15
Putting It
All Together:
The Handbook
You now understand all the components of an effective intramural program. As promised at the beginning of the book, this final chapter involves pulling all those components together to create your own personal intramural handbook. An intramural handbook will serve as a useful guide both as you get started and throughout your tenure as an intramural director. And the best part is, by completing the chapter summary exercises at the end of each chapter, you’ve already started creating it!
Chapter Objectives
>	Review the components of an effective intramural program.
>	Construct a comprehensive intramural handbook.
A Comprehensive Handbook
An intramural handbook is a great resource in several regards. For starters, having a comprehensive handbook will mean that do not need to reinvent the program every year. For example, having relevant activity and event documents—including rules, registration/signup policies, forms, promotional materials, and so on—provides a readily accessible resource the next time that activity or event is run. Planning and implementation simply involve going to that activity or event, reviewing the procedures and documents, and revising as necessary.
Another benefit is that a comprehensive handbook gives an intramural director a broad as well as a detailed overview of the entire program before it begins. This builds confidence in program implementation and makes life easier during the school year when daily pressures can quickly crowd out long-range planning.
Finally, having a comprehensive handbook provides a great resource for evaluation. If too many participants are getting injured in a specific event, for example, you may need to revise the policies or procedures of that event, modify the rules to make it less competitive, or better communicate the standards of fair play and safety to event participants. By having all these materials in one place, organized by event, doing this will be a snap. If the event itself is simply too dangerous, and you have to drop it from the programming calendar, in the handbook you can simply note the problems associated with that event and reasons for dropping it. Then, if and when the same event is suggested or considered in future years, you (or your replacement) will be able to assess quickly whether the event should be reconsidered.
This handbook will be of most use, of course, if you keep it up to date. Thus, in designing your handbook, it is a good idea to allow for future modifications. If signup sheets and other forms are compiled into a three-ring binder or other folder, all you need to do is take each sheet, form, or promotional piece and tweak it as necessary. If these documents were included as part of a printed manual, on the other hand, each revision would require reprinting the entire manual (or at least a chapter). This can be time consuming and expensive. Note: When it comes to promotional materials, it is a good idea to keep a sample of everything used in prior years or events. That way, your promotion will not look the same year after year.
The rest of this chapter is an assignment: create a comprehensive intramural handbook that will serve you and your staff well in the current intramural season and future seasons in the years ahead. In performing this assignment, you will be able to review the contents of this book and integrate your dreams for an intramural program. At the completion of the assignment, you will have a program that you can implement with confidence and ease.
The Assignment
The process of creating an intramural handbook parallels the structure of Intramural Recreation: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Effective Program. That is, each part of the assignment coincides with each part of the book. In addition, many parts of the assignment directly coincide with the chapter summary exercises at the end of each chapter. That is, if you have completed these exercises, you are done (or partially done) with that part of the assignment.
Now for the assignment. Start by selecting the type of intramural program you will be directing: grade school, high school, or college/university. (If you’ve developed grade- or school-specific materials in the chapter summary exercises so far, you will probably want to use the same school level for this assignment.) You may choose an existing school or develop a hypothetical but realistic institution. The forms and suggestions throughout this book can be modified to work in your situation.
Part I: The Idea
	1.	Briefly describe the school you have chosen. Include such information as the student population, number of staff, intramural program history, and other information that may be relevant to the program.
	2.	What is your mission statement?
>	Look back to the chapter exercises at the end of chapter 2 (see pages 18-19).
>	How do you plan to communicate, implement, and evaluate this mission?
	3.	What key benefits do you want to develop in your program?
>	Start with the benefits you listed in the chapter summary exercises in chapter 1.
>	Are there other benefits you want to add?
Part II: The Plan
	4.	How will you structure your program? Be as creative as you were in answering question 1 of the summary exercises for chapter 3. Complete the following.
>	Describe your existing available facilities.
>	Identify suitable off-campus facilities and plan how to use them.
>	Describe how you will organize events and activities. Specifically, outline how you will use the following:
Leagues and tournaments
Special events
Sport clubs
Competitive playing units
Open participation
Houses
Team and individual signup
	5.	Who will lead and/or be involved in implementing your program? To answer this question, complete the following steps.
>	Look back at your answer for chapter 4, summary exercise 2. Develop a detailed flowchart for your program (see figures 4.1 and 4.2).
