http://www.girl-strong.

org/girlstrong-gallery/

Building A Team - Girl.Strong. & WGYL

Whatcom Girls Youth Lacrosse: https://www.whatcomgirlsyouthlacrosse.org/
Girl Strong: http://www.girl-strong.org/
January, 2017

Sydney, Kara, and Carey

AHE 585 Assignment
 1

Building a Team

The Second Interview:

We interviewed the one active and remaining organization founder, Courtney McBean, in a
face-to-face meeting on Tuesday, February 14th
2017 for the second time. Before the meeting, we
reviewed the original information and requests to determine how we could best support the
organization based on the organizational needs assessment and the strategic plan we had
developed.

With Courtneys permission, the interview was recorded, notes were taken, and the information
was used to modify the strategic plan and goals as shown below.

Goals, Original Strategies, and Modifications

GOAL 1: Prepare WGYL & Girl.Strong. to file for 501 (c)(3) Status

Summary and Observations for Goal 1 - Initially there was some confusion about our role in this process. We
were not sure if we should be doing work for the organization or simply creating a plan to help them accomplish
the work that needed to be done. In addition, our group did not fully understand the complexity or the
requirements of filing a 501(c)(3) application. During the initial conversation the organizations founder suggested
we help with this by completing the application. Our team tentatively agreed to this but after we researched the
application we realized we could not complete the application. This resulted in some awkwardness during the
second team conversation as we had to explain that we did not have the information needed nor the experience or
knowledge needed to complete the application.

Goal 1 Original Strategy Modified Strategy + Moving Forward

Step 1 The organizations founder (Courtney) quickly went

The organizations founders complete
assessment checklist titled Checklist for
Filing as a 501(c)(3) to assess readiness to
file a 501(c)(3) application.
See Appendix Document A -
Checklist for Filing as a 501(c)(3)
Step 2
through Steps 1, 2 and 3 as outlined. She reviewed the
checklist and informed us that the organization had
everything identified on the checklist. She also said she
had spoken with a lawyer and she felt the organization
was ready to file. She believes the organization is
ready to move forward but they probably need to pay
someone to complete the application. They did not
 2

Review of completed checklist responses to identify a specific timeline for filing the application
determine if the organization(s) are ready to during this discussion but we believe they are looking
file for 501(c)(3) status at this time. If the at filing as soon as possible (similar to option A).
respondents answered no to any of the
checklist requirements, the organization is
not ready to file for 501(c)(3) status at this
time.
Step 3
We recommend the organizations founders
consult with a non-profit expert (i.e. lawyer
that specializes in non-profit law and/or
accountant) to determine if filing for 501(c)(3)
status is in the best interest of this
organization. After consulting with an expert,
we recommend one of the three strategies
below depending on the results of Step 2
and 3.

Option A: If the organization meets with an

expert and determines 501(c)(3) status is in
the best interest of the organization(s) and
has met all of the requirements identified on
the checklist, complete and submit
application before March 31, 2017.

Option B: If the organization meets with an

expert and determines 501(c)(3) status is in
the best interest of the organization(s) but
has not met all of the requirements identified
on the checklist, the organization(s) will
identify the missing components and create
a timeline to ensure all required documents
are complete so they can submit the
completed application before December 31
2017. However, timeline specifics will
depend on the number of items needed to
satisfy the checklist requirements.

Option C: If the organization meets with an

expert and determines 501(c)(3) status is not
in the best interest of the organization(s) at
this time, the organization will consider
alternative approaches for long-term
sustainable organizational funding.
 3

Timeline: The checklist is attached to the document Review and completion of the checklist was completed
(Appendix A). We hope the organizations during mid February. See above modification.
founders will complete and review the
checklist by before March 15. We suggest
the organization consults with an expert by
April 15 so they can review and discuss the
results with the board members by April 30.
If the organization utilizes option A, we
suggest completing and filing the application
before May 30. If the organization chooses
option B, we suggest creating a timeline that
allows them to compile all the required
documentation by October 15, 2017, so they
can complete and file the application before
December 31, 2017. If the organization
chooses option C, we would suggest they
immediately begin looking at long-term
fundraising strategies and/or consider
partnering with a larger, more established
organization that has access to funding
and/or 501(c)(3) status.

