To be a Sports Alliance of Minnesota (SAM) “Respected” Sports Organization, we agree to have, implement, and/or
develop the following essential Core Elements for our youth sports organization. These Core Elements are designed as a
roadmap for communities and organizations seeking to improve the quality of their youth sports programs. SAM does not
prescribe how you must deal with these elements. A variety of methods can be used to meet these guidelines. SAM is a
resource-based organization that can assist your organization in establishing these Core Elements. While many
organizations may have most of these elements in place, most will also find areas where they can improve.
Please place a check mark in one of the columns next to each item. Each item has either been: I–Implemented,
D–is being Developed, UC–Under Consideration, or Help–we never thought of this; help us develop this element. Please
note that you do not need to have all elements completed and implemented to be a “Respected Member” of SAM. All we
ask is that you continue to work towards having all of the Core Elements in place.
| 1. Formal Mission Statement
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| Create a philsophy statement
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Create a vision statement/strategic plan.
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| Conduct an annual assessment. |
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| 2. Organization and Administration
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Develop a constitution and bylaws. |
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Develop clear, recognized, sport-specific rules and regulations
that govern each sport sponsored by the organization. |
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Design an organizational chart that identifies staff and
volunteer positions. |
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| Follow generally accepted record keeping procedures. |
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Maintain regular two-way communication between leadership
and constituents. |
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| Establish risk management procedures including but not limited to
accident/medical/liability insurance to all affiliated groups
(for example, coaches, athletes, and officials); and regular inspection
of all equipment and facilities. |
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| 3. Staff/Volunteer Recruitment
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Establish eligibility requirements for adult volunteers and
staff members.
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| Establish number of staff/volunteers needed to function effectively. |
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| Establish and execute a plan for keeping positions filled. |
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| 4. Coach Development/Training
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Develop an orientation program for coaches that meets the minimum
standard of care. |
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Provide a continuing education program for experienced coaches that
includes the following basic topics: Child Development;
Sport Psychology; Risk Management; Sport First Aid;
Sport Specific Rules; Techniques and Strategies; and
Team Organization and Administration. |
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| Develop a system for providing coaches with adequate feedback and
mentoring during the season to enhance their development. |
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| 5. Athlete Training and Development
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| Implement a policy for ratio of practices to games. |
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| Teach age appropriate skill development. |
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| 6. Coordinate with Community Groups
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Recruit and register athletes.
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| Schedule try-outs, games, and practices to
minimize conflicts between sports from different “seasons.” |
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| Coordinate use and scheduling of facilities for practices and events. |
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| 7. Equipment and Facilities
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Work with other community groups to share in the development,
improvement, and maintenance of facilities.
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| Establish and communicate who is in control of facilities, how they
are scheduled, and the cost of use. |
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| Develop use agreements and master calendars with those who control
facilities, and make sure that these agreements and policies are followed. |
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| 8. Evaluation and Recognition
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Acknowledge and reward contributions of volunteers.
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| Develop an awards program that regularly recognizes
good sportsmanship by coaches, players, and fans. |
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Develop and follow through with an objective procedure
for the annual review of the performance of coaches and administrators. |
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| 9. Parent Education and Orientation
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Provide an orientation for parents that includes key topics such as:
mission and philosophy, code of behavior and penalties, roles and
expectations of parents, grievance procedures, and costs.
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| Provide opportunities for parents to receive more formal training
on how to parent young athletes. |
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| 10. Discipline/Grievance Process
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Establish clear guidelines or codes of behavior for athletes, coaches,
and parents.
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| Defined disciplinary procedures when codes are violated. |
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Have an experienced, representative panel of individuals to
adjudicate violations of codes or other policies. |
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| Establish a grievance procedure for those who have issues that cannot
be resolved through other means. |
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| 11. Recruitment and Training of Officials
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Establish procedures for recruiting individuals from existing
officials’ organizations, current or former athletes, and parents.
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Provide basic levels of training to ensure success for those who
officiate. |
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Match officials training and experience to the level of
competition to which they are assigned. |
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| Provide reasonable compensation for officials. |
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| Develop policies to ensure that officials are treated with respect. |
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| 12. Finance
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Develop a budget that is fiscally sound and is available to
organization members.
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| Follow generally accepted accounting procedures. |
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Raise funds, and procure goods and services in a manner
that can be verified. |
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| Provide clear statements of cost for participating in the program
including equipment, travel, insurance, fees, etc. |
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| Develop an audit procedure that is followed regularly. |
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By checking this box I verify that our sports organization has implemented and/or is working on implementing the Core
Elements of a SAM “RESPECTED” Sports Organization. We further understand that to maintain our membership and
benefits we must update our registration annually by submitting a one page annual report. |
| Name:
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Date:
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| Position:
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