>	Develop a job description for each paid and volunteer position (see figure 4.5).
>	Outline the role of volunteers in your program.
>	Create a volunteer contract and confidentiality agreement (see figures 4.3 and 4.4).
>	In terms of positions that need to be filled, explain how you will recruit, hire (see figure 4.6), and train your workers. Also develop management strategies to increase job satisfaction and evaluate personnel (see figures 4.7 and 4.8).
	6.	Explain how you will structure your officials program, including recruiting, hiring (see figure 4.5), and training them (some of this you may have already done in answering chapter 5, summary exercise 3). For example, will you provide checklists for them to use (see figures 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 7.6, 7.7, and 7.8)? How will you train officials to handle injuries and accidents (see figure 5.1)? How will they ensure safety (see figures 5.2, 7.6, 7.7, and 7.8)? Will you establish a code of ethics to ensure their competence and commitment as well as increase their job satisfaction (see figure 5.5)? Finally, how will you evaluate officials (see figure 5.6)?
	7.	How will you ensure fair play? Develop a fair play policy that identifies specific standards and procedures for each of the following (also see your answer to chapter 6, summary exercise 3):
>	Inclusion (meaningful participation for all) (see Table 6.1)
Age
Gender (see figure 6.1)
Disability (see figure 6.2)
Fitness and skill level
Race, skin color, and ethnicity
>	Sportsmanship (see figure 6.3), which requires that players
respect the rules,
respect officials and their decisions,
respect opponents, and
maintain self-control at all times.
		Then come up with an effective way to communicate your fair play policy to all involved (see figure 6.4).
	8.	Develop a safety policy with standards and procedures for enforcing those standards. Will officials or activity staff be provided with safety checklists (see figures 7.6, 7.7, and 7.8) to check for hazards and appropriate precautions before the start of each event or activity? Devise separate policies for each of the following areas or include them in one comprehensive safety policy:
>	Attire
>	Mixed competitive levels
>	Injury procedures (see figure 5.1)
>	Lightning and blood policies
>	Violence
>	Suspensions (see figure 13.4)
>	Alcohol
>	Facility vandalism
>	Facility audits
		Develop liability releases (see figure 7.1) and waivers (see figures 7.2, 7.3, and 7.5) for all participants and describe how/when they will be used in your program. (See figure 7.4 if children under the age of 18 will participate in program activities and events.)
	9.	How will you promote your program, including events, activities, games, contests, leagues, tournaments, and so on?
>	How will you use the following types of “live” promotion?
Presentations
Word of mouth
P.A. announcements
Videos
>	How will you use the following types of print promotion (see chapter 8, summary exercise 3)?
Posters (see figure 8.1)
Bulletins, newsletters, and fliers
Student and local publications
>	How will you use bulletin and sandwich boards?
>	Will you publish daybooks and calendars that promote your program (see figure 8.2)?
>	How will you use the following types of advertising?
Radio and television
Print media including student and local newspapers
Agenda books and calendars (see figure 8.3)
>	How will you use the computer for promotion and advertising?
Web sites
E-mail
>	Will you hold promotional activities such as the following?
Orientation
Demonstrations
Weekly celebrations
Registration
>	Develop two promotional pieces for your program (a poster [see figure 8.1], flier, video, advertisement [see figure 8.3], and so on).
	10.	Explain in detail your awards program. Will you offer annual awards, ongoing awards, or both? (You should find it helpful to first review your responses to chapter 9 summary exercises) Answer the following award-related questions:
>	Which awards do you plan to use? Why those awards?
>	What criteria will you use to give those awards?
>	Who will select the award recipients? How?
>	Who will distribute the awards? When?
		Now plan your awards ceremony or banquet, including the following components:
>	Theme (if desirable)
>	Decorations
>	Refreshments
>	Fanfare
>	Memories and season highlights
	11.	Formulate a computerized budget (using a spreadsheet) for your program (see figure 10.1). Note: You will need to create budgets for each activity and event before you can do this. Your responses to the chapter 10 summary exercises should have given you a great start—just see if you want to add, delete, or change anything.
