TE_CYS-25_Sprts_Dir_Handbook.pdf

Army Child, Youth & School Services

Sports & Fitness Director’s Handbook

Version One i Contents & Introduction ii

Acknowledgments

Content Development Francisco Jamison, Director, Middle School & Teen Center, Fort Meade, MD

Donna M. McGrath, Manager, Sports & Fitness Program, FMWRC-CYS Services

Ingrid Osewalt, Chief, Center of Expertise for Youth Programs, FMWRC-CYS Services

Melanie Sauter, Program Manager, Youth Services, IMCOM-West

Brian St. John, Associate, Center of Expertise for Youth Programs, FMWRC-CYS Services

Patti Turner, Program Manager, Youth Services, Fort Bragg, NC

Content & Editorial Review Scott Copus, Manager, Middle School & Teen Program, FMWRC-CYS Services

Nicole Deprez-Garrity, Youth Development Specialist, 4-H AYDP

M.-A. Lucas, Director, Child, Youth & School Services, FMWRC-CYS Services

Kevin Montgomery, Chief, Youth Programs, FMWRC-CYS Services

Visual Layout & Design Cynthia Della-Rovere, Multi-Media Specialist, FMWRC-CYS Services

This handbook was developed to guide Army Child, Youth & School Services Sports & Fitness Directors in the successful implementation and coordination of Army Child, Youth & School Services Sports & Fitness Programs on and off the garrison.

A publication of Army Child, Youth & School Services.

©2008 AMWRF. All rights reserved. Photocopying or reproduction strictly prohibited except within the Department of Defense.

Contents

Introduction iix

Chapter One: Orientation to the CYS Services Sport & Fitness (SF) Program 2 l History & Background l SF Program Definition l SF Program Framework l Baseline Programming Requirements l Standard Practices in SF Programs l CYS Services Partnerships

Chapter Two: SF Program Administration 6 l Program Oversight l Community Profiling l SF Program Planning l Supervision of Children & Youth l Standing Operating Procedures l Parent-SF Program Relations l Legal Issues l The Risk Management Program & Claims Process

Chapter Three: Budgeting & Financial Management 24 l Business Operations & Oversight l Funding Sources & Distribution l Sound Business Practices l The Budgeting Process l The Procurement Process l Property Accountability & Management l Internal Control Procedures iii

Chapter Four: Personnel Management 36 l Staffing Patterns & Qualifications l Supervision of SF Personnel l Staff Meetings & Training l Individual Development Plans (IDPs)

Chapter Five: Facility Management 44 l SF Program Location l SF Facility Designation l SF Program Space Criteria l SF Facility Requirements l Work & Service Order Preparation & Tracking l Grounds & Field Maintenance l Self-Help l Insect & Rodent Control l SF Program Storage & Warehousing l SF Outdoor Space Organization & Design l SF Outdoor Equipment & Materials l SF Construction & Renovation Projects l Criteria for Dedicated SF Facilities l Transitioning to a New SF Facility

Chapter Six: Safety 60 l Management Responsibility for Ensuring Child & Youth Safety l SF Facility Safety Compliance Requirements l Facility Security l Required Inspections & Follow-Up l Equipment & Materials iv

Appendix v Contents & Introduction

Resources 1 l Character Education l Developmental Stages of Children & Youth l The Experiential Learning Model l Service-Learning

Tools 10 l Child, Youth & School (CYS) Services Sports & Fitness Director Position Description l Sports & Fitness (SF) Foundation Individual Development Plan (IDP) l SF Management Annual IDP l SF Management Entry/Skill-Level IDP l SF Management Target-Level IDP l SF Activity Plan l SF Program Plan l SF Monthly Activity Schedule l Volunteer Agreement DD Form 2793

Reference Memos 28 l Army Family Covenant & CYS Services l Boys & Girls Clubs of America/CYS Services Partnership l Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericaState Alliances l Certification of Installation Youth Services Programs l “Character Counts!” Initiative l CYS Services Background Checks – 1996 l CYS Services Background Checks – 1998 l CYS Services Background Checks – 2007 NETCALL l CYS Services Fire Safety Standards Checklist l CYS Services Key Management Controls l CYS Services National Agency Check with Inquiries (CNACI) Checklist l CYS Services Open Recreation l CYS Services Organizational Structure l CYS Services Personnel Pay Program (CYPPP) l CYS Services Productivity, Cost-Management, and Accountability (PCMA) Tools l Expansion of CYS Services l 4-H/CYS Services Partnership l Installation Distribution of 12.8M Readiness Supplemental to Management Decision Package

(MDEP) QYDP for Middle School Teen Program l Medical Statements for Participants l Military Youth Staff Training Modules l Mobilization & Contingency (MAC) Plan

Background Checks Procedure l Out-of-School Supervision Requirements l Participation in Operation: Military Kids (OMK) Initiative l Patron Survey Requirements

CYS Services Acronyms 179 How to Download CYMS Training Guides 198

Dear Child, Youth & School (CYS) Services Sports & Fitness (SF) Director, Thank you for supporting the Army CYS Services SF Program. The SF Program supports eligi-ble children and youth aged 0-18 by providing predictable, quality and affordable services that are easily accessible for Army Families on or off the garrison. The SF Delivery System consists of a comprehensive Framework comprised of four Service Areas: Team Sports, Individual Sports, Fitness & Health, and Outreach. Through formal partnership agreements with several nationally-recognized youth-serving organizations, such as the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), the United States Department of Agriculture’s 4-H program, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, children and youth have access both on and off post to curricula and initiatives selected for imple-mentation in the SF Program, to include special events, camps, scholarships, and much more.

