III. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. TEAM MEMBERS

Team members should contribute to the team, help it grow and be an enjoyable experience, and they should be unconditionally supportive of their teammates.

Team members are responsible for scheduling lessons, paying in a timely manner, and notifying the coach if they will be missing a lesson.

All team members will ride as much as possible and throughout the whole year. If team members are not riding most days, it is preferable that they engage in some other physical activity, as riding does require a degree of athleticism and fitness. It is expected that team members will attend any mandatory meetings scheduled by the captains, faculty advisor, or coach if applicable. If a team member is unable to attend a mandatory team function, he/she should notify the captains as soon as possible.

Team members may decide on a per-semester basis whether they wish to be a showing team member.

All Team Members are responsible for:

• Purchasing an ASTM/SEI approved helmet
• Attending lessons with the team as often as possible during the show season and the off-season
• Responding promptly to captains' requests regarding meetings and paperwork.
• Attending any mandatory team meetings and as many other team functions as possible (snacks, practices, parties, shows)
• Helping the team fundraise
• Assisting in preparations for a Williams IHSA Horse Show

Showing Team Members are responsible for:

• Attending all team mounted practices and scheduling a make-up ride for any missed practices with the coach (in the event that the rider fails to attend a team practice the week prior to a show, that rider will not compete in the show)
• Scheduling and attending one lesson every week during the show season with the team's coach (in the event that the rider fails to attend a lesson the week prior to a show, that rider will not compete in the show)
• Attending team snacks before a show in which the rider plans to compete
• Obtaining and cleaning all their show equipment before competition regardless of whether the equipment belongs to the individual rider or is borrowed from the team's stock
• Reimbursing the team for the cost of entry fees within a reasonable period of time for any show to which the team member commits but fails to attend regardless of whether a substitute rider can be found (Any extenuating circumstances will be reviewed by the student leadership of the team and faculty advisor)

In order to avoid confusion, contradiction, and intra-team conflict, team members should utilize the captains as resources and moderators for disputes and other criticisms. If team members have an issue with all of the captaincy, their next resource should be the faculty advisor. Additionally, it is important for team members to respect the position and roles of their captains. The captains are the team members' liaisons and advocates with the trainers/coach, faculty advisor, College Council, show officials, and IHSA.

**Note: It is illegal for anyone other than the team coach or, in the absence of a coach, the captains to approach show officials and judges!**

B. TEAM OFFICERS

The team officers must be enthusiastic, receptive, responsible, invested individuals who give their unquestioning dedication to the team and help it through its trials and tribulations, be they administrative or interpersonal. Two co-captains and one team manager will be responsible for successful management of the team and coordination of the rest of the team's leadership. No more than two of these team officers shall be seniors. Secondary officers, funding chair, social chair, horse show manager, and secretary, will aid the captains and team manager with specific aspects of the team management as outlined below. It is the duty of experienced team officers to educate and train new team officers.

Elections of captains and team manager will be held after spring break, and overseen by the faculty advisor. Candidates for captain or team manager should submit a written self-nomination to the faculty advisor, who will then compile a master list of candidates for voting. Write-in votes will be accepted in the actual election. Only team members are allowed to vote. Those candidates for captaincy with the two highest vote totals will be elected to the two co-captain positions and the team manager candidate with the highest vote total will be elected as team manager. If the team wishes to impeach a captain, it will require a 2/3 vote of the team. The other team officers will be selected after the election for captains and team manager. Candidates will submit a self-nom to the new captains who will compile a list for the team to review. In the event that more than one candidate submits a self-nom for a certain position, the team will vote via e-mail to the new captains and the candidate with the highest number of votes will be selected to fill the position. If no candidate comes forth for a secondary officer position, the captains and team manager will be responsible for the duties of this position.

It should be noted that the lists duties of team officers outlined below are not exhaustive and may change as the team grows. Additionally, the division of labor implicit below may be modified under the approval of the captains and holder of those positions involved in order to fit individual officers' experience or interests.

