Delaware Synchronized Skating:Rules of Travel

Presented by

Deirdre Fulham Walsh

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Introduction

Presentation purpose: to provide you with the details associated with Team Travel for the 2011 season.

Upon completion, you should know what is needed and expected of our parents with regard to competition travel.

Youth Team Travel Managers: Andrea Danucalov: Beginner Danny Gianaris: Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile Alycia Hannum: Intermediate, Novice

Youth Team Coordinator Deirdre Fulham Walsh

DSS Travel Coordinator Nancy O’Brien

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Agenda

Hierarchy of Competition Travel How Competition Staff and Team Travel Coordinators manager

the process

Delaware Synchronized Skating (DSS) Policies The why, where, what, and when of it all

Parent/Skater Responsibilities Reservation Process

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Hierarchy of Competition Travel

Each competition is sanctioned by the USFSC Each Competition utilizes a Local Organizing Committee

(LOC) for overall competition activities and planning There is always a contact on the LOC who is responsible

for the following: Evaluating and obtaining hotel accommodations for the event Working with the Travel Coordinators of each organization to

determine potential room requirements for the competition Determines the timelines for completing reservations Assigns the hotels and works with Travel Coordinators to

document reservations and practice needs etc Is the only individual the Travel Coordinators may contact

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Hierarchy of Competition Travel

The LOC receives general numbers for hotel rooms from the organizations very early in the process

The LOC’s next step is to negotiate contracts with hotels They are requesting that hotels hold a large number of rooms These requests are made several months prior to the event These contracts are made on behalf of the USFS These contracts provide group discounts not only for the rooms

but also use of conference and banquet facilities for both off-ice activities as well as Team events

Each team is held accountable to these contracts Attempts to break the contract, negotiate outside the LOC, or

misconduct at the hotel could result in: loss of the rooms, our of practice time at an event, or even the opportunity to participate.

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Team – LOC – Hotel Interaction

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LOC

DSS Travel Coordinator

10 Teams

> 150 Skaters plus parents , relatives, friends, and coaches

2009 Easterns

Travel Coordinators

64 Different Organizations

126IndividualSkating Teams

Over 2,500IndividualsRequiring hotelAccommodationand practice rooms

Pre-Juvenile

Juvenile

Collegiate

Adult

Masters

Open Adult

Team Travel Manager

Beginner

Team Travel Manager

Team Travel Manager

H 3

H 5

H 2

H 4

H 1

Team Travel Manager

Intermediate

Novice

Team Travel Manager

Team Travel Manager

Youth Team Coordinator

5 Teams

> 50 Skaters plus parents , relatives, friends, and coaches

Open Collegiate

Hierarchy: Wrap-up

All hotel reservation activity is structured to move from a Team Travel Manager, to Youth Team Coordinator, to an organization Travel Coordinator, to the LOC of an event

LOC travel coordination starts months prior to the event There can be several hundred rooms reserved for each

competition – this hierarchy process ensures clear communication for reservation activity

Contracts made with the hotels are done in the name of the USFSC and as such, any attempts to break, re-negotiate, or adversely impact the hotel can impact the skating organizations official ice time or even it’s ability to participate in an event.

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Delaware Synchronized Skating (DSS) Policies

Team Travel Coordinator receives reservation deadline dates and hotel information for the 2011-2012 season

Information is provided to Team Travel Managers to determine their timelines to meet the dates

Team Travel Managers will provide Skaters/Parents with hotel information and the deadline for reservations

Team Managers provide Competition dates and locations to skaters and/or parents early in the season Take this opportunity to start scheduling vacation etc as needed Take opportunity to inform family members who may want to go Coordinate rooming needs/potential roommates if appropriate Be sure to adhere to Handbook regulations

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Delaware Synchronized Skating (DSS) Policies In recent years, reservation requests from the LOC have

occurred PRIOR to the coaches receiving information regarding practice and competition schedules

IF this occurs, we will submit reservations for the entire practice and competition time based on historical timelines. we will work with the LOC to make one time adjustments to

these reservations once schedule information is released

The coaches provide the “Required Attendance Dates” to the Team Manager and Travel Manager Please do not question coaches or managers on this – it will be

provided as soon as they get it

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Delaware Synchronized Skating (DSS) Policies Wrap Up