Resources To achieve the above goal, the During the last team meeting, Courtney informed us
organization(s) will need to invest staff time they had already spoken with a lawyer and they were
Needed:
and financial resources. Creating a nonprofit
ready to proceed. She noted they may need to pay
organization takes time, effort, and money.
someone to complete the application although that was
Due to this fact, we suggest the organization
begin by completing and reviewing the not preferred as it was expensive. She did not provide
checklist to assess their current readiness to any additional information.
file the application. Because a nonprofit
organization is a legal entity under federal,
state, and local laws, we also suggest
consultation with an expert such an attorney
that specializes in non-profits and/or an
accountant to ensure this designation is in
the best interest of the organization and to
ensure the organization has the required
documents, structures, and policies needed
to submit a successful application. The
costs of consultation and/or employing a
lawyer or accountant may seem cost
prohibitive up front depending on how much
time is required but the investment could
save the organization time and money in the
future.
 4

GOAL 2: Developing a coaching philosophy

Summary and Observations for Goal 2 - During the initial conversation the organizations founder said
they needed to develop a coaching strategy. It was not initially clear how they wanted us to help with this
so we developed a strategy for developing the coaching philosophy (outlined below). However after our
most recent team meeting, it was clear our original strategy needed to be modified as their primary
request was for us to develop a draft of the coaching philosophy rather than provide a structure for them
to develop it. Please see modified strategy below.

Goal 2 Original Strategy Modified Strategy + Moving Forward

Strategy: Developing an organizational coaching We will create a draft coaching philosophy for the
philosophy can help the organization organization. Courtney felt the information presented
succeed, start the season off right, and keep on the organizations websites clearly outlined the
the team and the organization focused during
organizational goals and mission. She believes this
the season and beyond.
will provide the information need to develop a draft
The 5 steps listed below will guide the coaching philosophy.
organization through the process of
developing a coaching philosophy that We believe the information on the websites and the
supports the organizational mission and information we gleaned from the interviews will allow
goals by empowering coaches and players. us to create a draft coaching philosophy that can be
provided to the organization so they can review and
Step 1- Decide on your organizations refine the draft to suit their needs. When developing
coaching goals.
the coaching philosophy we will use the steps
outlined in the original strategy to ensure we capture
What is it that the organization hopes to
achieve through the sport? Does the the organizational mission and goals.
organization exist to make a difference in the
players lives if so how? Take the time to
really think about why the organization exists
and what the organization wants the players
and the coaches to get from participating.

Step 2- Determine what life lessons the

organization wants its players to learn
throughout the season and clearly
communicate this to the coaches. Weve all
had a coach or mentor that taught us
something about the human experience that
we can still apply in our lives today. What
lessons will the organizations coaches pass
on to their players? Decide now and make an
 5

effort to impart wisdom in various ways

throughout the season.

Step 3- Decide what the organization wants

players to gain from their experience. In
addition to the life lessons that they will learn,
what else will your players take away from
their time on the organizations team? Will
they forge new friendships with people that
they otherwise wouldnt interact with?
Improve their level of play? What will the
overall experience be for the players?

Step 4- Define the meaning of success for

teams in your organization. What does
success mean to your organization? Is it
winning a certain number of games? Is it
making it to a certain level of tournament
play? Or is the organization more concerned
about working effectively as a team? Create
a set of attainable goals for teams in the
organization and strive to achieve them.

Step 5- Focus on each team. Coaches

determine what skills their team needs to
learn or improve upon in order to achieve
that success. Once the organization has
defined success for its teams, decide how
youre going to get there by evaluating your
players and determining what skills they will
need to work on. Be sure that for every goal
that youve set, there is a distinct and
reasonable means of attaining it.

