Tools for Captains
Whether you’re in the process of establishing a new team, preparing to lead your first season, or launching for your fifth title run, we know from experience that being a captain requires initiative and patience in managing your team. We want you to know that we’re here to make this process nice and easy, so you can focus on a fun and winning season!
Below we’ve outlined how to pay your team dues, manage your team, and find soccer players in Kansas City.
Paying Your Team Dues
To register your team each season, browse our upcoming Kansas City soccer leagues and click “Team” to sign up as a Captain.
You can register your team and start inviting teammates with NO MONEY DOWN + NO RISK.
- NO MONEY DOWN – Captains can register a team without paying a deposit, then invite and invoice teammates for their share of team dues with a single invitation link that includes a payment request for an adjustable per-player amount.
- NO RISK – Our 100% Team Money Back Guarantee means if you change your mind anytime up to the Signup Deadline, let us know and we’ll refund everyone who paid already. There’s no risk in registering and trying to get a team together, even if you collect payments from multiple players and then decide to cancel.
Team Payment Process
1. The Captain’s credit/debit card info is required to register a team for the league, but won’t be charged right away.
2. A minimum of $200 must be paid toward a team’s dues by the Signup Deadline (or 6 days prior to the scheduled start date, whichever comes first) to confirm a team’s spot. This amount can be paid online by teammates, the Captain, or a combination. After registering, we encourage Captains to immediately begin inviting players to join their team and issuing them invoices for their share of team dues. After the Signup Deadline (or 6 days prior to the scheduled start date, whichever comes first), any unpaid amount of the $200 minimum will be automatically charged to the Captain’s credit/debit card.
3. The full team balance must be paid by the Payment Deadline (typically the day before the second game). Again, this amount can be paid online by teammates, the Captain, or a combination. After the Payment Deadline, any unpaid amount of the full team balance will be automatically charged to the Captain’s credit/debit card.
Payment Responsibility
Captains are 100% responsible for making sure their team’s dues are paid in full and on time, including the $200 minimum payment to confirm a team’s spot. Captains can use our TeamPayer tool at any time up to the Payment Deadline to invite teammates and assign them their share of dues, paid directly toward the team balance. Note that the system will only process payments up to the amount of the team balance. So if 15 invoices for $60 are sent out on a $590 balance, the system will only process the first 9 people to pay at the full $60 price ($540 total), and the 10th person will only be charge $50 out of $60 ($590 total).
Teams with delinquent dues unable to be charged for any reason may incur forfeit results and/or cancelled games. Teams dropping out of, or disqualified from a league will forfeit their minimum payment and dues.
Refunds
All registration dues are non-refundable after the Signup Deadline (or 6 days prior to the Start Date, whichever comes first). A team’s minimum payment and/or dues will be refunded only if Soccer KC cancels a league entirely, or if a team is not offered a position in a league/division determined to be appropriate for the team.
Managing your Team
Below are some common questions and methods for managing your team each season.
How do I add players to my team roster online?
- Log in and click “Manage Team”.
- Click “Invite Player” to add or invite past teammates quickly. Click “Send Link” to send an invitation link for players to join your team. You can include a default payment request as part of this FunLink.
- Click “Recruit Free Agents” to invite players who are looking to join a team in your league.
Please note: Only Captains can invite and manage players, including the ability to remove players or revoke invites they may have already sent.
Example of a Captain’s “Manage Team” page:
What are the best ways to keep track of my players?
- Log in > Manage Team. You will see your entire roster.
- Message players directly from your Dashboard, or use your private Team Forum to communicate with teammates.
- Manage invites and invoices you may have issued to teammates using TeamPayer.
What are the best practices for collecting money from team players?
We recommend using the TeamPayer tool (see above image call-out) to invoice each of your teammates their share of team dues, paid directly to the league and lowering your team balance accordingly. Alternately, you can have your players pay you via Venmo, PayPal, etc prior to the season start, or bring cash to the first game they play, and then you can pay the balance due as Captain. The sooner you can secure a financial commitment from each player, the more invested they will be in showing up and contributing to the team in a positive way.
When and how should I remind players of upcoming games?
Players who have accepted an email invitation to join your team roster online can go to the “Profile” tab of their Player page to opt-in to receive automatic game reminders via email the day of (or Friday before) each game, incuding the date, time, location, and links to RSVP for that game. This is another reason it’s important to add all players to your roster every season.
Additional player reminder methods:
- Use GroupMe events in a soccer team group.
- Send group emails to all teammates from your personal email.
- Text message players on game days.
- Use the “Messages” tab on your Player page (this sends an email to teammates).
- Use the private “Team Forum” section of your team page.
Finding Players for Your Team
After registering your team, click the “Manage Team” button, then “Recruit Free Agents” button (below the roster). This is where you’ll see a list of all soccer players who have registered as “Free Agents” for that specific league. Click the “Invite” text link next to any players you’d like. They’ll receive an email asking if they want to join your team – that email will also include your name and personal email address in case they have questions before accepting the invite. If they accept the invite, they will be added to your roster, and you can then invoice them for their share of team dues, or make your own payment arrangements with them.
Post requests for players in our Facebook group, a place for players and Captains to connect. Post more about your team and league, as well as the type of player(s) you’re looking for. You can also post requests for subs for specific games.
Soccer KC offers daily pickup games through our OpenSports group, and many of these players are looking to play in our league too. Although some players may register on their own as Free Agents, there are many players who would prefer to meet a Captain at the field and be invited directly to join a team. Playing pickup with potential players also helps you find out which players would be a good fit for your team.
4. Ask friends and co-workers
Ask friends and co-workers to play, or if they know any interested soccer players! Word of mouth is still one of the most reliable ways to recruit new players. Have your players mention to their co-workers that they’re looking for another team player, or post on their Facebook to see if any of their friends might want to join. Most teams find at least 2-3 new players every season this way.