Youth sports programs play an important role in promoting physical, social, and emotional development of children. It is essential for parents, coaches, and officials to encourage youth athletes to embrace the values of good sportsmanship. Moreover, adults involved in youth sports should be models of good sportsmanship and lead by example by demonstrating fairness, self-control, and respect for other players, coaches, and officials.
I (as the registrant for my family) therefore pledge that my family and I are responsible for our words and actions while attending, coaching, officiating, or participating in an RYAA youth sports event and shall conform our behavior to the following code of conduct.
We will be responsible for our own actions, using self-control and self-discipline.
We will show encouraging behavior to all RYAA youth sports program participants.
We will treat all participants in RYAA youth sports programs with respect, tolerance, and consideration, regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, or ability.
We will deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements.
We will not engage in, nor encourage others to engage in, unsportsmanlike conduct with any player, coach, official, parent or spectator.
We will not engage in, nor encourage others to engage in, any behavior which would endanger the health, safety, or well-being of any player, coach, official, parent or spectator.
We will not use, nor encourage others to use, drugs or alcohol while at a sports event.
We will not engage in, nor encourage others to engage in, the use of profanity or profane gestures.
We will not engage in, nor encourage others to engage in, verbal or physical threats or abuse aimed at any player, coach, official, parent or spectator.
We will not initiate, nor encourage others to initiate, a fight or scuffle with any player, coach, official, parent or spectator.
We will follow this code of conduct in personal interactions as well as all electronic communications, including social media.
The RYAA board of directors shall take whatever measures necessary to enforce this code of conduct, up to and including any of the following actions:
Verbal warning issued by the program coordinator or RYAA board;
Written warning issued by the program coordinator or RYAA board;
Suspension of an athlete from the program due to his or her failure to comply with this code of conduct;
Removal of an athlete from the program due to his or her failure to comply with this code of conduct;
Removal of an athlete from the program due to the failure of his or her parents/guardians to comply with this code of conduct; or
Removal of a coach or official from the program due to his or her failure to comply with this code of conduct.