Timeline: As the start date for the spring lacrosse Compared to the other goals, this is not a priority.
season is coming up in just a few weeks However, we do plan to review the websites and
(March 1, 2017) it is suggested that this complete the draft within the next two weeks so we
process be started immediately. Steps 1 - 4
can submit the philosophy to Courtney by March 6.
should be reviewed and discussed by
members of the organization to ensure the
responses are clearly articulated and aligned
with the organizational mission and goals.
Step 5 is an essential component of the
organizational coaching philosophy as it
reminds each coach to focus on the
individual needs of the team. Ideally, the
 6

organizational coaching philosophy will apply

to all sports supported by the organization.

Resources The development of the organizational The only resource that is needed to complete this
coaching philosophy will not require any activity is time. Our team will spend time reviewing
Needed:
financial resources just several hours of staff the websites and the interview responses to ensure
and/or volunteer time to follow the steps
we create a coaching philosophy that is aligned with
outlined above; document the information;
the organizations mission and goals.
and disseminate the new philosophy to
existing members, coaches, and players.
The process should include several
organizational members as well as existing
coaches to ensure all voices are included
and the organizational mission is clearly
articulated in the coaching philosophy. Once
the philosophy is developed it should be
documented and shared throughout the
organization.

GOAL 3: Finding a Coach, or Coaches

Summary and Observations for Goal 3-

The WGYL is in need of 1-2 assistant coaches to work alongside the head coach on their GU11 team for their
spring season which starts March 1, 2017. It had been decided during our first interview that we would be assisting
with this hiring process but specific details were not very thoroughly outlined at that early stage. In our recent
second meeting with the organization, a more detailed plan was devised to outline how the hiring responsibilities
would be shared between we the consultant team, and the organization itself. Details of how we have modified our
initial plans can be seen below.

Goal 3 Original Strategy Modified Strategy + Moving Forward

Strategy: Several outlets can be explored
simultaneously. One to two coaches are
desired; preferably female.
o Step 1- Will be to post information
regarding the vacancy on the WGYL website.
o Step 2- Is to reach out to the Western
Washington University (WWU) Physical
Education Department, WWUs Womens
Lacrosse Club, and to explore connections
with WWU Athletics to see whether student
athletes or future physical educators would
Plan A: After gathering more details about the
coaching position requirements and time demands,
we have created a mini outreach document and have
shared that with students in WWUs physical
education department as well as those involved with
WWU athletics.
Students will contact us for a pre-screening with a
cover letter and resume if they are interested in the
volunteer position. We would then forward a list of

be open to taking on this volunteer position.
o Step 3- A volunteer announcement will be
drafted and posted to the Volunteer Center of
Whatcom County
(http://www.whatcomvolunteer.org/). This
website is also connected to WWUs Student
Employment Center website where there is a
link directing students to find volunteer
opportunities in the community.
o Step 4- Can only occur if the WGYL
determines that they can afford to offer
coaches a stipend, in which case a job
announcement could be posted to the WWU
Employment Centers job site. This site is
also accessible to students who attend
Whatcom Community College, Bellingham
Technical College, and the Northwest Indian
College.
o Step 5- If desired, a job/volunteer
announcement could also be posted on the
Bellingham Craigslist Site.
Step 6- Hold interviews and offer the position
to desired candidate(s).
7
promising candidate names and contact information
to the WGYL who will arrange and conduct interviews
with applicants as soon as possible. Once a desirable
candidate has interviewed they will be offered the
position.
If there are no responses to the outreach document
by Monday, February 20, we will inform the WGYL
who will then begin making preparations for Plan B.
Plan B:
If we dont receive any interest from our initial
outreach efforts by February 20th, the WGYL plans to
come up with funds to offer a coaching salary. The
provision of monetary compensation will allow us to
post a job announcement on the WWU Job Site
(http://www.finaid.wwu.edu/studentjobs/) in order to
cast a much wider net for potential candidates. It
would be our responsibility to post the job
announcement once the WGYL provides us with
information regarding compensation details for a
coach. Just as in Plan A, we would serve as the
pre-screening team before sending a list of eligible
candidate names over to the WGYL for interview and
hopefully hiring.
Plan C:
If there still arent any takers, we may decide to look
at placing a position announcement on the Whatcom
Volunteer website or perhaps even a Craigslist
posting, although the organization has made it very
clear that they are wary of posting advertisements to
work with young girls on public forums. Before any
action in this realm is taken, we would need to consult
with the organization for further direction.
Additional Notes:
The WWU Lacrosse Club is an outlet that the
WGYL has already explored. At this time,
student players are not available to coach on
a consistent basis due to their game schedule.
The organization may or may not decide to
 8