Thank you for your support of children, middle and high school youth on and off your garrison.

Sincerely, M.-A. Lucas Director, CYS Services Family and Morale, Welfare & Recreation Command vi vii

This handbook provides you with the guidance to successfully coordinate and implement your Sports & Fitness (SF) Program. The SF Program strives to achieve a balanced and enriched program attractive to children and youth both on and off the garrison. The SF Program is defined as programs and services that address the physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs of Army children and youth ranging from four weeks to18 years of age.

The SF Program Mission is to support military readiness by reducing the conflict between Soldiers’ mission re-quirements and their parental responsibilities.

The SF Program Vision is to provide consistent and comprehensive opportunities for children and youth to de-velop their physical, social, emotional and cognitive abilities. SF Programs maximize participation and are afford-able to Families.

The SF Program Philosophy is to provide age-appropriate experiences that promote positive child and youth development outcomes. These outcomes are facilitated through a comprehensive and predictable programming framework of Four Service Areas: Team Sports, Individual Sports, Fitness & Health, and Outreach.

The SF Program Guiding Principles:

l Safe, accessible child and youth-friendly program settings support and reflect the interests, needs, input and involvement of children and youth l Positive adult, child and youth relationships, parental involvement, Command support, and partnerships demonstrate advocacy for children and youth l Child, youth and parent involvement and empowerment indicate the application of SF Program practices, methodologies and programming l Dedicated, knowledgeable and identifiable staff promote positive child and youth development l Accountable business practices, motivational leadership and subject-matter expertise validate effective management oversight iix

Introduction

Chapter 1: Orientation

Chapter One

Chapter 1: Orientation

Orientation to the Child, Youth & School (CYS) Services Sports & Fitness (SF) Program

History & Background

A Brief Army History To better understand the military culture in which Child, Youth & School (CYS) Services operates, one must first learn a little of our military history. The U.S. Army was founded on June 14, 1775, when the Continental Con-gress authorized enlistment of riflemen to serve the United Colonies for the period of one year. The U.S. Army has fought numerous campaigns and wars throughout its history, from the Revolutionary War that liberated the American colonies from England, to the war in the Middle East. Throughout history, in peacetime and during war, the Army has grown and adapted to fit the needs of the nation. The post of Adjutant General was established June 16, 1775, and has since been in continuous operation. The Adjutant General’s Department was established by an act of Congress on March 3, 1813, and was re-designated the Adjutant General’s Corps in 1950. Slowly, but surely, the modern Army and the positions that your patrons’ parents (and, possibly, other Family members) now occupy were brought into existence.

Child, Youth & School (CYS) Services History The Army has offered programs for children and youth for many years. Initially, child and youth programs in the Army were organized and performed by parents. When the Army became a volunteer army, the Army’s need to maintain and retain trained profes-sionals while simultaneously providing for the success of spontaneous missions, demanded regulated, professional and convenient child and youth programs. In 1999, Army Child, Youth & School Services (CYS) implemented the Middle School & Teen (MST) Program with the purpose of establishing and consolidating Army operating guid-ance for comprehensive out-of-school services for youth in grades 6-12. These services are designed to enhance Soldier readiness by reducing the conflict between mission and parental responsibilities, to facilitate Family well-being and to reinforce Army values. Available facilities, resources and community partnerships directly impact the variety and quality of choices available to Army-connected children and youth. The intent is to leverage existing fa-cilities, funding, staff, and financial resources to provide the ultimate support system for children and youth. Your installation organizational chart shows you how the Child & Youth Sports and Fitness Program interrelates with other CYS Services components – Child Development Services (CDS), School-Age Services (SAS), and Youth Program (YP), just to mention a few.

Sports & Fitness (SF) Program Definition The SF Program is defined as the programs and services provided to Army children and youth aged 4 weeks to 18 years in the following four Service Areas: Team Sports, Individual Sports, Fitness & Health, and Outreach. The SF Age Groupings are aligned with the National Standards for Youth Sports, as endorsed by the National Alliance of Youth Sports (NAYS). They are as follows:

l 6 and younger l 7 and 8 year-olds l 9 and 10 year-olds l 11 through 18 year-olds

The SF Delivery System utilizes a comprehensive SF Framework to ensure the physical, cognitive, social and emo-tional needs of youth are addressed.

Youth Sports Fields and CYS Services facilities are the primary locations for providing sports and fitness programs on the installation. In order to enhance programming and maximize the reach of the SF Program, partnerships should be established with organizations both on and off the garrison, to include Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) operations, local schools, and youth-serving organizations such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Boys & Girls Clubs, etc.

