A. NAME

This organization shall be known as the Incarnate Word Athletic Association, hereinafter referred to as the "Association" or "IWAA."

B. PURPOSE AND PHILOSOPHY

The sports program at Incarnate Word is an integral part of the parish communal life and shares the basic principles with the entire Parish community. Those principles include the integration of Catholic ideals with sports activities. The IWAA exists to coordinate activities that promote youth play, recreation, and sportsmanship, and will work toward ensuring the children of the Incarnate Word Parish are provided with a positive athletic experience in a Christian environment based on the premise of significant playing time and enjoyment for all children. The IWAA goals are to enhance skills, self-esteem, respect for others and a greater sense of community and teamwork. The aforementioned philosophy will be achieved through implementation of a framework that provides guidelines for rostering, ethics, training, prayer and fees. (See Philosophy guidelines)

C. MEMBERSHIP

The membership of the IWAA shall consist of all members of Incarnate Word Parish, members of Incarnate Word School faculty and staff, and parents/guardians of children currently participating in the Incarnate Word athletic programs.

D. ASSOCIATION OPERATING STRUCTURE AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS

The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a governing board of Directors, hereinafter referred to as the Board, consisting of:

1. Executive Board of Directors: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These positions will serve as executive directors of the IWAA Board. No person shall hold more than one office. The Executive Directors of the IWAA shall consist of:
   1. President: The President shall be the chief executive Director of the IWAA and will preside at all meetings of members, shall see that all resolutions of the Board are carried into effect, and shall assume general and active management of the IWAA. When applicable, the president, without prior Board approval, may act in the best interest of the IWAA. The president shall have authority to sign all contracts, obligations, and other documents in the name of the IWAA, call special meetings when required, sign checks of the IWAA, or authorize non-budgeted expenditures in accordance with the practices established by the Board in the absence of the Treasurer.
   2. Vice President: The Vice-President of the IWAA shall perform all duties of the President in their absence or inability to act and shall assist the President in the performance of duties.
   3. Secretary: The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes and attendance of all IWAA Board meetings, provide minutes and business of previous meetings when asked to do so, shall be responsible for all appropriate correspondence of the IWAA Board not specifically delegated to other Directors, shall keep and maintain all books and records of the IWAA except those records kept and maintained by the Treasurer, and shall perform such other duties as may be requested by the Board. The Secretary shall maintain the list of current board Directors and report to the Board expired Director terms and election requirements.
   4. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall maintain custody of and be responsible for all IWAA funds, shall keep and maintain accurate books and records of all income and disbursements, shall make a report of the financial status of the IWAA at each meetings of the Board. The Treasurer shall pay all non-budgeted expenditures in accordance with the practices established by the Board. Extra ordinary expenditures may be disbursed with approval by the President.
2. Board of Directors:
   1. Sports Board of Directors: Consist of league representatives for each of the following sports committees: Baseball/Softball, Soccer, Basketball, and Volleyball teams entered into leagues sponsored by the IWAA. Each sports committee will represent the IWAA as league representatives for their sports and will be assisted by the Sports Administrator (see Sports Administrator below). The Sports League Representatives will participate in the coordination and supervision of the sports programs sponsored by the IWAA noted above, exercise general supervision of all such sports of the parish, represent the IWAA at the league meetings scheduled for each sport, report the status of the sport to the Board at each regular meetings, and provide support to the President and Sports Administrator as requested.
   2. Committee Board of Directors: Board of Education, Parish Council, Youth Ministry, and Fund Raising. Director(s) shall be elected for the purpose of representing the IWAA at parish committees, and to coordinate major efforts sponsored by the IWAA to further the IWAA goals. By vote, the Board can create or eliminate specific Committee Directors as needed at any Board meeting. The Directors are required to attend a minimum of one half of the committee meetings during each 12 months in addition to the IWAA meetings. Any Director missing three consecutive committee meetings may be terminated at the discretion of the IWAA board.
   3. Ex-Officio Members: IW Parish Pastor, and the IW Youth Ministry Representative. Ex-Officio members will provide spiritual direction for the IWAA. The Parish Pastor shall have veto powers over all activities of the IWAA that may conflict with parish policies or with customs, rules, regulations, and canons of the Roman Catholic Church and the St. Louis Diocese.
   4. Sports Administrator: The Sports Administrator position is optional and may be appointed by passing normal voting requirements outlined in section "E" below. The Sports Administration can be a paid or unpaid position as determined by the Board and must be for a term not to exceed one year. Continuation of the Sports Administrator position must be re-voted on annually. The Sports Administrator must perform all duties as outlined in the contract between the Sports Administrator and the IWAA Board. These duties include but are not limited to: registration, roster maintenance, coordination of coaches and meetings of each sport, attend league meetings, uniform purchase / distribution / collection, work duty, coordinate field representative and maintenance, support fundraising efforts, and to provide other duties consistent with the position and the furtherance of the association. The Sports Administrator will also serve as a Representative to each of the sports leagues described above.
3. The IWAA Directors will operate under the following requirements:
   1. Director Term Length: The term of each Director shall begin on the first day following the election at the annual meeting held in November of each year and shall continue for a term of two years. There will be no limit to the number of consecutive terms which may be served provided re-election of the Director at term expiration. Nominations for Directors will be taken from the floor at the annual meeting and Directors will be elected from those nominations. Nominees receiving the most votes of Board shall be considered elected. Nominees cannot be elected if they are not present at the time the vote is taken without prior confirmation by the President or Secretary that the nominee has accepted the nomination. The Secretary shall determine and announce the potential Board vacancies at the Board meeting preceding the annual election. Potential vacancies shall be published in the Incarnate Word weekly church bulletin prior to the elections at the annual meeting to be held each November.
      
