CODE OF CONDUCT GUIDELINE

LTYA Soccer aims to provide a positive experience to everyone that registers, plays, watches or otherwise participates in our Recreation Soccer program.  With that clear goal in mind, LTYA Soccer has established this Code of Conduct Guideline (the “CCG”) to outline how we wish for Coaches, Parents, Players and others (altogether, “Persons”) to conduct themselves at and during LTYA soccer games, practices, meetings and other events (altogether, the “Events”).  

LTYA Soccer will post this CCG on its website, require Coaches and Parents to acknowledge such guidelines during each soccer league registration process, expect Parents to review such guidelines with their Player(s), and, from time-to-time, distribute such guidelines at certain Events.

If you believe that any Person has violated some part of this CCG and you wish to bring such alleged violation to LTYA Soccer’s attention, then please review and follow the guidelines in the Complaint section below.

Coaches

As a head or assistant coach, with respect to the kids on my team and the rest of the kids participating in LTYA youth sports (altogether, the “Players”), I hereby pledge that I will:

• be responsible for the Players on my team and treat such Players with respect, encourage them to play well and to have fun, and provide them with constructive feedback, whether during games, practices or otherwise;
• teach the Players on my team the skills of the game, the value of teamwork and the meaning of good sportsmanship;
• for the Players on my team, provide fair or equal amounts of playing time, whether during the season or the post-season tournament, if any;
• know, teach and abide by the rules of the game;
• respect the Referees and their authority during games;
• lead by example, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and act appropriately (e.g., not put my self-interest ahead of the Players’ interest and physical well-being; not use profanity; not berate or threaten any Person; not assault any Person nor purposefully damage, destroy, vandalize or steal any LTYA facility or equipment; not use drugs, alcohol or tobacco) at any and all Events;
• communicate with my Players’ Parents and inform them of the league rules, the team rules, and the Events schedule.

Parents

As a Parent or a guardian of a Player (each, a “Parent”), I hereby pledge that I will:

• be responsible and care for my Player, treat my Player and all Players with respect, encourage my Player to play well and to have fun, and support my Player always;
• respect, support and, upon request, assist my Player’s Coaches;
• respect the Referees and their authority during games;
• lead by example, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and act appropriately (e.g., not put my self-interest ahead of the Players’ interest and physical well-being; not use profanity; not berate or threaten any Person; not assault any Person nor purposefully damage, destroy, vandalize or steal any LTYA facility or equipment; not use drugs, alcohol or tobacco) at any and all Events;
• encourage my Player to treat other Players, Coaches, Parents, Referees and other Persons with respect, regardless of race, sex, creed or ability, at and during any and all Events;
• discuss whatever issue or concern I may have about my Player, his/her team and/or LTYA with (i) the Coach in a private and meaningful way, and, (ii) should the Coach not resolve my issue nor adequately address my concern, the President or any other member of the Soccer Board;
• make certain that my Player is able to get to each of his/her Events;
• fulfill all of my financial obligations to LTYA (e.g., soccer registration fees). 

Players

As a Player, I hereby pledge that I will:

• be responsible for myself;
• pay attention and listen to my Coaches;
• lead by example, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and act appropriately (e.g., not put my self-interest ahead of my team’s interest, not use profanity; not berate or threaten any Player, Coach, Parent, Official or other Person; not assault any Person or purposefully damage, destroy, vandalize or steal any LTYA facility or equipment; not use drugs, alcohol or tobacco) at any and all Events;
• treat Coaches, Players, Parents, Referees and other Persons with respect, regardless of race, sex, creed or ability, at and during any and all Events;
• except with good reason, attend every one of my team’s practices and games; notify my Coach in a timely manner if and when I can’t attend a practice or a game;
• alert my Parents and/or Coaches if and when I’m not having fun playing soccer;
• encourage my Parents to be involved with my team and/or to attend games;
• do well in school.

Persons

As a Coach, a Parent, a Player or any other Person participating in an Event in any way whatsoever, I will abide by the CCG; I acknowledge that I will be subject to discipline if I either fail to abide by such guidelines or perform any of the following prohibited actions:

• assaulting or otherwise abusing any Person physically, including, but not limited to, hitting, slapping, kicking, jerking or making any other physical contact designed to hurt, to discipline or to humiliate such Person;
• abusing any Person (especially Referees, Coaches and Players) verbally, including but not limited to shouting obscenities, yelling with malintent or making disparaging or derogatory comments directed at such Person;
• possessing firearms, weapons, or the like;
• possessing and/or consuming illegal drugs or other substances, tobacco products, alcohol or the like;
• operating a motor vehicle in an inappropriate or unsafe manner;
• damaging, destroying, vandalizing, or stealing any property belonging to or under the control of LTYA or any Person;
• failing to heed a Referee’s or Soccer Board Member’s instructions in a timely and appropriate manner, including, upon ejection or otherwise, failing to leave the playing field, the sideline or the premises immediately;
• as a Coach, practicing and/or implementing plays that are against the rules of the game or have the propensity to injure any Player, cheating or being dishonest, intentionally incurring lopsided wins or losses, arguing with a Referee, using profanity, and the like;
• as a Player, purposely executing a play that has a propensity to injure another Player, cheating or being dishonest, arguing with a Referee, not attending or leaving a practice or a game without permission or good reason, using profanity, and the like;
• as a Parent or spectator, attempting to coach your or any other Player from the sideline, disrupting the game, questioning a Referee’s call or berating him/her for making it, using profanity, and the like;
• doing something that, while not specifically described above, may, in the Sport Board's opinion, be subject to Disciplinary Action (see below).
  