Sports facilities, to include any satellite program locations and outreach initiatives, should offer children and youth a welcoming and safe environment while reflecting the value and importance of positive youth development. Staff supervision ratios, interpersonal relationships, and appropriate risk-management procedures should all be applied towards creating safe and friendly environments that promote well-being and growth. Programs and activities might sometimes have specific age, gender, capacity and health restrictions based on National Program Governing Body (NPGB)-related rules that may impact program area size, funding, staffing or programming.

Middle school and teen youth should be involved, as partners with adults, in various aspects of the SF Program, to include serving as advisors, volunteers and leaders. Youth will feel a sense of ownership for their SF Program when staff foster a sense of belonging, service, success, and independence. Sports and fitness programs are successful when they keep these above-mentioned senses in mind, while consistently honoring commitments made to chil-dren, youth and parents.

The SF Program Framework

The Four Service Areas SF Programs provide predictable, affordable and quality services that are easily accessible for eligible Families on or off the garrison. This is achieved through a comprehensive SF Program Framework centered upon subject-matter pillars called the Four Services Areas. The SF Program promotes youth development in the following four Service Areas:

1. Team Sports: Organized traditional and non-traditional sports for a group of children or youth within defined age groups. Children and youth remain within the defined age group throughout a sports season, to include tournaments. For example, if the child or youth has a birthday mid-season, that child or youth plays in the next higher age bracket. Teams participate in seasonal, competitive, and non-competitive leagues, which are organized by the SF Director, coached by volunteers, and officiated by contracted or volunteer staff.

2. Individual Sports: Organized traditional and non-traditional sports within defined skill levels that focus on the individual, not a team. These sports are designed to be both competitive and non-competitive in nature; competition should be determined based on age and skill level of participants. Individual sports are administered and/or facilitated by SF staff, coached by volunteers or SF staff, and officiated by con-tracted or volunteer staff.

3. Fitness & Health: Programs focused on nutrition education/counseling and health promotion. These programs should be implemented throughout the CYS Services System, to include Child Development Centers (CDC), Family Child Care (FCC), School-Age Services (SAS), and Middle School (MS) and Teen

(T) Programs at no cost to the participant. The Fitness & Health component provides opportunities to expand the participant base.

4. Outreach to CYS Services and Private Sector Organizations: Organized skill-building and intramural programming. Options include motor skill development for CDC, FCC, and SAS, skill-building clinics for SAS, MST and the community, and enhanced programming through partnerships (e.g., FMWR, local schools, and installation activities).

These Four Service Areas make up the Sports & Fitness Framework. They are broad-reaching categories through which programming and activities are delivered in SF Programs Army-wide. By requiring all SF Programs to offer these Four Service Areas, CYS Services ensures predictability and consistency throughout the Army, contributing to the overall goal of seamless delivery.

Baseline Programming Requirements There are one or more Baseline Programming Requirements in each of the Four Service Areas. Baseline Program-ming defines the specific required programmatic focuses within each of the Four Service Areas. For example, in the Services Area of Team Sports, a garrison SF Program must offer at least three (3) team sports: soccer, baseball and basketball, as well as two (2) additional locally-determined team sports.

The SF Program Baseline Programming Requirements help ensure program quality, predictability, availability and accountability. See the CYS Services Professional Web Site >> https://cys.us.army.mil << for a comprehensive list of Baseline Programming Requirements.

What follows is an in-depth description of the Baseline Programming Requirements for the SF Program:

1. Team Sports l Three (3) Baseline Sports, such as soccer, baseball or T-ball, and basketball l Two (2) Locally-Selected Options, such as softball, hockey, swimming, bowling, double-dutch, flag football, tackle football, cheerleading, volleyball, water polo, team handball, etc.

2. Individual Sports l Three (3) Locally-Selected Sports, such as golf, in-line skating, wrestling, swimming, skiing/snow-boarding, archery, etc.

3. Fitness & Health l Nutrition Education/Counseling and Health Promotion Activities/Events l At Least One Other Locally-Determined Option, such as aerobics, swimming laps, weight-lifting, biking, fitness trails, challenge courses, walking, jogging, hiking, etc.

4. Outreach l Intramural Sports for SAS and MST l Motor Skill Activities for CDC, FCC, and SAS l Skill-Building Clinics for SAS, MST and community children and youth l MWR Partnerships (e.g., golf or bowling).

l At Least One Additional Activity, such as pick-up sports with MST, Special Olympics, or outdoor adventure experiences

Standard Practices in SF Programs The following Standard Practices should be evident in program delivery:

l Character Education – facilitated when SF staff consistently role-model positive character traits and de-liver character-building programs and activities.

l Experiential Learning – Learning model consisting of five sequential steps:

l Participants experience an activity by performing or doing it.

l Participants share the experience by describing what happened.

l Participants process the experience by recognizing common themes.

l Participants generalize from the experience and relate it to their daily lives.

l Participants apply what they learned to a new situation.

l High-Yield Learning Experiences – provided as fun, academically-enriching activities that introduce new skills while sharpening existing ones.

l Parents as Partners – SF staff program with parental input. Parents are important resources and partners in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs and services.

l Service-Learning – SF staff provide service-learning opportunities for children and youth. SF staff col-laborate with community organizations both on and off post to make service-learning opportunities available to participants. Service-learning opportunities are coordinated with the Army Volunteer Corps Coordinator (AVCC). Youth volunteer hours are recorded in Promise Passport Reports (see Appendix for policy memo).

l Technology Integration – integrated into every facet of the SF Framework, maximizing Youth Technology Lab (YTL) utilization.

l Youth/Adult Partnerships – SF staff program with youth input and treat participants as important re-sources and active partners in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs and services.

