Constitution of Athens United Soccer Association, Inc.

Article 1 (Name)

The name of this corporation shall be Athens United Soccer Association, Inc. (hereinafter

referred to as AUSA). AUSA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Approved: 5/23/1990)Article II (Headquarters)

The headquarters of AUSA shall be at such location as may be designated by the Board of

Directors of AUSA.Article III (Purpose)

AUSA is organized for the following purposes: AUSA is a youth organization that shall operate

exclusively for charitable and/or educational purposes. More specifically, the purposes are

1. To develop and promote the game of soccer within the territory of AUSA;

2. To provide the opportunity for enjoyment and recreation through competition for all boys

and girls who voluntarily participate in such a program;

3. To promote the ideals of sportsmanship and the principles of fair play;

4. To provide for those who desire to coach in AUSA, the opportunity to improve their

instructional skills;

5. To develop player skills and knowledge of the game;

6. To provide a quality program at the lowest possible cost to the participants;

7. To promote and further such other purposes as are set forth in this Constitution, the

Article of Incorporation of AUSA, its Bylaws and other documents that may be written

from time to time.Article IV (Membership)

1. A membership shall be granted to each family of all registered players who shall agree to

abide by the Constitution and Bylaws and other writings and who may be required to pay

a fee as determined from time to time by the Board of Directors.

2. A membership shall be granted to any person who has an interest in the purposes of

AUSA, who shall abide by the Constitution, Bylaws and other writings, and who shall

have paid dues as may be set from time to time by the Board of Directors. Said dues

shall be waived by the use of volunteer hours worked for the good of AUSA and its

programs.

3. AUSA reserves the right to revoke or refuse membership to those, who by their actions,

demonstrate their inability or unwillingness to abide by the laws, rules and regulations of

AUSA.

4. Each membership shall have one vote at the annual meeting and at other times as

necessitated by this Constitution, Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws or other writings of

AUSA.Article V (Board of Directors)

1. AUSA shall be governed by a Board of Directors who shall be elected by the

Membership in the manner specified in this Constitution, Articles of Incorporation,

AUSA Constitution Page 2 of 4

Bylaws or other writings of AUSA. Members of the Board of Directors shall consist of

the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Past President, four (4) Members At-

Large and other such members as may be established from time to time by the Board of

Directors. In the event that there is no Past President elected and/or willing to serve on

the Board of Directors an additional Member At-Large shall be elected.

2. Each Board member shall have one vote except the President who shall vote only in the

instance of a tie.Article VI (Legal Actions)

No member, associate member, or any person acting in an official capacity may bring legal

action against AUSA through the courts until all remedies in organized soccer have been

exhausted including an appeal to the United States Soccer Federation.Article VII (Affiliation)

AUSA shall be affiliated with the United States Youth Soccer Association through the Georgia

Youth Soccer Association and shall at all times recognize the authority, rulings, and laws of

those bodies.Article VIII (Amendments)

1. Proposed amendments to the Constitution must be submitted to the Board of Directors

and approved by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors or 50 AUSA members

(via signatures on a petition) before being submitted to the membership for a vote. All

approved proposed amendments shall be published to the membership at least thirty (30)

days in advance of the scheduled or extraordinary/called meeting of the membership at

which the proposed amendments are to be discussed with the membership and voted

upon.

2. The Constitution shall be amended at any scheduled or extraordinary/called meeting of

the membership by a two-thirds majority of the voting members present at such meeting.Article IX (Voting Members)

Each member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote at the annual meeting and at other

times as necessitated by this Constitution, Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws or other written

documents of AUSA.Article X (Suspension or Expulsion)

1. The Board of Directors, by a majority vote at any duly constituted meeting, shall have the

authority to suspend or expel any member whose conduct is considered detrimental to the

best interest of AUSA. Said vote may occur only after a hearing and recommendations

by the Disciplinary Committee.

2. The use by any member of profanity, alcoholic beverages, or fighting on AUSA Premises

of wherever officially supervised AUSA matches or practices are being held, shall be

considered as grounds for automatic expulsion from the AUSA in accordance with this

paragraph and Paragraph 1.

AUSA Constitution Page 3 of 4

3. In the case of player misconduct, the Director of coaching and Player Development shall,

upon evidence of serious misconduct by said player, notify the coach of the team of

which the player is a member within 48 hours of such misconduct. Said coach shall

appear in an advisory capacity with the player before the fully constituted Disciplinary

Committee. In the case of misconduct of a coach, said coach shall be notified within 48

hours and shall appear before the fully constituted Disciplinary Committee. This

Committee shall have full authority to recommend to the Board of Directors suspension

or revocation of such player‚s or coach‚s right to future participation with AUSA.Article XI (Non-Discrimination)

AUSA will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, disability,

or sexual orientation.THE FOLLOWING ARE THE OPERATING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF

AUSA AND ARE INCORPORATED INTO THIS CONSTITUTION BY

REFERENCE.

Name of Club and Use of Symbols

Unless changed by vote of the Board of Directors, the name used by this Association shall

be Athens United Soccer Association. This shall not preclude the adoption of a common name

for all teams affiliated with AUSA. A decision by AUSA to adopt a common identifier for its

teams or playing divisions shall not require a change in the name Athens United Soccer

Association.

All uniforms worn by any affiliated team must have the approved symbol for AUSA

screened or sewn on the front of the uniform jersey or t-shirt. In the event AUSA develops a

special symbol (patch, logo, etc.) for use by its teams, this symbol as well as that used by AUSA

shall be worn and displayed in an approved manner. Use of individual team symbols, if different

from that used by AUSA, shall be displayed on the uniform in a manner specified by AUSA.Registration and Fees

AUSA is responsible to GYSA for the proper registration and transfer of players within

AUSA. The decision regarding the appropriateness of transfers will be made in consultation

with the Director(s) of Coaching and Player Development. All documents received from GYSA,

any governmental organization, or another association requiring the signature or approval of an

“association” officer shall require the signature of the appropriate Board of Director member.

No other person may sign on behalf of AUSA.

AUSA shall set and collect all registration fees for any individual on either a recreational or

select team.Scheduling the Use of Fields

All game fields owned, leased, rented, or otherwise maintained by AUSA are to be

scheduled for use only with the approval of the appropriate Board of Director member or such

other individual as the Board of Directors may designate.

AUSA Constitution Page 4 of 4Conflict Resolution

In the event of a disagreement or conflict between any member(s) of AUSA, in matters

pertaining to AUSA, resolution of said conflict would be decided by a fair and impartial

committee appointed by the Board of Directors.Selection of Coaches

The selection of all persons who shall be listed or otherwise reported to GYSA as the coach

of any team shall be the responsibility of the Director of Soccer Operations or such other person

as the Board of Directors may designate and shall be subject to the approval of a simple majority

of the Board of Directors.Coaching Certification and Credentials

AUSA may establish, in order to comply with legal or other contractual requirements, the

minimum requirements for selection as a coach of a team. AUSA shall be responsible for

ensuring that any person so selected shall meet the established minimum requirements. The

continued compliance of all coaches with any established minimum requirements involving

either training or attainment of such certifications shall be the responsibility of AUSA in

conjunction with the AUSA Director of Soccer Operations or such other individual as the Board

of Directors may designate.APPROVED: [1977]

AMMENDED: [January 12, 2009]