Team Travel Coordinator receives dates to submit reservations and hotel information

Team Travel Managers are responsible for gathering information and forwarding to meet the deadlines

Competitions provide the coaches with dates and times of practice and performance

Coaches communicate the “Required Attendance Dates” to Team Managers and Travel Managers

Information regarding required dates is communicated to the skaters and parents via the Team Manager

Reservations are made ONLY through the Team Travel Manager

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Parent/Skater Responsibilities Your Team Travel Manager will request the following information from you

when reservations are required:

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Number of Adults and Children in room Arrival Date Departure DateRoom Options (2 beds ,1 King) Special RequirementsCredit Card # Expiration Date Card holder Name

We are requesting that you provide one Credit Card Number in the beginning of the season that can be used for ALL reservationsExpiration Date must extend past March 2012This card will NOT be charged to hold a roomThis is REQUIRED for holding your room – NO EXCEPTIONS

•IF you are uncomfortable providing an existing card number we suggest purchasing a pre-paid VISA or AAA card and load with funds to cover the hold

If you choose to room with another family, please obey the occupancy rules of the hotel. Most standard rooms are made for 4, and can usually hold 5 but a cot request is not a guarantee. Any more than that can be a Fire Regulation issue (even 5 is an issue in NYC) – please remember you are representing an organization and “pushing the envelope” can adversely impact us as a whole. It is also important that our skaters get a good nights sleep as they are there to compete

Parent/Skater Responsibilities You may make reservations for additional family members

as part of your reservation You may make reservations to stay longer

enjoy and support all of the competing DSS Teams

You may NOT contact anyone other than your Team Travel manager regarding reservations This includes hotels – NO DIRECT CONTACT

You may NOT make changes to your reservation once submitted to the LOC except in the following situations: the coaches do not have practice and competition times and dates prior to

required reservation date Special circumstances that must be discussed with the Team Manager

and the Team Travel Manager12

Parent/Skater Responsibilities You are responsible for getting your skater and self to

the competition by the time set by the coaches Some skaters chose to carpool depending upon where the competition is, some may chose to fly –

coordination can still be made with others for car rentals

Do not make travel reservations too early(especially if you chose to fly) until we have the Required Attendance Dates and Times You will be required to change your reservations should they not match

up with the practice or performance times

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Parent/Skater Responsibilities Parents are responsible for their minor children

If you, as a parent, cannot attend a competition YOU are responsible for coordinating the travel and rooming accommodations of your minor child

You, as the parent, should be the communicating party with the other parent – not your child Please remember – you are asking this parent to be your child’s

guardian at that competition, responsible for their activities as well as health and well-being

For those skaters that are 18, we would still prefer that they not room by themselves for safety reasons Some travel activities (car rental) require an age higher than 18 Many hotels require you to be 21 to make a reservation

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Parent/Skater Responsibilities While at these hotels, we all represent both Delaware

Synchronized Skating and The University of Delaware – we are the ambassadors for these organizations and, as such, our behavior defines their reputation to others The kids are excited to be at the competition and to have some

time away with their friends and those halls look like fun! Parents are excited to be at the competition and to have some

fun with THEIR friends (and the halls look like fun) Please remind your child of who they represent and please

make sure a parent is with them or watching them There is nothing more frightening to the other folks in the hotel than a

pack of girls running down the hall, or more annoying to the hotel personnel than a bunch of girls riding the elevators up and down or opening and closing the automatic doors over and over

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Parent/Skater Responsibilities Wrap-up

Be proactive –plan travel and reservations ahead of time Provide all reservation data on time

Please respect the Team Travel Manager’s time and effort

Be sure of your reservation needs – no changes once handed to the LOC

You are responsible for your transportation needs Make sure they are in line with the Required Attendance Dates

You are NOT to speak to or contact any hotels regarding reservations as this could jeopardize the DSS reservation and future competitions

We all represent DSS and UD

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Parent Participation – 2011/12

I have attended the Parent Meeting and was present for the DSS Rules of Travel presentation

Any questions I had at the time have been addressed I understand the rules and my responsibilities as they

pertain to travel

Parent Signature _______________________________

Skater Team___________________________________

Date __________________17