CYS Services Partnerships CYS Services has developed long-lasting partnerships with the following organizations (see Appendix):

l 4-H l Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) l Josephson Institute (Character Counts!)

l The National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) l MWR Partner Organizations (Bowling Center, Golf Course, etc.)

Each of these partners has programs and resources available that can help strengthen the programming offered in the SF Program. The partnership with NAYS, for example, furnishes the SF Program with a broad range of sports, health and fitness-related program support and materials.

Chapter Two Sports & Fitness Program Administration

Chapter 2: Sports & Fitness Program Administration

Welcome to a challenging, yet rewarding career! An important part of the SF Director’s job is to listen to parents, children and youth, as well as to staff

– all the while being mindful of one’s role as mentor and positive role model.

SF Directors should strive to cultivate an environment that fosters teamwork and camaraderie among both staff and customers.

Program Oversight The SF Program is staffed with professional and qualified personnel who meet the requirements in standard Position Descriptions (PDs) for directors, assistants, specialists, technicians, associates, and trainers. The CYS Services Staffing Template (ST) is the guide used to staff the SF Program (see >> https://cys.us.army.mil <<) (see the Appendix for an example of the CYS Services SF Director PD).

SF Directors manage and direct all aspects of SF Programs, to include, but not limited to, personnel, programs, space/facilities, and financial resources. SF Directors do not supervise CYS Services Trainers, but rather work in part-nership with the Trainer, ensuring a uniform vision for the SF Program and consistent implementation of goals and objectives.

When multiple program directors are located in a single facility, one direc-tor is designated by the CYS Services Coordinator as the Facility Director (FD) and serves as the primary Point of Contact (POC) for the facility’s operations and the final line of supervision of staff and volunteers within that facility’s setting.

SF Operating Hours Operating hours must:

l Be posted in all CYS Services facilities and publicized through appropriate forums l Support child and youth availability requirements l Be reviewed semi-annually based on following considerations:

l Daily program scheduling and participation l School year and/or vacation schedules l Soldier mission requirements l Mobilization & Contingency (MAC) situations (see Appendix for policy memo) l Extraordinary situations such as: inclement weather, local curfew restrictions, or local SOPs

SF Registration Requirements Prior to participation in the SF Program, the following registration requirements are mandatory and must be completed by a parent or legal guardian:

1. Regular User Registration. Completion of CYS Services registration, submission of required documents, and payment of enrollment fee for the specific sport are required.

Chapter 2: Sports & Fitness Program Administration

2. Sports Physical. An annual sports physical is required for all participants. The physician must annotate that the child or youth is cleared to participate in the specific sport(s) the child or youth will be participating

in. An acceptable signatory on the medical statement may be any licensed health care professional whose education, training, and experience assure the ability to assess prospective athletes on a systematic basis (see Appendix for policy memo). These professions include doctors of medicine (MDs), osteopathic physicians (DOs), certified registered nurse practitioners (NPs or RNs) licensed to practice, and certified physician’s assistants (PA-Cs) registered by the Joint Board of Medical Examiners or the Osteopathic Ex-aminers in Medicine and Surgery, or health professionals designated by the Installation Medical Treatment Facility. Medical statements must be maintained at Central Enrollment Registration (CER). Medical statements expire one year from date of issue. Medical statements must specify:

l Participant is physically fit to participate in chosen sport(s) l Individual chronic medical problems

(Special Needs) e.g., diabetes, aller-gies, asthma, heart murmur, etc.

Coaches’ Certification Coaches’ Certification is mandatory for head coaches. The Army has selected the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA), a subdivi-sion of National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), for certification of head coaches. Each Installation SF Program must become a sanctioned NYSCA Chapter, authorized to provide training and train-ing materials in order to fulfill all requirements for the NYSCA coaches’ certification. Once the SF Program becomes a sanctioned NYSCA Chapter, SF Directors obtain training and coaches certification materials from NYSCA (see Appendix for policy memo).

SF Directors are required to become certified Youth Sports Administrators by completing the initial NAYS Admin-istrators Training for Professionals through the Academy for Youth Sports Administration (AYSA). This certification must be kept current. Steps for establishing a NYSCA Chapter are as follows:

1. Obtain and maintain a current NYSCA Chapter Agreement Form from NYSCA Headquarters.

2. Complete and return the Chapter Agreement, General Information Forms, and Certification Exam to

The National Alliance for Youth Sports.

3. Appoint and maintain a Chapter Director (usually the SF Director) to serve as the primary contact for the NYSCA Program.