post a job announcement on their website.

Timeline: Action must be taken immediately on this
item as the start date for the spring lacrosse
season is coming up in just a few weeks
March 1, 2017. Steps 1, 2, and 3 and 5
should all be initiated during the week of
February 13, 2017. In order to pursue step 4,
the WGYL must determine the likelihood of
being able to offer a coaching salary before
March 1st . Step 6 (interviews) must be
scheduled and take place starting the week
of February 20, 2017 so as to secure a
coach prior to the March 1st start date.
Initial outreach efforts took place on 2/16/2017. If
results are not produced by 2/20/2017, we will inform
the WGYL. The WGYL would need to work up and
inform us of a coaching compensation plan by
2/23/2017. Immediately after (on 2/23 or 2/24) we
would work up and post a job advertisement on the
WWU jobsite. We would then begin forwarding
information to the WGYL as eligible applicants are
received. Either way, the WGYL hopes to conduct
interviews before 3/1/2017 as that is the first
scheduled practice. If a desirable candidate has not
been located by 3/1/2017, we will discuss other
options with the WGYL including a volunteer posting
on Craigslist and/or the Whatcom Volunteer Website.

The hunt for a coach will not require any
Resources
financial resources just several hours of labor
Needed: to design and implement the outreach. One
person (a volunteer or board member)
should easily be able to create the job
announcements. A combination of board
members and WGYL coaches would need to
collaborate in order to update the website
and conduct the interviews.
Ideally, the hunt for a coach will not require resources
aside from time spent conducting outreach,
screening, and interviewing candidates. It may be that
a financial incentive may need to be added in order to
increase the likelihood of desired results. If this is the
case, the WGYL felt confident that they could make
this work although it would require some shifting of
funds around within their organizations budget.

GOAL 4: Clarifying Coaching Requirements

Summary and Observations for Goal 4-
In line with finding a coach for WGYL, we also wanted to help them clarify the coaching requirements that
they have for any potential coaches who are interested. As of right now the requirements are not very
strict, as they are just hoping to find someone who will enjoy working in their program and is interested in
developing the young athletes. As the process moves forward with finding coaches, we believe we can
work alongside WGYL to help them clarify the requirements when we find coaches who are interested in
becoming involved.
Goal 4 Original Strategy Modified Strategy + Moving Forward

Strategy: o Step 1- Determine what coaching
requirements are needed to sustain the
organizational mission.
o Step 2- Review current coaching
requirements.
As our relationship with WGYL and Courtney has
developed, we felt like we had a strong enough idea
on what they are looking for in a new coach.
Because they are looking for volunteers before
resorting to finding some funds for a stipend, the