Disciplinary Action

If the Soccer Board determines, in its sole and absolute discretion after a fair and reasonable review process (see Complaints), that I’ve failed to abide by any applicable portion of this CCG, then I understand and acknowledge that the Soccer Board may discipline me in some reasonable way, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Warning:  issue me a warning not to repeat the misconduct or to engage in any other misconduct during Events;
• Suspension:  suspend me from one or more practices or games, or from any other Event or property (e.g., Field of Dreams), for a specified time period;
• Expulsion:  expel me from any and all Events indefinitely.

Notwithstanding any of the above regarding Disciplinary Action, I understand and acknowledge that a Referee has the prerogative and authority to eject any Person, including me, from any game for any reason.  If a Referee ejects me from a game, then I understand and acknowledge that (i) I must leave the premises immediately, (ii) the Referee will report such ejection to the Soccer Board, and (iii) I may be subject to further discipline.

Complaints

If any Person (the “Witness”) witnesses any other Person (the alleged “Violator”) fail to abide by the CCP, then such Witness may:

• address and resolve the issue with such Violator directly;
• report the violation to a team Coach and leave it to him/her to address and to resolve the issue with such Violator directly;
• file a Complaint with any member of the Soccer Board to initiate an incident review and potential disciplinary action against such Violator.

Submission:  If a Witness elects to file a Complaint rather than resolve the issue with the Violator directly or indirectly via a Coach, then such Witness shall:

• draft the Complaint (a written notice); such Complaint shall include (i) the Witness’ name and contact information, (ii) the Violator’s name and contact information, provided Witness knows or can easily obtain such information, (iii) the Event during which the alleged violation incurred, including the day, time, place and participants of such Event, (iv) reference to the guideline the Witness believes the Violator has violated, (v) a description of what the Witness believes the Violator did to violate the guideline, and (vi) the names and contact information of other Persons, if any, that may have witnessed the same violation;
• submit the Complaint to the Soccer Board; a list of all Soccer Board members, including respective e-mail addresses and phone numbers, are on the LTYA website in the Soccer section.

Review:  Once the Witness files his/her Complaint to the Soccer Board, such Board will endeavor to resolve such Complaint as soon as possible, but in no more than thirty (30) days.  To that end, the Soccer Board will contact the Witness, both to confirm receipt of the Complaint and to talk about it, within ten (10) days.  Thereafter, the Soccer Board will conduct an investigation and contact (i) the Violator to make him/her aware of the Complaint and to talk about it, and (ii) other witnesses, if any, for corroboration.  Once the Soccer Board completes its review and investigation of the Complaint, it will determine a Resolution (see below) and notify all of the Witness, the Violator and the LTYA Board of such Resolution.  For the avoidance of doubt, if the Soccer Board deems the matter of a Complaint to be extraordinary (e.g., the alleged Violator’s actions were egregious, dangerous or repetitive), then it may suspend the Violator pending the outcome of its review and investigation of such Complaint; otherwise, the Violator is free to participate in any and all Events pending the outcome of such review.

Resolution:  The Soccer Board may resolve any Complaint in any way it sees fit, including finding the Violator and/or the Witness (each, a “Party,” and together, the “Parties”) in violation of the CCG, regardless of whether the Violator filed a counter Complaint, and take any one or more of the following actions:

• No Action:  if the Soccer Board determines that neither Party violated the CCG, or that any violation of the Guidelines by either Party is not serious enough to warrant discipline, then the Soccer Board will take no action;
• Warning:  if the Soccer Board determines that either Party violated the CCG in a meaningful way, then it may issue a written Warning to such Party or both Parties; such Warning will advise the Party or Parties, as the case may be, not to repeat the misconduct, or to engage in any other misconduct, during Events;
• Suspension:  if the Soccer Board determines that any Party violated the CCG in a serious way or multiple times over a relatively short period of time (e.g., one season), then it may suspend such Party from one or more practices or games, or from any other Event or property (e.g., Field of Dreams), for a specified time period (e.g., one season);
• Expulsion:  if the Soccer Board determines that any Party acted egregiously or dangerously, or has repeatedly violated the CCG, then it may expel such Party from any and all Events indefinitely.

Reporting:  The Soccer Board will forward a copy of the Complaint, its findings and the Resolution to the LTYA Board; the LTYA Board may, in its sole discretion, opt to re-review the Complaint and/or to modify the Soccer Board’s resolution.

Appeal:  If the Soccer Board opts to discipline any Party to a Complaint, such Party may appeal such decision to the LTYA Board; the LTYA Board may, in its sole discretion, opt to hear such appeal.