Spring 2020 Season Cancelation and Refunds
The SPF Soccer Club's Spring 2020 Season was canceled due to the ongoing restrictions related to COVID-19. This page is meant to provide more information about this process.
When will the Club resume playing Soccer?
As of 05/27/2020 - We are closely monitoring the evolving situation each day, listening to local, state and federal authorities. In addition, New Jersey Youth Soccer and other industry partners and organizations that we are members of have shared their return to play and best practice guidelines. Once we are confident that we can keep our players and community safe, and our field permits are reinstated, you will definitely hear from us.
What happens to the money we paid for the Spring Season?
All 1,800+ players who were registered for the Spring Season will receive some portion of their money back. Where possible, the amount will go back to your original form of payment. In other cases (e.g., where a card is no longer valid), we'll mail you a check.
How will I know how much my refund will be?
As of 05/27/2020 - Some of you have already received an email stating the amount of the refund you can expect. The rest of you should expect such an email within the next few days. We have purposely slowed the rollout pace to mitigate logistical issues in handling so many refunds. When you receive the email, please answer the questions so we know how to process your refund. The sooner we receive responses, the sooner we are able to process the refund. The email will come as a SurveyMonkey questionnaire from the account of President@SPFSoccer.com
I have more than one child/player in the Club - will I get multiple emails?
Yes. Due to a limitation in the system, you will only get one email at a time and must answer your refund preferences before the next email can be sent, and so on. If you've already answered, you should receive the next email within a day or two.
Can I just get a future credit toward an SPF Program, Camp or even merchandise?
Believe us, we tried that. Unfortunately, the logistics of doing so are surprisingly complex and we just don't have the system ability through TeamSnap to do it at this time.
Can I donate some or all of my refund?
Yes, you can. Your donation can range from $1 up to your full refund amount and is deductible as a charitable contribution. You will be able to choose this option when providing your response to the refund email.
If I choose to donate, what will SPF Soccer Club do with my donated funds:
A portion of the donations will be used to pay certain fixed expenses and financial obligations of the Club. We are committed to funding ongoing programs like the 24-hour Soccer Marathon, FreePlay events, distance learning material, family assistance, High School scholarships and much, much more. These programs are examples of why our club is one of the leaders in the state.
In addition, we plan to pay forward some of these funds to our community businesses to support the brave frontline workers. Whether it’s purchasing food from a local establishment for delivery to medical/police/EMS/fire stations, or a donation to local hospitals to procure appropriate protective equipment, we want to do our part as a club and a large part of our community. We will share the good deeds with you via the Club’s social media channels.
How does SPF Soccer Club calculate the amount of my refund?
For Full Year Registrations: we'll deduct the used portion of your registration fee, as well as certain non-recoverable and fixed operational costs (we’ve referred to them as “administrative fees” in the past). These costs include, but are not limited to, uniforms (for some Divisions), player and coach insurance, registration processing fees, technology platform fees, tax and compliance costs and dozens of other vendors, services and subscriptions that keep this organization running from year to year. The remaining balance is returned to you.
Please be aware that since each Program varies in their offerings (for example, some players get uniforms with their Registration Fee, some do not), the refund calculation is likewise different for each.
For Spring-Only Registrations: you will receive a full refund of your Spring registration fees.
How are you deducting an “administrative fee” from my refund if I am ready to play, but the Club cannot provide the Program?
As these are unprecedented times, we certainly did not have a playbook to refer to. With the uncertainty that currently surrounds us, we felt it most appropriate to provide families a refund for the Spring and begin planning for future Summer and Fall programs, when permitted. As detailed in the previous question, the “administrative fees” cover fixed, non-recoverable costs that are consumed the minute your child is placed on an SPFSC team for the year (Fall & Spring). In this case, costs like uniforms (for some Programs), insurance/carding, coach insurance, etc have already been paid for by the Club and cannot be recouped. While we would normally be able to amortize those costs across a full year, in the current situation they are packed into the Fall season with no Spring. Spring-Only registrants' full registration is being refunded as players did not receive a uniform, did not necessitate insurance, and did not cause the Club to incur any other costs. We ask for your understanding that there is no perfect formula to unwind a complex program of this magnitude, and we have tried to return the funds is the fairest way possible.
When will I get my refund?
We're doing our best to move as quickly as possible through this process. As we have stated above, there is no playbook on this process, and we're hearing similar stories from surrounding soccer clubs and our partners - TeamSnap, banks, credit card processing companies. Once we hear back from each of you on your refund preferences, we'll take that information and then work with the credit card company to process the credits back to your card, a timeline which we've been told could take a few weeks for every refund to be processed. Finally, for those whose credit cards are no longer valid, we'll be writing checks and mailing them to your home. In all, our goal is to have most of the refunds processed within the month of June. We will send periodic updates.
When will I get my donation letter for my taxes:
We have not forgotten about your donation letters which would be for your 2020 tax filings. We are focused on finishing refunds for Spring 2020 and getting our Fall registrations. Unless there is a special circumstance and you need this letter immediately we will get those letters to you in due time.
A final note…
I want to thank each of you who reached out with your support during this unprecedented time of uncertainty. We're glad you can appreciate the challenge and difficulty of the decisions involved in trying to get this right, given so many factors (known and unknown). Further, it is apparent you understand this is a non-profit Club, not looking to make money, but only trying to provide an environment in which our children can flourish… and of course soccer is at the center of that! This Club does not exist without you, the parents, who pay the registration fees, nor does it exist without the hundreds of volunteers who keep the ball rolling during a normal season, such as the many members sitting on several committees across the organization (with a special recognition for the efforts of the Executive Committee), plus the army of coaches and parent managers, and many others who make all of this possible.
For those who have expressed some frustration with the speed and/or decisions being made during this time, your concerns are not going unnoticed by myself or the Executive Team. We want you to understand the guiding principles that are driving everything we are doing during this time:
1.) To return as much as possible of the 2019-20 SPF Soccer Registration Fees to our loyal and dedicated players and parents.
2.) To fulfill our obligations with our trusted vendors
3.) To ensure the SPF Soccer Club remains solvent at the end of this crisis, and has the ability to rise off the bench and sprint back onto the field, exactly where we belong.
This Club has been around for 42 years; we look forward to the next 42 years and beyond.
All of our decisions are being made, after receiving input from Club members, other professionals and partner organizations, by a focused group of 8 dedicated volunteers on the Executive Committee. I stand behind every decision and I stand behind each person on this Committee. If you'd like more information about this message, or provide additional feedback, please contact me directly at the email listed below. Although it may take a bit for us to respond, please understand that we read every email and incorporate the messages into our discussions and decision-making process.
Thank you,
Frank Conley, SPF Soccer Club
& The SPF Soccer Club Executive Committee