>	List your sources of revenue and forecast amounts for each. For example:
Participation fees
Facility rental
Fund-raising
Sponsorship
Advertising
>	Forecast your expenses:
Staff (including benefits and training)
Facilities and equipment
Promotion and awards
Office supplies
Travel
Insurance
>	Describe some cost-saving strategies you will implement, such as partnerships on and off campus.
>	Insert relevant formulas to calculate your subtotals and determine the bottom line.
Part III: The Program
	12.	Describe your programming and how you will implement it. Your responses to chapter 10 summary exercises should have given you a great start. Now take what you have learned and expand it to the whole program.
>	First, determine which activities and events you will offer. Choose from the following:
Sports
Contests
Fitness (see figures 8.1 and 11.1)
Recreational sport and play (see figure 11.2)
Skill-development clinics
Sport clubs
Special events
Fieldtrips
Outdoor activities
>	In terms of tournaments and leagues, which do you plan to use (see figures 12.1 through 12.7 and tables 12.1 and 12.2)? When? And for which activities?
>	Now determine how you will implement those activities by
defining eligibility rules, include a copy of the game and playing rules for each activity, and developing an annual programming schedule.
>	Finally, how will you ensure successful events and activities? Consider the following questions:
How will you ensure that everything is ready for the big day?
Will you use formal signup/registration forms (see figures 13.1, 13.2, and 7.3
Will scoring procedures and forms (see figure 13.3) be created? For example, will you use the points system, the participation system, the fair play system, or a different system? Who will decide?
How will you handle last-minute signup/registration?
How will you train your activity and event staff to think on their feet and solve problems?
How will you handle suspensions (see figure 13.4)?
	13.	Devise a formal evaluation process for your program. Your responses to chapter 11 summary exercises should have given you a great start. Now take what you have learned and expand it to the whole program.
>	What components will you evaluate? Why or why not?
>	When (annually, monthly, after each event)?
>	How will each component be evaluated?
What information-gathering tool will you use (see figures 14.1, 14.2, and 14.3)?
How will it be distributed and collected?
To whom?
How will it be analyzed?
For Professors Assigning the Intramural Handbook
If you used this book as a textbook and used the assignment of preparing an intramural handbook as outlined in this chapter, then the student-prepared handbook will need to be evaluated. The chart below is intended as a template, to help you evaluate the student’s work.
The marking template covers all the areas discussed in this book. Each area is weighted to account for the anticipated time it would take to complete each section. For example, it is expected that developing a mission statement will take half the time of developing the leadership component of the handbook or the promotion section. Each section is graded on thoroughness and clarity of presentation. Use the blanks to fill in each student’s score, out of the total possible score presented in parentheses “( )”.
_____(2) Description of school (population, number of staff, program history, and other relevant information)
_____(5) Mission statement (clearly written, comprehensive and inspirational, with a clear plan of how to communicate, implement, and evaluate this mission)
_____(3) Benefits (clearly written and documented benefits for the program)
_____(5) Program (comprehensive description of available facilities, and a detailed plan of how students will be organized for the intramural events and activities)
_____(10) Leadership (detailed flowcharts, job descriptions, contracts, recruiting strategies, hiring policies, training sessions, and evaluation tools and procedures for intramural staff and volunteers)
_____(5) Officials (detailed explanation of recruiting, hiring, supervising, training, and evaluation of officials)
_____(10) Policies on fair play (detailed policy statement on the specific standards and procedures to implement a fair play policy that encourages inclusion [age, ethnicity, gender, disability, fitness level, skill level] and sportsmanship [respecting rules, officials, and opponents, and maintaining self control])
_____(10) Policies on safety (develop facility safety checklist and participant waiver forms; policies dealing with attire, mixed competition levels, injury procedures and blood, lightning, violence, suspensions, alcohol, facility vandalism, and audit concerns)
_____(10) Promotion (explaining how live promotions, print promotions, the computer, and events will be used to promote intramurals [two pieces should be included])
_____(5) Awards (detail the criteria, the construction, and the distribution of awards, including and awards ceremony or banquet)
_____(10) Budget (a comprehensive computer spreadsheet detailing the income and expenses of a one-year intramural program)
_____(10) Programming (a detailed calendar of events, along with the rules for the various activities)
_____(5) Evaluation (a detailed explanation of what is evaluated and how, along with relevant sample questionairres)
_____(10) Overall presentation of the handbook (organization and presentation)
_____(100) Total points possible