you may be reluctant to register. This season, payment IS NOT REQUIRED at the time of registration. Simply choose “Partial Payment” option and continue to click through to checkout. Registration fees will be due after specific health and safety guidelines are released, prior to the start of the season. We appreciate your cooperation! If you are unfamiliar with the process, registration is through SportsPilot. You will need to set up an account. 

CYO Waivers and PreParticipation Forms (REVISED FOR 2020)

Please pay close attention to this. All athletes must have a CURRENT / NEW PreParticipation form ON FILE. Forms are valid for 13 months from the date of physical evaluation / physician’s signature. All athletes MUST turn in a fully completed CYO PreParticipation form which includes a valid physician’s signature, signature of witness, and completed COVID-19 release (as part of the form). The form can be found HERE. Please do not use old forms. They will NOT be accepted.

SMAC will NOT be offering physical exams this season, so please make the completion of this form a priority. No player will be permitted to practice without an updated PreParticipation form.

Volleyball Schedules - Tentatively, practices will begin the week of July 26, but this is very fluid. Expect to practice twice per week at the Fr. Garrity Center, with one or two games on the weekend tentatively beginning at the end of August / early September. Games will not conflict with Mass times. Seasons tend to wrap up by late October. St. Mary will again host games on most Saturdays during the season.

Volleyball Safety Protocols – This is likely front of mind, and should be. CYO has not yet provided guidelines, but we will be following, at minimum, Return to Play recommendations of USA Volleyball. Please stay tuned, as this information may change. I am working with Fr. John and the Athletic Commission to create a maximally safe and inclusive environment for our CYO athletes. For parents, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have about how St. Mary CYO is moving forward with Volleyball plans. 

Volleyball – 3^rd Grade Coaches Needed. We are seeking 2-3 volunteer coaches for 3rd grade this year, including a head coach and assistant coach. Experience is helpful but not a requirement and the other coaches are always happy to serve as resources. Head coach is allowed one child to participate at no cost. 

Please note: Coaches MUST be trained by the Diocese in Virtus, attend a CYO Coaches Development Program (virtual this season), pass a background check, and complete a Parish Volunteer Application. Before you get overwhelmed, please know, the process is neither long nor difficult but does need to be scheduled so the sooner we get volunteers, the better. Full CYO requirements to coach: https://ccdocle.org/cyo/coaches/requirements-to-coach-in-cyo

Other Fall Sports Available – St. Mary Berea is part of CYO Section 4. Our partner schools include Ss. Joseph & John, IWA, St. Mary of the Falls, St. Bart, and St. Peter. Some of these schools offer CYO sports beyond our Charger athletic program. If interested in pursuing Flag Football (at St. Bart, grades 1-4), Rookie Tackle Football (school TBD, grades 5-6), Tackle Football (school TBD, grades 7 and 8). Ss. Joseph & John and IWA offer Cross Country for grades K-8. Contact me for more information/options and proper program contact.

Useful Resources and Notes - Positive Coaching Alliance is a great resource for coaches, parents, and players. Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national non-profit organization with the mission of creating a positive, character-building youth sports environment that results in BETTER ATHLETES, BETTER PEOPLE. Youth sports currently involves 40M children, which presents a tremendous platform on which to develop youth character and life skills. Research has shown that in order for youth to accrue these benefits from sports, sports needs to be done in a way that creates a positive youth development culture. PCA ensures sports are ‘done right’ with programming that is research-based and designed to have an impact at three levels in a youth sports organization or school: 

Youth experience improved life skills and character development. They also perform better! Coaches become more positive and increase their focus on using sports to teach life lessons. Youth Sports Organizations & Schools see their cultures become more positive and everyone involved has more fun.

Opportunity to Help - We are looking for parent volunteers who are willing to help clean equipment and facility spaces over the course of the season. Cleaning will be done between practices and games. Coaches will be impressing upon players the importance of cleanliness and emphasizing everyone’s responsibility to pitch in to keep our gym and our equipment sanitary. For parents, this is not a big time commitment, but these are simple tasks to benefit everyone and can / should be shared by parents and players. Please contact me if you are willing to help in this capacity. 

Volleyball Scorers needed - Looking for a few high school students who are interested in operating the scoreboard and scoring volleyball matches. $10 per hour. Volleyball experience preferred. Must have Saturday availability between 8:30 am - 4 pm. Please contact me if interested. You’ll need to attend a CYO training session (this will be held remotely). 

 

Hopefully you find this a helpful resource.

 

Yours in sport,

Chris Garr

(440) 655-9792

cgarr@stmaryberea.org

 

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