      In general, the election procedure includes, but is not limited to the following 4 steps:
      1. The IWAA Secretary will announce the election and solicit for nominees in the IW church bulletin at least twice prior to the election.
      2. The IWAA Secretary will contact each member of the IWAA board with terms expiring, to determine their desire to continue serving on the board.
      3. Nominees are announced by the IWAA Secretary at the November meeting.
      4. Election of the board is made at the November association meeting. Any attending members of the IWAA at the November association meeting have a vote.
         
         The Executive Board will also be elected in this same manner.
   2. If any vacancies shall occur on the Board for the reason that any Director resigns, is removed, or for any other reason shall be unable or unwilling to fulfill their duties and obligations, in such event the Board shall vote to appoint an interested and willing member of the IWAA to serve the unexpired term of such Director.
   3. The Board shall have continuing responsibility to evaluate the effectiveness and status of its policies and the effect of such policies on the goals of the Incarnate Word Parish. It shall modify and/or establish such athletic and recreational programs and activities as it may deem necessary and may establish and sponsor other social programs and activities in furtherance of its goals. It may set fees for participation in any of the athletic, recreational and social programs and activities as it shall deem necessary. The Board shall establish and implement operating policies for the attainment of its goals.
   4. The Board shall have continuing responsibility, in collaboration with the Ex-Officio Directors, establish eligibility requirements for participation in any organized sport sponsored by the parish and to maintain registration and rostering guidelines and a code of ethics to be adhered to by the IWAA coaches, parents, and players.
   5. The Board may appoint such other Directors as it may deem necessary, each of whom shall hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties as are provided in the By-Laws or as the Board may direct.
   6. Each Director is required to attend a minimum of 2 Board meetings during each 12 month time frame. Any Director missing three consecutive IWAA Board meetings may be terminated at the discretion of the IWAA Board (see voting in section "E") at the third missed meeting. Directors are expected to maintain an active participation in the IWAA.

E. VOTING

Each Director shall have one vote on matters requiring a vote by the Board. Any matter brought before the Board at a Board meeting will be decided by majority vote of the quorum, excluding the President. A quorum shall be defined as constituting at least one-third of the Board members eligible to vote including at least one of the Executive Board of Directors. In the case of a tie vote, the President shall cast the deciding ballot. No Director may vote on matters in which they are directly personally involved.