B.1. The responsibilities of the captains include:

• Holding regular meetings with the team, faculty advisor, and holding weekly meetings with a coach during the show season.
• Coordinating the team leadership
• Attending all IHSA meetings and shows
• Serving as liaisons between the team and coach/faculty advisor/show officials/judges/College Council
• Being non-judgmental and non-discriminatory on issues involving the team or individual team members
• Assisting other team members and the coach during horse shows. At the request of the coach, captains may (according to their level of experience) help "coach" teammates at the shows, providing encouragement and feedback
• Meeting with the Faculty Advisor twice each semester
• Meeting regularly with the rest of the team leadership and ensuring that all other team leaders are completing their jobs. In the case that one of the other team leaders fails to complete his or her assigned duties in a timely manner, the captains will assume the responsibilities of this position
• Fostering an atmosphere of team unity and healthy competitiveness

The following are guidelines for ways that captains may divide up team duties. These duties should be clearly delineated and assigned no later than the second meeting of the new captaincy. Note: These duties may be shared and/or reallocated throughout the year depending on the captains' current needs and constraints. The importance of these guidelines is to ensure completion of key tasks and promote and equal division of labor.

Captain 1 is responsible for:

• Assuring that all riders have appropriate show clothes and helmets. This involves making sure that all riders who will be showing have every article that they need within a reasonable deadline before shows. This may also involve facilitating tack shop runs.
• Registering the team and individual team members in the IHSA.
• Submitting show entries
• Fulfilling the position of a treasurer, which includes but may not be limited to: cutting checks, keeping track of the budget, and attending College Council budget meetings.

Captain 2 is responsible for:

B.2. The Team Manager's responsibilities include the following:

• Ordering team gear, such as t-shirts, shorts, warm-ups, etc.
• Managing horse draw, and the posting of classes and courses at away shows
• Arranging for college vans or other transportation to shows and events
• Coordinating on-campus publicity, such as DA/DM ads, all-campus emails, and posters
• Scheduling dates for team meeting and large social events like the end of the year banquet
• Assisting captains in coordinating the team leadership, etc.

The captains will gradually acquaint the Team Manager with the duties and responsibilities assigned to the captaincy, such that Team Manager will be familiar with all tasks by the time of the following year's elections. However, it is neither guaranteed nor required that the Team Manager become captain in subsequent years. Being Team Manager is not a prerequisite for becoming captain.

B.3. The Fundraising Chair's responsibilities include the following:

• Organize team fundraising efforts on campus (ie. selling pint glasses)
• Contact and follow up with large businesses in an effort to acquire sponsorships for the team
• Draft program advertisement letters and forms and coordinate the team's delivery of these to local businesses, etc.
• Draft letters for class sponsorships for the Williams Horse Show and coordinate their delivery to alumni, parents, local businesses, etc.
• Put together the advertisement and "special thanks to" portions of the Horse Show Program
• Secure the donation of prizes for the horse show

B.4. The Social Chair's responsibilities include the following:

• Collect and keep track of social dues
• Organize team events (snacks, parties, dinners, and other team-building activities)
• Collect, on a per-event basis, money for "traditional beverages" from those who will drink
• Purchase team breakfast for each horse show
• Coordinate senior gifts
• Work with the captains to plan the banquet
• Foster an atmosphere of team unity and healthy competitiveness

B.5. The Horse Show Manager's responsibilities include the following:

• Work with the captains to select three barn captains who will coordinate the team's efforts to get each barn ready for the show
• Divide the team into the three barns and supervise each barn's efforts to prepare horses and tack for the show
• Decide with the Coach on a horse draw list and placement of horses in appropriate divisions
• Manage registration, money, scratches, etc.
• Coordinate horse holding for the day of the show
• Coordinate preparation of the facility (painting, setting the course, etc.)

B.6. The Secretary's responsibilities include the following:

• Take notes at all team meetings and e-mail them to the team listserve
• Complete any paperwork, such as horse draw lists, prize lists, and posting courses needed for the horse show
• Put together and print the horse show program
• Maintain the team listserver
• Maintain the team binder and taking notes at shows
• Write newspaper articles for The Record and assist in the production of the team newsletter

One captain, the horse show manager, the fundraising chair, the secretary, and the barn captains will form the horse show committee. The horse show committee will be responsible for ensuring that that the barn is completely prepared for the Williams College Horse Show and that the show runs smoothly. The captain on this committee is ultimately responsible for ensuring that all other members of the committee complete their responsibilities in a timely manner.

