The Serve United parent participation program is on hold. Fear not, it will return. We hope to make changes to the program to make it more in line with our goals in the Region to foster the growth of more officials at the same time as serving the needs of the junior volleyball community in the Badger Region.
More will be shared when we know more. Questions? Email brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com.
Serve United Checklist Form click here.
For parents or participants looking to enroll in the required line judging, scoring and second referee modules, click here (coming soon)
The groundwork for a new program was laid in 2016 to further the Badger Region’s mission to have athletes, coaches, parents and officials work together to grow the sport of volleyball and enhance everyone’s experience at volleyball events.
The Badger Region staff, its board of directors and its advisory chairpersons see a great deal of benefit in this program, titled Serve United, that encourages parents to assist with “work crew” responsibilities at tournaments and other duties as the club sees needed.
As part of the Serve United program, parents can register using the discounted Badger Region Serve United membership, get certified as a scorer and also learn about line judging, libero tracking and second referee via the free online tutorials available through the USA Volleyball Academy. While there are not certifications for second referees, line judging and libero tracking, the rostered adult can perform that duty for a team when it is needed at tournament.
During the season, this parent/adult can contribute to the success of the club and ease some stress on the team if they’re able to step in and give a player a break to eat, rehydrate or rest.
The benefits of the Serve United program would include:
- USAV/Badger Region parent members are allowed on the playing surface to retrieve balls during warm-ups
- USAV/ Badger Region parent members can line judge, score/libero track or serve as a second referee during assigned “work” matches after completing the training module.
- USAV/ Badger Region parent members may decide to continue to be involved after their players “graduate” and become USAV Certified Officials – maybe once their son or daughter has completed their career on the junior circuit.
- USAV/Badger Region parent would be an additional background-screened and SafeSport-certified adult that would be around for increased child protection and safety awareness
According to the results of the 2016 State of the Badger Region Survey, parents/coaches/athletes said they would like to see more time in between matches for athletes to recover. While there are time constraints for tournaments and facilities, this program is one great way for parents to get involved to help keep the tournament moving while also providing additional time for their team’s athletes. It’s also a great opportunity for parents to step in and know what it’s like to have to make the snap decisions that officials and athletes have to make on the court every play. It’s always easier to ref from the sidelines – so why not step onto the court where your decisions can have a real impact.
This program doesn’t allow parents to sit on a team’s bench unless they are also IMPACT certified. IMPACT is the minimum certification required by USA Volleyball and the Badger Region for all coaches.
The Badger Region will fully reimburse parents who do the following:
- Purchase a USA Volleyball/Badger Region Serve United membership ($27) between now and April 1
- Clear their first USA Volleyball background screening ($30), good for two seasons
- Certify as a scorer via the USAV Academy online referee training (free)
- Take the online classes for line judging and libero tracking (free)
- Take the junior training for second referees (free)
- Take the SafeSport online awareness class (free)
- Serve their team at matches in the various capacities
- Email Brian Sharkey (brian@badgerarchive4.0ed61ed.netsolhost.com) that you are starting your certifications
- Fill out the form that is at the top of this website once you have completed your requirements
All participants who complete the tasks listed above will receive a “Badger Region — Serve United” T-shirt to help promote the program and encourage more adults to become active in their club’s responsibilities to make tournament experiences better.
While this program hopes to grow the number of active adults and potential future referees, not all parents of every player in the Badger Region can be reimbursed. Therefore, we must limit the number of adults who receive full reimbursements to the first 100 parents who sign up (limit of 10 parents from the same club).