4. Conduct the NYSCA Volunteer Coach Certification and Training Program in accordance with the pro-cedural guidelines and policies established by the NYSCA National Board of Directors, to include timely submission of completed roster information and membership fees for all coaches who have attended NYSCA Certification Clinics.

SF Food Program SF Programs may operate food retail points. If choosing to operate a food retail point, the following should be considered:

l Adherence to established MWR business principles per AR 215-1, Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumen-tality (NAFI) and Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation (FMWR) Programs l Adherence to TB MED 530 l Creation of an atmosphere for social interaction by fostering communication between children, youth, parents and coaches l Venue for youth entrepreneurial projects (in cooperation with Youth Program [YP])

Hours of operation for food retail points are determined locally. All food and labor costs associated with the food retail point operation must be maintained as separate identifiable data. A separate NAF Accounting Code (AC) es-tablished for this purpose must be used. Sales accountability, inventory, and damage & loss (salvage) records must be completed every day that the food retail point operates. Food and drink items should be available based on input from children, youth, coaches, and parents. Nutritional alternatives to traditional snack bar foods should be included in the selection to support the overall concept of Health & Fitness baseline programming requirements.

Food retail point personnel must receive training in food handling, food-borne disease control, food preparation, and food service sanitation practices that complies with TB Med 530 and USDA CACFP guidelines. No alcohol or alcohol by-products will be sold or allowed on or near any SF venues. Cigarettes/tobacco products will not be sold and may not be used within at least 50 feet on or near any SF program, facility, or field. Smoking is prohib-ited in all Child Development Centers School-Age, and Youth Centers. Adults and staff may only smoke when not in the presence of children and youth and only in designated smoking areas IAW Army Regulation (AR) 600-63, Army Health Promotion.

Community Profiling

Needs Assessment A needs assessment is a community questionnaire designed to determine the total need for the SF Program. This survey is directed to those who currently use the SF Program as well as to those who don’t. There are different methods of distributing a needs assessment:

l Military unit training sessions l Handouts to Post Exchange (PX), bank and commissary patrons l Army Community Services (ACS) Welcome Packets l Command In-Processing Orientation l Handouts at the Housing Referral Office (HRO) l Flyers distributed throughout the housing area l Survey included in post newspaper or daily bulletin l Online (Web sites, etc.)

No matter which method is used, a method of collecting the completed surveys should be in place. Disseminate collection boxes throughout the community in heavily-trafficked areas like the PX or commissary or collect sur-veys as soon as they are completed.

Demographic Profiling The installation Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization & Security (DPTMS) has installation demographic information providing a comprehensive picture of the installation population. The installation Master Planning Of-fice in the Directorate of Public Works (DPW) has this information as well.

Identifying Community Resources The goal of every SF Program is to offer programming that will positively impact the growth and development of children and youth. Schools, recreation centers, and many other community organizations have the same goal.

Partnering – the process of sharing resources such as staff, trainings, facilities, transportation and ideas – allows both parties to expand their offerings, reach more people, and achieve common goals.

When considering the SF schedule of programs and activities currently offered, identify the resources others in the community might be able to contribute. How could resources help expand program offerings on and off-post?

Every Army community has resources such as Family, Morale, Welfare & Recreation (FMWR) and its Community Recreation Division (CRD), where one might find individuals with specialized skills that could greatly enhance the SF Program!

SF Program Planning

1. Annual Strategic Plan. SF Director and staff, in coordination with the CYS Services Trainer, for-mulates a written Annual Strategic Plan (ASP) to include:

l Vision/philosophy l Specific program goals/objectives l Detailed action plan l Marketing strategy l Necessary resources for ASP implementation l Training plan for SF staff

ASPs are developed, briefed and approved by the Chain of Command prior to beginning of each new school year and reflect Installation Child & Youth Operations Plan (ICOP) and Mobilization and Contin-gency (MAC) Plan.

The ASP is created utilizing a team approach:

l SF staff l CYS Services Trainer l Coaches l Youth and parents

The ASP should incorporate:

l Budget considerations l Demographic/socio-economic trends l Parental input through Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) l Inclusion of CYS Services evaluation tools results

2. Monthly Activity Schedule (MAS). The MAS provides a monthly calendar of all of the garrison’s CYS Services SF Program offerings. Your MAS should be developed in conjunction with a quarterly review of the Program Plan (PP). It is then completed by SF staff and the Trainer, published and posted a minimum of eight weeks prior to the first scheduled event (see the Appendix for an example).

3. SF Program Plan. A PP describes a specific program or sport from start to finish, for a pre-determined length of time. PPs provide information such as developmental objectives, session frequency, titles of individual program components, and session dates. PPs are created by SF staff with the Trainer and then sent for approval to the CYS Services Coordinator, who assesses program compliance with the SF Frame-work, Baseline Programming Requirements, and the appropriate utilization of Army-selected curricula (see the Appendix for an example).

4. SF Activity Plan (AP). APs provide a detailed description of a particular sport and fitness activity, such as a nutrition education session. SF APs are developed by SF staff and the Trainer. Once complete they are then reviewed by CYSFP Director to ensure goals and objectives are met (see the Appendix for an example).

