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2007 Regional Observer Coordinator Training Packet

Intro and Thanks

Basic Coordinator Info
    Job Description
    Observer Program Organizational Structure
    Communication
        Coordinator Contact Info
        UPA HQ Contact Info
        Public Communication Guidelines

Tasks/Info
    Checklist
    Observer Manual
    Observer Training Clinics
        Finding Sites for Clinics
        Recruiting Participants for Clinics
    Observers at Series Events
        Recruiting Observers for Series Events
        Training Observers for Series Events
        Coordinating Observers for Series Events
    Finances
        Observer Clinics
        Series Events
    Contracts
    Series Competition Guidelines
        Rules
        Observers
        Conduct
    Non-Series Events

Thanks and Good Luck!

INTRO AND THANKS

First off, THANK YOU for volunteering to help run the UPA Observer Program this year and for all the work you will do as a Regional Observer Coordinator!  The Observer Program truly could not function without you, and because of your help, the program will continue to help provide the Ultimate community and UPA events with Observers who are trained in a consistent and professional manner.  Please read through this guide to find all the info you'll need to do a great job. Have a great year!

BASIC COORDINATOR INFO

Please take a look at the job descriptions below for a general overview.
Regional Observer Coordinator

The organization of the UPA Observer Program is as follows:

• The UPA Observers Program is overseen by two separate committees. 
• The Observer Policy Committee (OPC), which consists of Board, HQ staff, and other members, is focused on long-term strategic issues related to Observing in Ultimate.  Its goal is to monitor the membership’s desire and need for Observing, overall and at various levels, to determine if those needs/desires are being met, and to help guide the organization as a whole towards the appropriate use of Observers in the sport of Ultimate.
• The Observer Committee (OC), which consists of Observing experts, HQ staff, and a Board liaison, is focused on developing and implementing detailed plans for recruiting, training, and utilizing Observers for Ultimate. This includes developing training materials and teaching methods, running training clinics, and staffing UPA events with qualified Observers.
• The Chair of the Observer Committee is a volunteer position that is responsible for implementing the Observer Program.  The chair works directly with a Board liaison and HQ staff liaison to set annual goals for the program and work to achieve those goals.  The chair is a member of the Observer Policy Committee and reports directly to the UPA Staff liaison.
• The Board liaison to the Observer Committee is a volunteer position that is staffed by a member of the Board of Directors.  The Board liaison is a member of the Observer Policy Committee and may help implement program activities, but serves primarily as a means of communication between the UPA Administration and the UPA Board of Directors.
• The Staff liaison is a member of the full-time, paid UPA staff, and is located at the UPA office in Boulder, CO.  The Staff liaison is a member of the Observer Policy Committee and serves primarily to help implement program activities.
• Observer Committee members are recruited and selected for their experience with Observing in Ultimate and their dedication to helping implement the Observer Program and uphold UPA standards for Observing.   There are seven active OC members, the Board and Staff liaisons, and five national division directors for the Champ Series who serve as are inactive, observing members of the OC.
• The Observer Program relies on eight Regionial Observer Coordinators (ROC) to help implement program goals and activities.  Each ROC is assigned to one of the eight college regions and also serves one of the overlapping six club regions.  The ROC’s report to the Chair of the Observer Committee.
• Observer Trainers are individuals who have been trained to teach Observer Training Clinics.  They work with members of the OC to develop clinic materials and methods, and work with ROC’s to coordinate Observer Training Clinics.  Observer Trainers may be ROC’s, members of the OC, or neither.

In order to function effectively and efficiently it is important that we have a communication network.  ROC’s  play an essential role in this network.  When working perfectly the system looks like this:

Individuals/Observers/Tournament Directors to the Chair of the Observer Committee to OC/OPC/Board and Staff liaisons

The system works the other way for disseminating information.  Please try to stick with the communication structure.  If you have a question or new information, go to the next person in the chain.  It will help everyone be able to manage their time more effectively and help make sure all the right people are in the loop.  If you feel like the structure is breaking down at some point, please contact the next person in the chain and let them know.

