Competitive Tournament/Travel Policy for all

Red, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Copper teams

All events/tournaments require DOC/Program Director approval prior to entry.

The general principles are: 

1) That all primary rostered players are responsible for an equal share of all the league registration fees for the soccer-year, regardless of participation. Only participating players, including guest players are responsible for an equal share of the event/tournament registration fees. Guest players must be informed of the financial obligation at the time they are invited to participate.

2) That all participating players at an event/tournament equally share all travel costs listed below under Travel Events.

Player Participation - Players who are unable to travel to an event/tournament, should notify both the head coach and team manager as soon as the conflict becomes known and before travel arrangements are made. If a player commits to a tournament, pays the fees and then pulls out after plans are in place, these players will still be responsible for their share of the “team” expenses, unless the team is able to replace the player on the event roster.

Travel Events - All team travel expenses are divided equally between all players participating in the event. Expenses include, but are not limited to coach travel (transportation, parking, lodging, and per diem) and chaperone travel expenses, if applicable.  All participating players are responsible for their personal travel expenses. Any non-primary rostered player’s (Guest) family needs to be informed of their financial responsibility when they are invited to participate.

Travel Arrangements - The coach will choose if the players travel with chaperones, with their families or a hybrid. 

Chaperone Travel - The team should travel together, unless there are extenuating circumstances that don’t allow an individual to travel with their teammates and specific arrangements are made with the family.  Flight arrangements will be made as a team if possible.  This helps chaperones coordinate transportation (car rental) to and from the airport, and throughout the tournament. No player(s) should ever be left alone at an airport or on a chaperoned flight.

Family Travel - Travel parameters need to be set for teams traveling with parents.  Parents will make their own flight arrangements or choose to drive. The coach will set a date and time for all players to arrive at the hotel. For return travel the coach will communicate the earliest flights to be booked. Some teams may suggest specific flight recommendations for team families to travel together, if possible and a team hotel. 

Hybrid Travel - Teams may choose the chaperone and parent option of travel. The group will need to work closely together to determine what that looks like. Players traveling without a parent may travel with a chaperone or chaperones depending on the number of players in the group and others may choose to travel with their parents. If there are not enough players traveling alone, families will need to make arrangements for their player to travel with another family. 

Coach Travel Expenses - All the competitive players participating in an event/tournament are responsible for the coach’s travel expenses. The Team Manager, Treasurer and Tournament Coordinator need to work with the coach to make the arrangements and pay for the expenses. Each participating player in the event will pay an equal portion of the coach’s travel expenses. 

Coach Tournament Travel Costs:

• Transportation - airline, rental vehicle (mid-size), share ride, taxi, DIA parking (Pikes Peak/Longs Peak economy lots), parking, tolls, bag fees, and/or mileage reimbursement for personal car.
• Mileage - Any trip over 75 miles one-way. The reimbursement rate is the current IRS rate. Any trip over 500 miles one-way in a personal vehicle must get prior approval from the Executive Director.
• Lodging - Single hotel room, including taxes and fees or similarly priced AirBnb.
• Per diem - $50/day for the dates of the tournament, including travel days.

The coach arrangements should be as reasonable as possible, meeting the criteria above, so as to keep the costs down for our families.  

Chaperones - The players participating in a chaperoned event/tournament are responsible for the chaperone’s travel expenses. The Team Manager, Treasurer and Tournament Coordinator will work with the coach to make the arrangements and pay for the expenses.

• Transportation - airline, rental vehicle, or gas reimbursement for personal car. 
• Gas Reimbursement - Calculate total round trip mileage plus 50 miles per day during the tournament, divided by miles per gallon (15 miles/gallon) multiplied by the average price per gallon of gas in the state.
• Lodging - No more than two (2) same gender chaperones will be expected to share a room. In the event a chaperone chooses to reserve a single room, the team will contribute the proportionate share of a double room toward the chaperone’s lodging expense. 
• The coach will identify the chaperone(s) for each event/tournament.
• Each chaperone is responsible for driving a rental vehicle, working with the coach to determine the team schedule throughout the tournament, getting players to and from all activities, arranging meals and overseeing the health and safety of all players.
• Only same gender chaperones are allowed to go into the player rooms. However, same gender chaperones may not be in a player room alone with a player.
• All chaperones MUST complete a Background Check and SafeSport Training at least two weeks prior to the travel date. The Team Manager or Tournament Coordinator will need to provide the club with a list of chaperone names at least 30 days before each event/tournament.

Hotel Arrangements - Many of the events/tournaments are Stay-to-Play, which means you are required to book hotel reservations through a specific travel group connected to the event/tournament. Be sure that you comply with the requirement, booking your room block as early as possible. The longer you wait the fewer options are available. The coach and/or the director must approve the hotel prior to booking.

• Research the area to find the best location for the team; safe, restaurants, location to the fields, breakfast included, read the reviews.
• Select enclosed hotels, players should not be in rooms with outside access.
• Maximum 4 players in a room, chaperoned event/tournament - when booking the hotel, check to find out if there are any rules or regulations in regards to the age of the occupant and whether they require an adult in the room.
• At least one chaperone room needs to be on the same floor as the player rooms. Players cannot be left unsupervised.
• Block rooms - Parent Travel: arrange a deadline for the parent to reserve from the block
• Block rooms - Chaperone Travel: reserve player, coach and chaperone rooms. Observe deposit deadline, room drop, rooming list and payment requirements. 

Rental Vehicles - Cost and safety issues should be taken into account when reservations are made. Twelve passenger vans, minivans or cars can be rented depending on team needs for the event/tournament. 

• Drivers will be assigned to each vehicle for the duration of the event/tournament and will be required to use their credit card to pay for the rental and reimbursed by the team upon return. (Coaches cannot be drivers)
• Players will be assigned to a specific vehicle for the entire event/tournament.
• COLORADO SOCCER ASSOCIATION - PASSENGER VAN RENTAL
• National or Enterprise
• Account Number 1SOCCER
• Additional coverage included in the rental

Dress Code - When flying to out of state events/tournaments a dress code will be set by the coach. For example, players should wear their warm up jacket or training top. This will help the coach and chaperones identify the players at the airport.

Prohibited Conduct and Reporting - Colorado United prohibits all types of physical abuse, 

sexual abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harrassment and hazing, all as described in the US Soccer SafeSport Training. Participants, employees or volunteers may be subject to disciplinary action for violation of these Travel Policies or for engaging in any misconduct or abuse that violates the SafeSport Policies.

These are the minimum requirements for all Colorado United Competitive events and tournament travel. A team can choose to do more than the policy requires, if agreed to by the team.

Force Majeure



Colorado United shall not be liable or responsible for refunds for failure, cancellation, suspension, postponement, delay, or shortening in services resulting from a Force Majeure Event, inclusive of causes beyond its reasonable control, including, but not limited to: acts of God; field closures; labor disputes; equipment failure; war; terrorism; riot; acts of civil or military authorities; epidemics; pandemics; floods; fires; unusual severe weather conditions; accidents; or other contingencies the non-occurrence of which was a basic assumption on which the registration was made.