“Manager” leaving now what?

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May 25, 2018
16
3
I’m an AC of a 2nd year 10U comp team. When my DD joined this team 2 years ago it was part of an organization that had 6 or 7 teams playing under their name. Now there’s just us. The “manager” of our team informed the coaching staff after the spring/summer of 19 that he’d be stepping away from his coaching responsibilities (work obligations) but would continue to “manage” the team (registering for tournaments, taking dues, ordering uniforms, etc) which he’s been doing since the development of the team. The coaching staff was good with that as we all wanted him to be as involved with the team as his time would allow. I stepped in to help with the coaching responsibilities at that time. Thursday the HC was informed by the “manager” that he and his daughter would not be returning to the team for the spring/summer, and asked for her to be released from the roster.

After hearing a rumor after our last fall tournament that this may be happening, the coaching staff conducted a meeting. I tried to do some quick math to figure how much money should be in the teams account. The numbers weren’t exactly jiving. However I wasn’t sure who was up to date on their dues. Before knowing for sure he would be leaving, the HC had asked for info regarding who was current on dues and what the books looked like. He hasn’t been willing to provide any documentation of these records. Other parents have asked for breakdowns of where they stand on dues after our fundraisers, and get no response. I’m thinking that maybe the record keeping hasn’t been kept up to date while he’s been thinking about his daughters next team.

So my question(s) for the DFP community is. Should we or can we as a coaching staff refuse to remove her from our roster until we’re satisfied the team funds are as close to being correct as possible? Or release the player to lessen the drama and work with the parents to figure out whose paid what, and move forward hoping all funds are correct? Your thoughts and experiences are welcomed.


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marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
If we are talking a couple of hundred dollars, then move on; lesson learned. Don't do that again.

If we are talking a couple of thousand dollars, then it is time to formally ask for an accounting for the team and threaten with involving police/authorities if he cannot produce the records or the money. This may or not help and you will have to decide as a group whether it is worth moving it forward or just moving on and consider it a lesson learned.

For the most part, you have very little control over a player leaving your roster so that really isn't an option. There are too many orgs and the state directors/national orgs aren't getting involved in some local dispute, and everything is season to season anyway. .
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
Agree with Marriard. If it's small just move on. If it's fraud involving actual money, contact the the police if he won't make it right.
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
You 100% need to ask for an accounting of the teams finances. Even if all he did was keep everyone's name on a sheet of paper and how much they paid and what their fundraising contributions are, every parent should be doing this on their own anyway....only thing that might get weird is if the team has a convoluted way of counting fundraising contribution from each player.

Finally if he has his name on the bank account (and there should always be two unrelated people's names on there with access) you need to get his name off there and put another person on. I'm with other poster if numbers seem a couple hundred bucks off I'm not sweating it and just count it as lessons lesson....now if they are a couple thousand dollars off let him know he can either make it right or the police and district attorney are getting a phone call.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
I’m a little confused ... you joined a team that was part of an organization. Presumably some of your money was filtering up to the organization.

Was this guy the organization’s manager or just your team’s manager?

When the other teams left, what happened to the organization? Who were you paying money to? Who does your equipment belong to?

As others have said, the amount of money is directly correlated to the amount of effort involved with what happens next. If it isn’t worth trifling with, cut them loose and walk away. If it is enough to raise an eyebrow, involve the local authorities.

REGARDLESS of which way that goes ...

My best advice (and I won’t even bill you for this consult) ... as far as finances and the team’s legal existence, EVERYTHING needs to be a clean and hard break NOW.

If nobody on your team has their name on any bank accounts or legal documents, IMMEDIATELY start from scratch on your own. Do NOT mess with trying to get any legal/business information or removing anybody’s names from accounts ... NONE of that is yours and you do NOT want it.

Let your parents know EXACTLY what is happening. Let them know that the old organization has gone defunct and you are having to start over as your own organization.

I would even go so far as to suggest altering your team name and uniform to make that distinction clear.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
I’m a little confused ... you joined a team that was part of an organization. Presumably some of your money was filtering up to the organization.

Was this guy the organization’s manager or just your team’s manager?

When the other teams left, what happened to the organization? Who were you paying money to? Who does your equipment belong to?

As others have said, the amount of money is directly correlated to the amount of effort involved with what happens next. If it isn’t worth trifling with, cut them loose and walk away. If it is enough to raise an eyebrow, involve the local authorities.

REGARDLESS of which way that goes ...

My best advice (and I won’t even bill you for this consult) ... as far as finances and the team’s legal existence, EVERYTHING needs to be a clean and hard break NOW.

If nobody on your team has their name on any bank accounts or legal documents, IMMEDIATELY start from scratch on your own. Do NOT mess with trying to get any legal/business information or removing anybody’s names from accounts ... NONE of that is yours and you do NOT want it.

Let your parents know EXACTLY what is happening. Let them know that the old organization has gone defunct and you are having to start over as your own organization.

I would even go so far as to suggest altering your team name and uniform to make that distinction clear.

Ya know, this may seem abrupt.
However agree!

Clean slate.

Never understood people handing money over, especially a group handing over money, without a monthly or quaterly account of expenses.

While some managers dont.
Others do and really is eye awakening the costs of tourny's, friendlies, showcases.....
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Do you sense that the Manager is just a bit sloppy, or do you think they used team funds for personal things?
 
May 25, 2018
16
3
Thanks to everyone who responded. Just to clear some things up: This guy wasn’t the organization manager only our team manager. However he and the other coaches of the teams that folded had to help manage the organization after the original founder of the org had to move out of state for work. The org has no private facilities and each team would have to find their own facilities for practices/scrimmages. As for our equipment: For most part there is not much “team” gear as all the coaches bring their own nets, buckets of balls, and other training stuff we use. We try to run on a small budget to keep it affordable. The head coach did have her name on the account also so she was able to go to the bank and see copies of checks and deposits. After spending a couple hours at the bank we were able to determine that for the most part it appears most of the “teams” money was there except for the $500 he should’ve paid in dues. After meeting with the parents over the weekend we’ve decided to move forward as a team with more transparency when it comes to finances. There has been some communication between the coach and the manager and he’s started turning everything over. While I’ll miss the player and hope she has plenty of success in the future. I could care less to ever to speak to him again, I can check him off the list of someone I can trust when it comes to choosing another team should my daughter ever have to. Thanks again for your responses.


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Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Well that's a better ending than it could have been.

So his daughter got to play travel ball free, eh? What a slimeball.
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
Yep sounds like a decent outcome...just a little sloppy with paper work and trying to get free ride for daughter, which in and of itself is not terrible considering all the work he was doing, but that has to be spelled out ahead of time not given as an excuse after the fact.
 

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