At LTYA, we are absolutely committed to keeping our kids participating in programs that are considered essential to healthy youth development.  In keeping with that effort, we are asking that our member families partner with us in ensuring that LTYA be at the forefront of exemplifying exceptional sideline behavior.  This effort is a commitment to our children as well as a commitment to our community.  We will be sharing more in the coming months on ways that we can excel as an organization in becoming a model for inspirational behavior as we lead our kids to athletic and character excellence.  In the short term, we ask that all families be aligned with the following:

• We encourage everyone to engage in the following SUPPORTIVE behavior:

1. Provide supportive encouragement to all the players.

2. Follow the facility guidelines

3. Honor the Game (Sportsmanship) by respecting the Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates and One’s-Self (ROOTS).

4. Support the coaches and officials  (whether you agree with their decisions or not)

• We discourage everyone from the following DISTRACTING behavior. Disciplinary actions will be administered as required.

1. Providing distracting communication to the players; this includes coaching from the sidelines.

2. Challenging judgment calls of the officials.

3. Commenting on the calls by the Officials in general.

• The following HOSTILE behaviors will not be tolerated and will be subject to disciplinary action:

1. Hostile communications to any other person present.

1. Cursing, obscene, threatening gestures, threatening language, harassment of any kind, malicious or personal remarks between opponents, players, spectators or officials on or off the field of play or event

2. Telephone/Verbal/Email/Social Media/In-person assaults, harassment and/ or threats are strictly forbidden Use of alcohol, tobacco, non-prescription drugs and/or appearance of intoxication at an LTYA event, and/or who is flagrantly rude, attempts to intimidate, verbally abuse, heckles, taunts, ridicules, boos, throws objects and/or uses vulgarity or profane language/gestures with an official, coach, volunteer, staff member, participant or other event attendee

1. Physical or verbal assaults of an official, coach, volunteer, staff member or participant or threatens grave bodily harm may be banned from any and all LTYA events at a minimum for one year from the date of the offense, and their children may also be removed from any and all LTYA programs for that same period of time. After the ban has expired, if the individual commits another offense of the LTYA Behavior Expectations, the individual will be permanently banned from any and all LTYA events and the individual’s children may also be permanently removed from any and all LTYA programs.

2. Once teams take the field to begin a contest, they and their coaches accept the assigned officials as the persons who will govern the game rules. The one head-coach or the one person acting in his/her behalf will be the only individual from a team permitted to question and discuss a game official's decision. In doing so, the coach (or person acting in his behalf) will act in a professional manner. Every team coach is responsible for the actions of their team, the actions of assistant coaches, the actions of team players, as well as the actions of parents and team supporters. No abuse of game official by anyone will be permitted and the coach must take action to preclude that happening. The failure of the coach to control his/her own behavior, the behavior of players, parents or supporters may cause, if an official so chooses, the ejection of any individual from the Sports Complex. A warning need not be given. Ejections are to be accepted and acted upon immediately. The decision of the official to eject any person will be final.

Unless otherwise specified, DISCIPLINARY ACTION may take the following forms at the discretion of the LTYA Ethics committee. Be advised that this is a general guideline and will vary on the context or severity of the violation.

1. Warning

2. Probation

3. Suspension

4. Removal

5. Expulsion

Any coach, player, or spectator that is ejected from a game or LTYA event will not be eligible to participate in the following game or event and will not be able to return to any LTYA activity until they have completed the LTYA designated Positive Coaching Alliance or other designated training course by LTYA.

Any verifiable complaint about a coach, player or spectator from a third-party facility concerning the following of their facility guidelines may require the coach, player or spectator to sit out the next game.  Verifiable complaints against parents at third party facilities, will also require their child sit out the next game.  

If you are not familiar with what SUPPORTIVE, DISTRACTING, and HOSTILE communications are, please click the link and watch this video:  https://thesidelineproject.com/parent-education-video/

Here is a link to the Positive Coaching Alliance Development Zone website for Parents for those interested in learning more about supporting their child through their sports journey:  https://devzone.positivecoach.org/browse/?f[0]=im_field_role%3A16.

There is no question that the Lake Travis area frequently takes the lead at an athletic level.  We look forward to taking on the behavior challenge as a community and to being an exemplary guide for our neighbors.