The UPA has an "alias" email system, which will be relied upon heavily for communication with you as a coordinator.  The system allows us to publish a UPA-specific email address that will forward email directly to whichever personal email address you wish to use.  Your email alias will be listed by region on the UPA website, at a link called "Contacts Us ".  Write the Chair of the Observer Committee to make sure the alias is forwarding messages to your current email account.  It is very important that you keep HQ informed of any changes to your contact info (email, mailing address, phone).  Please go to www.upa.org/members/login and use the online membership tool to make sure we have your current address in the database.  We want to be able to get in touch with you when we are sending out membership information and thank you’s to our volunteers.

You can find other volunteer coordinator email addresses at the Contacts page on the UPA website.  You will need to use this information to contact Series coordinators (sectional/regional) during the College and Club seasons to help coordinate Observer needs at their events. 

Chair of Observer Committee - Greg Connelly - upa_observer_comm_chair@upa.org

Championship Director (Staff liaison to the Observer Committee)
Will Deaver
will.deaver@upa.org
800-UPA-GETH
Ultimate Players Association
4730 Table Mesa Drive
Suite J-200
Boulder, CO 80305

800-872-4384 (ext 114)

It is important to both the organization and to you personally that it is clear when communicating publicly whether you are doing so as a private individual or in your capacity as a UPA coordinator.  It is also important when you communicate as a UPA coordinator that you do so in a professional manner.  The following guidelines are suggestions put forth by the UPA Board of Directors for public communication by UPA employees and volunteers. 
www.upa.org/BOD/Internetposting

TASKS/INFO

Below is a checklist with items that are your responsibility as a ROC.  Following the checklist there is more detailed information about each item.

• Read Observer Manual and ROC training packet
• Work with OC to schedule training clinic in your region (as directed)
• Work with clinic trainer to recruit attendees and coordinate registration for clinic
• Work with College Series coordinators (sectional/regional) to coordinate Observers for their event
• Work with Club Series coordinators (sectional/regional) to coordinate Observers for their event

The latest version of the UPA Observer Manual can be found online at www.upa.org/observers/manual.  If you are a certified UPA Observer, you should be an expert on this stuff already.  As a ROC, it is also important that you are familiar with the information in the manual, so that you can answer general questions about the program and so that you can help with clinics in your area.

It is important as a member of the Observer Program team that you agree with and support the Observer Code of Conduct and UPA Policy on Observers and Referees.  These concepts embody the purpose and objectives of the UPA Observer Program and should be communicated by Observer Program staff to individuals, inside and outside of the Ultimate community, seeking information about the program or the concept of Observing.

Code of Conduct
UPA Policy on Observers and Referees

As a Regional Observer Coordinator, it is your responsibility to help the Observer Committee find sites for training clinics in your region, as requested by the OC.  Clinics will not be held in every region every year.  There will be an attempt to hold clinics in areas where they have not been held in the past, in areas where major UPA events will be held in the near future, and in areas that show a high demand.  As an ROC, you can provide feedback to the OC about all of these criteria.

Observer Training Clinics are two days long and are ideally held in conjunction with existing tournaments.  College tournaments work particularly well since they are early in the year and participation in the event is limited, leaving non-college players free to attend a clinic.  Club tournaments are often more difficult because many of the potential clinic participants will be playing in the event.  The first day of the clinic requires a classroom or other similar setting that facilitates teaching and discussion.  Often a tournament director will be able to help find a suitable place, which might include a campus classroom or hotel meeting room (outdoor sessions and people’s houses are not ideal).  The first day of the clinic will also require a small outdoor space where participants can do drills and practice Observer mechanics.  The second day of the clinic will be held at the tournament, and will consist of clinic participants working games for practice and in order to get evaluated for certification.

ROC’s should work with the OC to determine optimal dates and locations for clinics, and then contact tournament directors to see if they would be amendable to the idea of hosting a clinic in conjunction with their event.  ROC’s should stress to TD’s that everything will be done to minimize the organizational impact on the event, and that the clinic offers a variety of benefits including, the opportunity to have games Observed on Sunday, the opportunity to help expand the pool of Observers in the local area, and the opportunity to help build the quality and quantity of Observers on the national level.