F. FINANCES

The IWAA reserves the right to set fees for participation in any of the athletic, recreational, and social programs and activities sponsored by the IWAA as it shall deem necessary. The association will use a variable pricing structure benefiting parishioners and volunteers. Additional fees can be set by the IWAA as it deems appropriate to support the sports programs. These fees include but are not limited to late registration fees, and buyout of work duty requirements.

G. MEETINGS

1. Meetings shall be called by the President when deemed necessary. The Board shall meet as often as may be necessary to transact the business of the IWAA but shall meet at least 4 times a year. Note: See attendance requirements above.
2. Special meetings of the IWAA or the Board may be called at the discretion of the President or Parish Pastor, or if requested by three or more Directors of the Board.
3. Meetings shall provide a forum for appeals or hearings by any member of the IWAA who wishes to offer suggestions, express concerns, or to resolve any issue concerning the parish athletic and recreational program. Regularly scheduled meetings will include an opening prayer, comments by the President, previous meeting minutes, finance report, Sports Administrators report, committee reports, old business, and new business.
4. All meetings of the IWAA and the Board shall be run in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order or as may otherwise be directed by the Board. (See code of ethics)

H. AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

A change in By-Laws can be made at a Board meeting, and only after the proposed changes have been read at previous two meetings. A majority vote of the IWAA Directors shall be required as defined in section "E" above. Any amendment of By-Laws will become in effect upon approval by the Board following the third reading and remain in effect for a minimum of one year.

OPERATING POLICIES

A. REGISTRATION POLICY

1.      The early-bird registration period for each sport will be open for a one month period. Anyone as described in paragraph A.6., that has registered prior to the early-bird registration deadline will be allowed to play.  All registrations received after the early-bird registration deadline but prior to the IW team declaration date will be allowed to play as follows:
                 a.  All parishioners will be allowed to play.
                 b.  All non-parishioners who participated in that sport the previous
                      year will be allowed to play.
                 c.  All other non-parishioners will be put on a waiting list and allowed
                      to play only as space permits per Paragraph C.4.

All registrations received after the IW team declaration date will be put on a waiting list and be allowed to play only as space permits per Paragraph C.4.

2.      The registration period will be scheduled by the Sports Administrator for an appropriate month allowing sufficient time for the IWAA to meet league guidelines for declaring teams and rosters.

3.      Eligible returning families registered for each sport the prior year will be sent written notification of the registration period by the Sports Administrator. Additionally, prior notification of open registration will be published in the weekly Incarnate Word Parish Bulletin when space is available.

4.      The IWAA may set appropriate fees that may include a tiered structure to benefit parishioners and volunteers. The fees may also include, but are not limited to, late fees and buyout fees for the work duty requirements.

5.      A work duty requirement of up to 4 hours of volunteer time per family per sport may be requested by the IWAA. A buyout may be provided as an alternative to the work duty requirement for each child registered for each sport. The IWAA Board reserves the right to set fees for the buyout option.

6.      Registrants will be considered eligible if they meet any of the following criteria:

a.       registered member of the Incarnate Word parish and/or registered student at the Incarnate Word elementary school,

b.      non-parishioner prior year IWAA members,

c.       new non-parishioner residing within the IW parish boundaries, or

d.      new non -parishioner residing within another parish boundary that does not offer an athletic / sports program.

Recruitment of athletes outside the parish boundaries or not meeting any of the eligibility requirements above is not permitted without approval of the IW Sports League Representatives and the sports specific league.

7.      The IWAA will not provide insurance for participants and the registration form will state this as such.

B. ROSTERING POLICY - IWAA TRAINING LEAGUE TEAMS

Rostering decisions will be based on the published IWAA philosophy stated in the IWAA By-Laws. The By-Laws will be used for guidance regarding all rostering decisions.

