top of page

Booster Rep Guide & FAQ

Booster Reps play a vital role in each sport by aiding the Head Coach and helping provide the support each team needs beyond what is covered by the Athletic Department. Through your help, the Head Coach can focus on player development and competing.

 

Each high school varsity sport must have one Booster Rep active each school year. Booster Reps should have sophomore or junior active player on the team that year. A Booster Rep can serve multiple years but will aid in identifying and training incoming reps from the current freshman class. For the season/sport where a Booster Rep is active, the Athletic Fee ($75) for that season for one player will be waived.

 

Appointment & Athletic Fees

Head Coach must appoint the Booster Rep for the year prior to the start of the school year. Fees for this Booster Rep for the season will be waived by the Athletic Department.

Roles & Responsibilities

The two main jobs of the Booster Rep is to help manage the Team Funds account for the Team and coordinate Booster support for Team Fundraisers, Concessions or any other ways Booster resources can be used to grow the program for each individual sport. 

 

#1 Team Funds

  1. Approve Team Fund expenses (instructions and Team Funds Forms here) and ensure that expenses do not exceed the balance of the Team Fund.

  2. Track and document Team Fundraising/donations and follow cash handling procedures at in-person Team Fundraising events. (instructions and Team Funds Forms here)

  3. Review Team Funds Statement (provided by Boosters)

 

#2 Volunteer Coordination

Concessions is the primary source of funding for each team's season athletic expenses (supplies, equipment, etc) and the biggest factor in keeping our athletic fees low! Each team will be assigned a range of concessions dates to provide volunteers. These dates will be determined by the Boosters Volunteer Director and the Athletic Director and established at the beginning of each sports season. Sign Up Genius will be created for each season for you to send folks to sign up. 

 

  1. Aid head coach to recruit a specified number of volunteers for each concessions assigned to your team

  2. Encourage parents to become a member of the Lakewood Athletic Boosters but they do not have to be members to volunteer.

  3. Communicate with Boosters any changes or volunteer shortages

​

NOTE Activities NOT required of the Booster Rep:

  • Team Meals

  • Fundraiser Planning

  • Senior Night

  • Social Media

  • Team Parent

Other activities like Team Meals, Fundraiser planning, photos, social media, etc can be handled by other parent volunteers and committees and are not part of the Booster Rep responsibilities. The Booster Rep is free to be involved in or lead any team activities as much as they are able to give but these activities are not part of the Booster Rep responsibilities. Each team can have their own set of parents, team parent(s), committees etc but only one official Booster Rep will be required for each year. 

  • Where is our Team Fund account?
    Each team fund is managed by the Lakewood Athletic Boosters in an account at First Federal of Lakewood.
  • How are Team Funds kept separate across teams?
    Each sport has a Team Fund that is a Sub-Account in the Boosters Quickbooks software. Deposits/Donations/Payments made to a Team Fund are coded to your Team Fund account by the Booster Bookkeeper and expenses are debited.
  • Who makes the team Budget?
    Each Head Coach should develop their own list of expense needs and ways to raise funds to cover what cannot be covered by the Athletic Department. The Booster Rep and volunteers can help come up with fundraising ideas based on what has worked in the past.
  • Who keeps track of the team funds at the Boosters?
    Team Funds income and expenses are tracked by the Booster Bookkeeper - a part time professional bookkeeper contracted to the Boosters.
  • How do we know our Team Fund balance?
    A Team Fund statement is published each month at the monthly Booster Meeting and emailed to all coaches, team parents.
  • How do we spend our team funds?
    Expenses can be reimbursed when parents/coach cover expenses with personal funds or paid outright to vendors that invoice the boosters. No team funds will be spent without submission of a Team Funds Request form and approved by both Head Coach and Booster Rep.
  • Do we have a Team Credit Card?
    Yes - The Boosters Treasurer can make purchases via credit card on behalf of your Team Fund (verses using your personal card and getting reimbursed). This is best for large purchases or anything off Amazon or online. Submit your expense with a link to the item to be purchased.
  • Can we take Venmo payments?
    No - Currently, we cannot take Venmo payments directly for your Team. Venmo has a business option but it requires Boosters to have a dedicated phone number..
  • Can we take cash for fundraisers?
    Sometimes - For in-person fundraisers, you can take cash on site at your event. To maintain our tax exemption status, we have detailed cash handling procedures with two people signing off on cash collection (Booster Rep & Coach). For collecting payments between events for ticket sales, we should avoid taking in cash payments as it is harder to account for cash vs simply taking in payments via credit card or check.
  • Can we receive Credit Card payments online?
    Yes - when teams are collecting fees or fundraiser sales, the Boosters will set up online payment so that funds can be collected via credit card, PayPal online.
  • Can we take Credit Card payments at our Fundraiser event?
    Yes - the Boosters has Team Fund credit card processing available on site for your event. This is determined when you apply for your Team Fundraiser so that you and your volunteers can be trained.
  • Do Booster Reps help with Coaching?
    No - Booster Reps and parent volunteers do not have a role in coaching, line up, player development, strategies or anything on field. The Head Coach is the sole decision maker on all things related to the team and season.
  • What can Team Funds be used for?
    Team Funds can be used for expenses that primarily fall into these categories: Player Development, Player/Coach Apparel, Coach Development, Fundraising Expenses, Team Bonding Events.
  • Can Team Funds be used for alcohol?
    No - Alcohol purchases at restaurants, bars etc cannot be reimbursed out of Team Funds.
  • I have a fundraiser idea that needs a Tax ID. Can I get our Tax ID?
    Donors need the Booster Tax ID to help confirm our chairty status as a tax exempt organization. The Tax ID is also used by companies to ensure that their donations are made only once per year or similar policy. Any time your team needs to show a Tax ID, you will need to contact the Booster President or Treasurer. Many times they already have our Tax ID on file. Ask the Treasurer or President to help.
  • Can Team Funds be used on selected Players?
    No - Team Funds cannot be used to cover personal expenses for a player or select group of players. Payment to a select player or players is considered a “scholarship” and must follow scholarship policies. The Boosters (and Team Funds) do not offer athletic scholarships.
bottom of page