Once suitable options have been identified, the OC will determine where and when to hold clinics and assign a trainer to that clinic.  When a clinic has been set, the ROC should work with the tournament director and clinic trainer to set up the logistical needs for the clinic and begin recruiting and registering participants.  A shipment of supplies will be sent from HQ prior to the clinic. These supplies will include training manuals, registration materials, clinic paperwork, and etc.  The ROC should coordinate a shipping location with HQ, the trainer, and possibly the tournament director so that the supplies will be available to the trainer when needed.

Once a clinic has been set and a trainer assigned, that trainer will take the lead on registration for the clinic.  ROC’s will be expected to help recruit potential participants for the clinic through their regional contacts.  Prior to registering for a clinic, participants must pass an online rules quiz that will determine at least a basic understanding of the rules.  The trainer may have the ROC distribute the link to the quiz, or may ask that the ROC forward all potential attendees to him/her.  The trainer will have access to the quiz results and will be able to determine who is eligible to register for the clinic.  When a person passes the preliminary rules quiz, they will be automatically given a link to the online registration page for the clinic.  The trainer will work with the ROC to ensure that people go through the registration process.  Clinic size will be limited to 6-8 participants per trainer.  This small size allows the trainer to evaluate up to 8 potential Observers on day two (one evaluation per half for four rounds).  If another trainer/evaluator is available to do evaluations, clinic size may be expanded.

ROC’s are responsible for helping UPA Series coordinators staff their events with Observers.  ROC’s will be responsible for one College region in the spring, and possibly one Club region in the fall.  First, you should be familiar with the guidelines related to Observers and Rules for the College and Club series.  They are slightly different. See the Competition Guidelines section below for more information and relevant links.

At least one month before the first sectional tournament in your region, you should contact all of the sectional and regional coordinators in your region for the upcoming series (College or Club).  Be sure that you work with coordinators for all divisions (Open and Women’s for College; Open, Women’s, Mixed, and Masters for Club).  Contact information can be found at www.upa.org/upa/contacts.  You should let the coordinators know that you are available to help recruit and coordinate Observers for their event.  It is likely that many of these events will not need Observers.  That is fine.  It is more likely that Observers will be wanted in later rounds and later stages of the Series (note that Observers are required for certain games at College Regionals).  It is also required of teams that they contact their Series coordinator at least 2 weeks before their event if they want to have Observers at the event.  It is the UPA’s commitment that if teams request Observers at least 2 weeks in advance, we will do our very best to provide them.  If they do not contact their Series coordinator with adequate notice, it is still important to try to accommodate them if possible. 

You will be sent a list of certified and experienced non-certified Observers for your region.  Using this list and other contacts you obtain for your region, you will work to recruit Observers for the event.  Work with the Series coordinator to determine which games will need Observers so you can communicate the time commitment to your potential volunteers.  Also, work with the Series coordinator and/or tournament director to determine if there will be anything provided to the Observers for their services.  Often, a simple token of appreciation will be enough (disc, t-shirt, lunch, gas money).  If an overnight stay is required, it is desirable to have the Series coordinator or tournament director provide some sort of accommodations.  These forms of compensation should be worked into the tournament budget, and the cost of Observer services passed along to the teams through tournament fees.

A member of the Observer Committee will be responsible for training Observer volunteers for Series events.  UPA certified Observers will not need any additional training.  Any non-certified volunteer will need to pass an online training quiz prior to working a UPA Series event as an Observer.   As an ROC, you will be responsible for communicating the contact information for your non-certified volunteers to the appropriate OC member.  The OC trainer will administer the quiz, follow up with the individual volunteers as needed, and communicate to you when/if they volunteer is eligible to work the event (along with any comments or concerns about the volunteer’s abilities).  As important as it is to staff Series events with Observers when requested, it is even more important that we do not put inexperienced, untrained Observers into a position where their limited abilities might negatively affect their own experience or the experience of the teams at the event..