Supervision of Children & Youth

General Accountability of children and youth must be maintained at all times. No children or youth are left unsupervised at any time, indoors or outdoors, asleep or awake (e.g., overnight field trip or tournament). A minimum of two SF staff must be on duty whenever SF Programs are conducted; one of whom must be a member of management staff. Support staff (e.g. food service, clerical, facility and/or field maintenance) does not count in ratio while performing services/tasks. However, contracted instructors and volunteer coaches may be counted in ratio. All indoor or outdoor activity spaces must be visually and physically accessible to multiple adults for supervision purposes. SF management personnel will ensure extra vigilance in supervision of children and youth during times of greater confusion, such as during tryouts, uniform issue, tournaments, etc. All SF staff, volunteers, coaches and instructors will wear name tags which promote child, youth and parent interaction with staff, volunteers and instructors, designate program personnel, and provide effective management oversight (see Appendix for policy memo).

Allegation of Abuse Following an allegation of institutional child sexual abuse of sufficient credibility to cause a military or civilian law enforcement investigation to be initiated according to AR 608–18, each activity area, indoors and outdoors, must have a minimum of two (2) staff persons at all times. Visual supervision of restrooms will be provided by at least two (2) adult staff members so that children and youth are always in the presence of two (2) adults until the alle-gation is resolved. This may require the hiring of additional personnel or the closing of one or more activity areas.

The SF Program will remain in this staffing configuration until the investigation has been completed and a close-out report has been submitted to FMWRC-CYS Services.

SF management personnel will ensure that extra vigilance in supervising children and youth is maintained during those time periods where greater confusion is likely (e.g., arrival and departure times, transition periods, tourna-ments, equipment issue and turn-in, and during personnel turnover). Adult staff will supervise children and youth according to age, ability and activities.

Overnight Trips Separate sleeping arrangements must be made for female and male children and youth. Male and female adult staff members must ensure that ratios reflect a gender-specific presence during co-ed overnight trips and events.

Media Use & Presentations SF staff should adhere to CYS Services-approved developmental and age-appropriate practices when selecting or allowing program materials and activities inclusive of reading materials, computer games, video games, music and movies to ensure positive youth development outcomes. The rating of any form of multimedia utilized in SF Programs activities comply, at a minimum, with parental advisory standards and age restrictions imposed by U.S.

industry standards. No exceptions to this policy are granted.

Age Composition, Ratios & Group Sizes CYS Services Programs are staffed and grouped according to minimum mandatory ratios and group sizes. En-forcement of ratios and group sizes ensures the adequate supervision of children and youth and minimizes liability for the Army. More stringent ratios, as determined by the Special Needs Accommodation Process (SNAP), may be required when children and youth with special needs participate in the program. Paid adult staff from within Family, Morale, Welfare & Recreation (FMWR) may be counted towards achieving a lower ratio, but only when assigned to a specific CYS Services activity and only in the presence of CYS Services staff.

a. Group size. Group sizes are dependent on the type of CYS Services activity and must support develop-mental programming, safety and risk factors, and building or room capacity.

b. Ratios.

1. To protect the health and safety of children and youth, to ensure developmental programming and positive youth/adult interaction, an adequate number of CYS Services personnel or coaches must be present at all times.

2. Adult staff may not be counted in the adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratios unless they are physi-cally present and provide direct service to children and youth. Staff must be 18 years of age or older in order to be counted in ratio.

3. In situations where an unexpected influx of participation requires an immediate increase in coaches or paid adult staff, CYS Services support and management personnel, to include the Trainer, may be used on a temporary basis to maintain ratio.

4. The following adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratios are met at all times, indoors and outdoors:

Years of Age Adult Staff/Coach-to-Child/Youth Ratio

6 weeks -12 months 1:4

1-2 1:5

3-4 1:7

5 1:12

6-18 1:15

With the following exceptions:

a. When children and youth with special needs participate, the required adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio has been determined by the SNAP.

b. When a National Governing Body determines the adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio for a specific activity. For example, the American Camping Association rules are followed on camping trips.

c. On and off post field trip supervision for children and youth aged 6-18 requires that the above-men-tioned adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratios be maintained. CYS Services staff or coaches driving children and youth to and from a field trip site may count in the above-mentioned adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratios (see DoDI 6060.4). For example, a soccer coach with all the necessary background checks serving as the driver for an away game counts in the ratio.

d. On-post overnight events for children and youth aged 6-18 (such as lock-ins) require the 1:15 adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio be supplemented with either additional paid staff or volunteers to achieve an adjusted 1:12 adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio (see DoDI 6060.4).

e. Off-post overnight events for children and youth aged 6-18, require that the 1:15 adult staff/ coach-to-child/youth ratio be supplemented with either additional paid staff or volun-teers to create an adjusted 1:12 adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio.

f. During high-risk activities, such as horseback riding, roller skating/blading, ice-skating, skiing, snowboarding mountain biking, etc., the required adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio is supplemented with either staff or volunteers to reduce the group size to an adjusted 1:8 adult staff/coach-to-child/ youth ratio (see DoDI 6060.4).

g. When swimming at facilities with certified lifeguards present at the poolside, the required adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio of 1:8 are maintained (see DoDI 6060.4). When swimming at facilities with certified lifeguards on the premises, but not at the poolside (e.g., watching via Closed-Circuit Television [CCTV]), the required 1:8 adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio are supplemented with either additional staff or volunteers to achieve an adjusted 1:6 adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio.

h. During extremely high-risk field trips such as rock climbing, skydiving, scuba diving, jet skiing, white-water rafting, sailing and other similar water sports, the required 1:8 adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio (see DoDI 6060.4) are supplemented by either additional staff or volunteers to achieve an adjusted 1:4 adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratio.