In the event that no candidate submits a self-nom for fundraising chair, social chair, horse show manager, or secretary, the captains and the team manager will assume the responsibilities of that position.

C. COACH

Any professional wishing to hold the title of coach for the team must:

• Be educated in hunt seat equitation
• Be or become knowledgeable concerning IHSA rules
• Be responsible for evaluating all members of the team for level placement in the IHSA
• Be responsible for approving the helmets of all team members
• Provide lessons to any team members that wish to lesson with him/her (at his/her appropriate fee)
• Set up and maintain lesson schedules and billing practices
• Attend weekly meetings with all captains at the same time during the show season
• Sign all paperwork necessary for registration and entry at shows
• Be present at all shows and provide coaching to all team members at shows
• Be present at all IHSA regional meetings
• Encourage a positive, supportive atmosphere and one of team unity

It is the coach's privilege to require a lesson and/or team practice with him/her from all showing members of the team each week during the show seasons, but the coach cannot restrict where a team member chooses to train regularly and cannot discriminate against team members who train with someone other than him/her.

The coach will enter into a contract with the team at the beginning of each academic year. All fees and practices shall be in writing in this contract. If the coach fails to meet any of the above requirements to the satisfaction of the captains and/or team, the team reserves the right to revoke the title of coach at the end of the showing season. A 2/3 vote of the showing members of the team and a 2/3 vote of the team officers is needed to revoke the title of coach. Additionally, the coach has the right to resign at the end of a semester's showing season. In either case, both parties will be notified of any changes in a timely manner.

D. FACULTY ADVISOR

The faculty advisor must have an interest in assisting the team in its endeavors and serve to validate the team in the eyes of the college and the IHSA. He/She is liable for the team and is responsible for all paperwork authorizing the continuation of the team as a college entity and within the IHSA. The faculty advisor may also serve as a liaison between the team and the college or the team and the coach, should conflict arise.

The faculty advisor is responsible for:

• Serving as the administrative representative of the college
• Serving as an official team contact for the IHSA and receiving all IHSA correspondence
• Meeting regularly with the team officers
• Acting as a an advisor to the team captains regarding team affairs
• Overseeing elections

IV. SHOW RESPONSIBILITIES

In the event that the Williams Equestrian Team holds an IHSA show, the responsibilities of the team and the coach and/or host of the show shall be delineated as follows. All responsibilities and fees shall be placed in writing in a contract signed prior to the show. It is expected that, with the exception of those duties that must be performed the day of the show, all obligations will be met within a reasonable period of time before the date of the show.

The responsibilities of the coach and/or host of the show are to:

• Assign stewards
• Inform the Captains no later than a month prior to the date of the show what work the team will need to do to prepare all facilities adequately, including but not limited to cleaning or painting jumps (as needed), making sure the ring(s) is/are in adequate shape, clipping, grooming and braiding of horses, labeling of tack, and setting up the PA system
• Decide with the Captains on a horse draw list and placement of horses in appropriate divisions
• Have on hand all tack at least one week prior to the date of the show, including saddle pads
• Provide all necessary equipment for maintenance of horses, including but not limited to boots, medications and other supplements, and bathing
• Trailer horses to the show location if horses are rented
• School horses adequately the day prior to the show and on the day of the show, and have reserved for this purpose an adequate amount of time and schooling riders
• Set appropriate fees

The responsibilities of the team officers are to:

• Secure a judge
• Decide with the Coach on a horse draw list and placement of horses in appropriate divisions
• Obtain extra bathroom facilities
• Complete any paperwork, such as horse draw lists, programs, prize lists, and posting of courses
• Contact appropriate IHSA officials to obtain program information
• Provide ribbons and prizes
• Secure food for the day for show participants
• Run the coaches/captains meeting
• Secure EMTs for the day
• Provide judge accommodations, such as food, assistants, etc., on the day of the show
• Manage registration, money, scratches, etc.

The responsibilities of the team members are to:

• Help clean horses, tack, and the barn the day prior to and day of (before and after) the show
• Help prepare the show location by cleaning, painting, or organizing
• Manage horse holding and care on the day of the show
• Set up parking
• Do the announcing
• Keep six official programs with complete, accurate results
• Publicize on campus