o Are they consistent with similar
organizations (research similar
organizations)?
o Are they adequate? If not what is missing?
o Step 3- Identify desired coaching
requirements.
o Step 4- Review the information gleaned
from Step 1, 2, and 3.
o Step 5- Identify gaps and inconsistencies.
o Step 6- Discuss the results with the board
to create a revised document that identifies
and clearly outlines the coaching
requirements expected by the organization.
o Step 7- Distribute the document to
organizational members.
o Step 8 - List revised coaching
requirements in all coaching positions.
o Step 9 - Create a 1-2 page contract that
clearly outlines the coaching
requirements/responsibilities. Review and
discus the document with all new coaches
during the interview. Be sure the new coach
signs the document and receives a copy.
Timeline: As the start date for the spring lacrosse
season is coming up in just a few weeks
(March 1, 2017) it is suggested that this
process be started immediately. However, the
immediate priority is finding coaches for the
current season so this activity can be
postponed. Therefore, we recommend
completion of this process before the next
9
WGYL is not being too picky on what is required for
their coaches. The steps discussed in our original
strategy were expedited in the last meeting, as we
are looking to fill the coaching position as soon as
possible with the start of the season rapidly
approaching.
Steps 1-6 were briefly discussed in our meeting on
the 14th, so we had a better understanding of what
to include in our outreach efforts.
In the outreach document that we sent to our
resources we listed the current coaching
requirements as:
Prior experience working with young children.
Prior participation on or coaching experience
with team sports. Prior experience with
lacrosse is not necessary.
A passion for promoting confidence and
teamwork skills in young girls.
The ability to be able to consistently attend
practices and games.
* A paid level 1 lacrosse coaching certification
may be an option if the selected coach is
interested
In our outreach we also included that coaches did
not need to create their own practice plan but had
the freedom to do so.
As we hopefully gain interest in some potential
coaches, we will move forward with steps 8 and 9 in
creating a formalized list that will be included in the
coaches volunteer contract.
As discussed above, our original timeline for this
process was expedited due to our time constraints.
We began our outreach on 2/16/17 and are
continuing that process. Dependent on what plan is
taken into action will dictate the timeline for finalizing
the coaching requirements. If we do not have any
 10

season begins. Steps 1 - 5 should be
reviewed and discussed with at least 2-3
members of the organization including at
least one coach. When finalizing the list (step
6) it is essential to make sure the expected
coaching requirements are reasonable,
especially if the coaches are volunteering. It
is important to ensure coaching requirements
are consistently communicated to all coaches
(step 8) and to ensure there is no
miscommunication or misunderstanding
about the coaching requirements (step 9).
luck from our initial outreach and need to post on
other sources (Plan B and/or Plan C) then the list of
coaching requirements will need some re-working as
well.
As of right now the requirements we have in our
outreach document are sufficing for our outreach and
will be developed alongside the progress of finding
coaches. One a final coach or coaches have been
decided, that is when a finalized list of requirements
will be formalized with Courtney.

Clarifying the coaching requirements will not
Resources
require any financial resources just several
Needed: hours of staff and/or volunteer time to follow
the steps outlined above; document the
information; and disseminate the new
requirements to existing members, existing
coaches, and potential coaches. The process
should include several organizational
members as well as at least one current
coach to ensure the organizational mission is
upheld in the coaching requirements. Once
the revised requirements are determined they
should be documented and clearly and
consistently communicated when recruiting
new coaches.
Similarly to finding coaches, the development of the
coaching requirements should not take much
additional time. As the initial requirements that are
posted right now, will not change much. Once
potential coaches have been interviewed and
screened, the formalized coaching requirements
would just take an hour or so to agree upon and be
created in a formal document. If the final coaching
requirements decide to include the Level 1 Lacrosse
Coaching certification, then the inclusion and
scheduling of that would need to take place as well.

Additional Information
Something that we have come to understand in this process is that change truly is constant. At
present, we feel confident in our plan of action to date but understand that there is a strong
likelihood for plans to be altered or even completely thrown out the window. As a result, we hope
to keep strong lines of communication open between us and Girl.Strong in order to assist many
of these time sensitive plans along their way to fruition as quickly and smoothly as possible.
11