Transportation of Children & Youth Transportation of children and youth is, frequently, a routine part of the SF Program. Precautions must be taken to assure the safety of children and youth during routine excursions as well as during emergency situations. Man-agement staff, employees, parents, and the installation motor pool all play a major role in the transportation of children and youth.

CYS Services staff should not use privately-owned vehicles to transport children and youth. It is better to use those installation resources responsible for transporting individuals to avoid transferring liability and insurance costs to staff. In cases of field trips and excursions, make arrangements with the motor pool to provide vehicles sufficient in size and number to carry all the children, youth, staff and accompanying parents.

In emergency medical situations, assistance from the Provost Marshal or local ambulance service should be re-quested. This allows staff to concentrate on the participants rather than on operating the vehicle. If a life or death situation occurs and the wait for transportation cannot be hazarded, an available privately-owned vehicle sufficient in size may be used when accompanied by another adult to transport the injured child or youth to the clinic.

Staff should also understand and follow through on all procedures regarding parental consent for field trips, seat belt usage, adult staff/coach-to-child/youth ratios, quick identification of children or youth participating in field trips (e.g., T-shirts, hats, lanyards, etc.), and vehicular safety. Also, ensure an SOP for the handling of accidents or mishaps during the transportation of youth exists. Parents should be advised of safety precautions used during field trips and the routine transportation to and from SF Programs. Parents’ written permission is required for each separate field trip.

If travel is on foot, staff should be instructed to be sensible about distance, weather conditions, and participants’ clothing.

Release of Participants SF Directors must ensure that all the participants in the SF Program are released only to legally-authorized per-sons. Responsibilities include:

l Notifying parents/legal guardians of the participant release policy.

l Establishing sign-in and sign-out procedures.

When a participant is not picked up by the parent/legal guardian or designated release person by the agreed-upon time, or the parents or designee cannot be contacted, written guidance outlining appropriate procedures must be available. These should include:

l Specific attempts to reach the parents and/or designee.

l Time limits for actions prior to removing the participants from the SF Program.

l Notification roster (SF Director, CYS Services Coordinator, Army Community Service [ACS], Family

Advocacy Program Manager [FAPM], Staff Duty Officer, Parent’s Unit Commander, etc.)

l Location to which participant will be removed, such as: Military Police Station, etc.

Standing Operating Procedures The SF Director is required to provide health, fire and safety Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs). For exam-ple, health SOPs outline staff and child health requirements. Fire SOPs describe fire-prevention and evacuation procedures. Accident-prevention may be addressed by adding a “Safety Concern” paragraph to relevant SOPs or by developing separate accident-prevention and motor vehicle operations SOPs.

SOPs play an important part in the implementation of a good developmental program. They should be living documents, reflecting actual practices, and updated as often as needed to be current. SOPs should be used as a training tool. Staff members should be thoroughly familiar and comfortable with the procedures outlined in SOPs.

SOPs should be accessible to staff, parents, volunteers, and program directors. SOPs can be filed in binders by topic, with a table of contents for quick reference, and kept in the staff work room. Some programs have estab-lished procedures for monthly staff review of SOPs and require staff members to initial a sheet indicating they have reviewed them. Pertinent parts of the SOPs should be incorporated into staff and parent handbooks.

Newly-written SOPs should be routed to proponent agencies for concurrence and should be signed by the com-mand designee (i.e., Child, Youth & School (CYS) Services Coordinator [CYSC], or Director, Family and Morale, Welfare & Recreation [DFMWR]). The basic SOP format should include topic, purpose, reference, scope, respon-sibilities and procedures.

SOPs are also established to ensure developmentally-appropriate programs and activities are offered and cost-effective management of all programs occurs within the CYS Services System (see Appendix for in-depth expla-nation of developmental ages and stages of children and youth). SOPs are applicable to patrons, personnel, and pertinent Command representatives. Personnel receive training on SOP content as appropriate.

The following subjects are covered in locally-developed SOPs:

a. Resource management, to include facilities, equipment and personnel.

b. Training for staff.

c. Program guidance, to include interpretation of policies, regulations and procedures required for the efficient operation and management of the program.

d. Compliance with standards, to include criteria for facilities, safety, fire, nutrition, health and developmental programming.

e. Child abuse prevention, identification, response and reporting, includ-ing allegations within CYS Services settings.

f. Security Procedures

1. Guidelines for facility access, which ensure an “open-door” policy for parents at all times, yet monitor and control access to the facility and program participants.