The sports program at Incarnate Word is an integral part of the parish communal life and shares the basic principles with the entire Parish community. Those principles include the integration of Catholic ideals with sports activities. The IWAA exists to coordinate activities that promote youth play, recreation, and sportsmanship, and will work toward ensuring the children of the Incarnate Word Parish are provided with a positive athletic experience in a Christian environment based on the premise of significant playing time and enjoyment for all children. The IWAA goals are to enhance skills, self-esteem, respect for others and a greater sense of community and teamwork. The aforementioned philosophy will be achieved through implementation of a framework that provides guidelines for rostering, ethics, training, prayer and fees.

Roster Guidelines:

1.      The IWAA Training Leagues are for Pre-K, incoming or current Kindergarten, and First Grade participants.

2.      Training league rosters will be random team selection with an attempt to accommodate car pool requests, etc., when possible. Returning players from the previous season may remain together with vacated roster spots filled with new incoming registrations.

3.      An equal number of players from each age group must be placed on each Training league roster. After rosters are formed, no movement between rosters is allowed without approval from the sport specific league representatives. This guideline is in place to provide a positive experience for all players on all teams. No teams with a more predominant number of players from any age group will be allowed.

4.      No teams will be formed without the presence of the coach or their appointed representative. Rosters will not be communicated until the Sports League Representatives are satisfied that teams have been divided equally in regards to age groups.

C. ROSTERING POLICY - TROPHY LEAGUE TEAMS

Rostering decisions will be based on the published IWAA philosophy stated in the IWAA By-Laws. The By-Laws will be used for guidance regarding all rostering decisions.

The sports program at Incarnate Word is an integral part of the parish communal life and shares the basic principles with the entire Parish community. Those principles include the integration of Catholic ideals with sports activities. The IWAA exists to coordinate activities that promote youth play, recreation, and sportsmanship, and will work toward ensuring the children of the Incarnate Word Parish are provided with a positive athletic experience in a Christian environment based on the premise of significant playing time and enjoyment for all children. The IWAA goals are to enhance skills, self-esteem, respect for others and a greater sense of community and teamwork. The aforementioned philosophy will be achieved through implementation of a framework that provides guidelines for rostering, ethics, training, prayer and fees.

Roster Guidelines (grade 2 - 8):

1.      When forming new trophy league teams attempts will be made to keep parishioners together on the same roster(s). Additional teams should not be formed unless necessary because of the number of parishioners registered. An equal number of parishioners should be placed on each roster with registering non-parishioners making up the remaining roster spots.

2.      No teams will be formed without the presence of all coaches or their representative. It is the desire of the IWAA to have the Sports League Representatives and all coaches impacted by the forming of teams be satisfied with rosters before they are declared to the league.  The process of roster formation to be determined by the Sports League Representatives with advisement from the Sports Administrator.  Rosters will not be communicated until the Sports League Representatives are satisfied that teams have been divided equally. No significant advantage should be given to any team over any other team.

3.      Rosters will carry over from year to year. Roster changes will be allowed in instances where there is a critical need (i.e., head coach is needed, etc.), and reasons for change must be consistent with the IWAA philosophy. Roster changes must be collectively approved by the appropriate IWAA Sports League Representatives and the Sports Administrator.

4.      Rosters obtaining new players should generally not significantly exceed the number designated as the desired number of players for the sport unless approved by the IWAA Board or the Sports League Representatives for the specific sport involved. A desired number of players has been established to ensure significant playing time for all participants. Newly registered non-parishioners may be placed on a waiting list if the desired number of players allowed is exceeded. The desired number of players for a sport are as follows:  Baseball/Softball – 13,  Basketball – 10,  Soccer – 18, and Volleyball – 9.

General Guidelines:

The following is meant to be general guidelines for rostering decisions. All final rostering decisions will be made by the IWAA board and/or Sports League Representatives.