It is important that you try to at least attend your region’s Regional Championship event, if Observers are needed for the event.  It would also be great if you could attend sectional events in your region, but is not required or expected.  If you are at an event, you will serve as Head Observer for the event.

You should work with your Series coordinator(s) and tournament director to schedule your Observers for games, as appropriate based on needs, requests, and experience-level of your volunteers.  If you are at the event, you may also work the event as an Observer, but you should also be sure to watch some Observers at work and use that knowledge in scheduling later rounds.  When scheduling Observers for games, be sure to take into account information about personal or team biases that volunteers may have communicated (be sure to ask about this ahead of time).  However, you should not allow teams to request certain Observers to work or not work their games.  If you are comfortable with an Observer’s qualifications, experience and integrity, the teams need to respect the assigned volunteer.  While (in most cases) teams may choose whether or not to have Observers for their game, they may not hand-pick their Observing crew.  (In some cases in the College Division, Observers are assigned to specific games.)

It is important that prior to a Series event, you communicate to the teams what the policies will be for the use of Observers at the event.  Please send out the following message to all the teams going to a Series event in your region that will be using Observers (Sectionals or Regionals).  You may copy this information in an email message or provide a link to the information in an email. 

Message to teams:
Observer Guidelines (2007 Series)

Be sure to take Observer requests and address any issues by email or at the captain’s meeting before the event begins. 

The UPA Observer Program is on a fixed expense budget for the year, based on expected expenses for planned aspects of the program.  If there are financial requirements associated with any of your duties as an ROC, you must clear those with the Chair of the Observer Committee before proceeding.  If a budget request is approved, the UPA may pay for a service if an invoice is submitted directly to HQ, or the UPA will reimburse individual (approved) expenses upon submission of a receipt.
 

• Travel budgets for Observer clinics are planned for one trainer, but may be extended to ROC’s or other trainers on a case by case basis, depending on the situation.
• Clinic expenses such as room or equipment rental should be cleared with the Chair of the Observer Committee and/or HQ Staff liaison.

• Travel budgets for ROC’s to attend Series events are not part of the Observer Program budget.  If the ROC is not local to the event site, it is still desired that the ROC attend the event if possible.  The ROC should work it out with the Series coordinator and/or tournament director to have travel costs defrayed by tournament fees.
• Observer-related expenses at Series events are expected to be built in to the event budget and passed along to the teams as part of the tournament fee.

Please remember that although you are a valued UPA volunteer, you are not an officer or director of the UPA and therefore have no authority to bind the UPA in a corporate or any other capacity.  Therefore, if you execute contracts or agreements with parties providing services for your clinic or event, these must be executed in your individual capacity and not on behalf of the UPA. You should not normally have to enter into any such agreements.

The Series coordinator for each Series event is in charge of enforcing UPA competition, administrative, and conduct guidelines for the event.  Links to information that you should be familiar with and may find useful are below.

Capping Games

College Rules
Club Rules

College Observers
Club Observers

Conduct at UPA Series Events
Note that these guidelines are above and beyond the game conduct systems (described in the Observer Manual and implemented in Observed games.)

Throughout the year ROC’s should serve as a resource for non-Series and non-training clinic events in your region.  Players or tournament directors who have questions about Observing should be able to get help from the ROC including information about UPA Observing resources and standards, help recruiting volunteers for events, and even assistance at events if the ROC has time.  Remember, as a UPA coordinator, you should not pass personal contact information along for non-UPA purposes.  However, it is acceptable to pass along messages from non-UPA events to your list of contacts and give them the opportunity to respond.  Remember, your clinic and Series-related duties come first, but helping with other Observer-related functions is also encouraged.

THANKS AND GOOD LUCK!

Thanks again for volunteering for the UPA and the sport of Ultimate! The Observer Program couldn’t function without you.  Good luck with the season.  Please work with the Observer Committee, Series coordinators, and ROC’s to resolve any questions/issues regarding your responsibilities.  Or contact Will Deaver at UPQ HQ at will.deaver@upa.org or at 1-800-UPA-GETH.