2. Procedures for locking the facility.

3. Procedures for use of the facility by others when CYS Services personnel are not present.

4. Key control.

5. Visitor sign-in and sign-out procedures.

g. Program Operation Procedures

1. Days of operation and business hours.

2. Admission policies and procedures.

3. Fees and refund policies.

4. Facility-specific procedures.

5. Coaching certification requirements before allowing a coach to be left alone with participants.

6. Use of national-level sports rules and local league rules.

7. Volunteer substitutes or additional volunteers to maintain coach-to-participant ratios.

8. Standards of Personal Conduct (for staff, parents and youth), to include disciplinary procedures.

9. Reporting disturbances at sports facilities/field/games, including notification of Military Police, bar-ring of parents from game sites, etc.

10. Procedure for handling participants without transportation after practice or game, parents late for picking up child /youth after practice or game, transportation of participants by volunteers or staff.

11. Inclement weather policies and procedures for practice or game cancellation, re-scheduling, league/ team calling tree and procedures, etc.

12. Procedures for investigation of complaints.

13. Signing out of uniforms and sports-specific protective equipment to coaches and parents/guardians of participants.

14. Developmental program implementation.

15. Field trip procedures, to include, but not limited to, individual permission slips, medical Powers of

Attorney, and field trip communication protocol.

16. Substitute personnel policy.

17. Health procedures, including pets and plants.

18. Public/patron relations.

19. First aid and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) procedures.

20. Procedures to be followed in case of illness or other emergencies.

21. Procedures in case of guardian’s failure to pick up youth after hours.

h. Administrative Procedures

1. Financial management, including cash controls and fee structure review.

2. Recordkeeping and reporting, including data collection and maintenance.

3. Food Service Program and food point-of-sale operation.

4. Janitorial and maintenance service.

i. Contingency plans, to include a written policy with concurrence from the medical, fire and safety authorities for disaster planning and emergency response. Emergencies include fire, serious injury, and ingestion of poison. Contingency plans include:

1. Building evacuation procedures.

2. Easy access to emergency phone numbers, including agencies that respond to accidents and injuries, missing youth, bomb threats, poisoning, etc., such as, Fire Department, Medical Treatment Facil-ity, Military Police, Community Health Nurse, Family Advocacy Reporting Point of Contact, Army Community Services (ACS), and Poison Control Center.

3. Procedures to be followed in case of contingencies (e.g., flooding, fire, electrical storm, tornado, earthquake, hurricane, heightened threat alert, snow storm, etc.).

j. Disease outbreak reporting

k. Serious incident reporting (see AR 190-40).

Parent-SF Program Relations A healthy partnership with parents begins with a two-way exchange of information during the initial contact at registration, and continuing as long as the youth is enrolled in the SF Program. Although it’s often easy to give the initial sales pitch, the real test of meeting parental expectations and maintaining effective communication begins once the Family uses the SF Program.

16Chapter 2: Sports & Fitness Program Administration

Get Fit Stay

STRONG

The President’s Challenge

Physical Activity and Fitness Award

Program and

Army Child, Youth

& School Services

Army Child, Youth &

School Services is proud to announce that all

School-Age Services and

Youth Programs are committed to participate in the

Active Lifestyle

Award Program.

School-Age Services and Youth Programs across the Army are working towards the common goal of becoming

Active Lifestyle Model

Programs with at least

35% of children and youth participating.

To Get Started…

Children and youth go to www.presidentschallenge.org and click on either “Kids” or “Teens” in the left-hand menu.

Adult staff and parents go to www.

presidentschallenge.org and click on “Adults” or

“Seniors” in the left-hand menu.

For School-Age Services, Youth Program, or Youth Sports

& Fitness Directors facilitating group participation, go to www.getfitstaystrong.org or www.

presidentschallenge.org and click on

“Group Admin” in the blue “Groups” box.

…united in keeping the next generation

STRONG

Results from parent-satisfaction surveys indicate lack of communication is the most prevalent area of parental dissatisfaction. Satisfied and informed parents are more understanding of program demands. It takes a resourceful and proactive manager to maintain effective communication channels.

Establish procedures to encourage parental input in program delivery. Studies reveal that keeping a customer costs a fifth of the cost of acquiring a new one. What follows are some suggestions for cultivating parental involvement:

l Form a Parent Advisory Council l Meet with parents regularly l Select a core group of parents to provide specific feedback on new concepts l Make every staff member aware of the SF Program philosophy on parent involvement l Solicit ideas from parents and expect staff members to do the same l Train every employee to focus on the customer l Monitor service internally to ensure that staff members treat each other as they do customers. Staff who treat each other well serve customers better l Listen to feedback “off the street” l Eliminate any bureaucracy which discourages customer complaints and/or suggestions l Make it easy for parents and participants to provide input l Be accessible l Discover what customers like. Take pride in delivering it

The following are effective methods of maintaining parent/staff communication:

l Parent-Satisfaction Questionnaires l Use year-round l Disseminate by E-mail, direct-mail, or as a hand-out l Distribute…