1.      In the event of significant rostering problems, parishioners will have priority over non-parishioners, always. Significant rostering issues exist in examples of facility space availability or league rules dictate constraints on the number of registered teams. Significant rostering problems do not include exceeding the desired number of players registered when dealing with previously registered non-parishioners. New non-parishioners will be allowed on the roster for teams that do not have the minimum desired number of players registered. The IWAA will attempt to accommodate all registrants, but final roster decisions will be made by the specific Sports League Representatives on the IWAA Board. In the event that roster spots are not available, registration fees will be refunded to registrants not obtaining a roster spot.

2.      Winning games is not the primary goal of teams sponsored by the IWAA. Coaching athletes to play to win is encouraged but instances of winning at all costs should be brought to the attention of the IWAA Board. Coaches are expected to provide a safe playing situation for all players and to provide significant playing time for each child regardless of individual skills or game situations.

D. ISSUE RESOLUTION

1. Significant issues related to the IWAA should be brought to the attention of the Sports Administrator and/or league Sports Directors.
2. Decisions will be based on the philosophy of the IWAA and will be made collectively by the appropriate Sports League Representatives whenever possible, with advisement of the Sports Administrator.
3. Unresolved issues may be brought to the Executive Board of the IWAA by the Sports Administrator and/or Sports League Representatives.  If needed, unresolved issues may then be brought before the full Board of the IWAA.
4. The IWAA President has authority to make decisions, with confirmation of agreement by at least one additional Executive Board Director (Vice President, Treasurer, or Secretary) when time dictates a decision must be made prior to the next Board meeting of the IWAA.
5. Decisions made by the IWAA at Board meetings require passage by vote as stated in the IWAA By-Laws.

E. TOURNAMENT SPONSORSHIP

1. If a member of the IWAA wants to sponsor a tournament, it must be voted on and approved by the IWAA board. A member of the IWAA wishing to host a tournament shall contact one of the IWAA Sports League Representatives and/or the IWAA Sports Administrator who will bring the request to the next board meeting for decision. Tournaments sponsored by the IWAA are considered fund raising events for the IWAA. If a fund raising Director is active on the IWAA Board, they should also be notified.
2. A meeting will be scheduled requiring attendance of the team manager, Sports Administrator, at least one Sports League Representative, and the IWAA Fund Raising Director, if applicable. This meeting will require establishment of the following:
   1. Dates and facility requirements.
   2. Tournament structure (size, format, awards, etc.).
   3. Entry fees (required).
   4. Admission fees (required).
   5. Profitability analysis.
3. Specific responsibility and dates will be assigned to accomplish the following:
   1. Information flyer and mail out to teams.
   2. Referee coordination.
   3. Entry fees and tournament contact person.
   4. Award purchase and distribution.
   5. Concession stand duties, scheduling.
   6. Admission table duties and scheduling.
   7. Facility coordination (i.e., daily opening and closing facility, required maintenance, field preparation, etc.)
4. The IWAA generally will pay for the league sponsored tournament and may pay for 1 additional tournament. Requests must be in writing to the IWAA Treasurer.
5. No IWAA uniforms will be used for non-IWAA sponsored events.

Note: Money and accounting must be provided to the IWAA Treasurer.

F. COMPETETIVE AND RECREATIONAL TEAM ROSTERING

A competitive or recreational preference will be made available for trophy league teams at time of registration.

1. Teams will be set up based on the recreational assigned team selection process (i.e., coaches assign players to teams, intentionally attempting to create teams of equal ability) except when enough have indicated their desire to play on a competitive team and a recreational team.
2. The recreational team must FIRST have a sufficient number of players indicating the recreational preference.
3. After this requirement has been met, if a sufficient number of registrants have indicated a competitive preference, a competitive team may be formed if permissible by the sports league.
4. There must be a willing coach for the recreational team that will work with the coach of the competitive team in order to place players on each roster.
5. An equal number of players should be placed on each roster ensuring no team is forced to carry more players impacting an equal ability to provide sufficient playing time.