CODE OF CONDUCT

Exhibiting proper sportsmanship is an integral part of competitive sports and we at 78 Youth Sports take that very seriously. Learning to play the game goes beyond groundball and layups, it also includes:

• Winning and losing gracefully;
• Showing respect for the game, the field, your opposition, your coaches, your teammates the officials and most importantly, yourself;
• Always hustling and doing your best;
• Following the rules; and
• Properly comporting yourself on the field.

Winning, a goal and something all players want to achieve, is secondary. If each player does his or her part well, winning will occur. When commitment and respect are required, important life lessons will be learned.

Sometimes players, parents and fans lose sight of these goals and priorities. Fortunately, it is not a pervasive problem, but even the smallest lapse works counter to our objectives as an organization so it prudent for us to set forth the following Code of Conduct.

All players, parents and fans must respect our goals and support our coaches, players, and officials. In addition to any rules that may apply to conduct at each field for practices and games, the following shall apply:

1. Foul and abusive language by anyone (player, coach, parent, or fan of any age) are strictly prohibited.
2. Rooting for your team, not against the opposing one. Trash talk, taunting, and heckling of the other team is not acceptable, regardless of the unsportsmanlike conduct of opposing players or coaches.
3. Only the head coach may discuss calls with the referee or umpire. Players, parents and fans shall refrain from outbursts challenging or criticizing officials. Let the head coach handle all referee/umpire issues.
4. Referees’ and umpires’ calls may only be questioned with regard to the interpretation of a rule. Judgment calls may not be challenged. Everyone makes mistakes and the pressure to get everything right in the moment is more difficult that you think. Let the players play, let the coaches coach, let the fans cheer and let the officials do their (often thankless) job.
5. Parents and fans should respect the proper requests made of them by the coaches, referees, and umpires. The head coach is ultimately responsible for the behavior and placement of his/her team’s players and parents. Only coaches are permitted to be on the bench or in the dugout. If a coach or umpire asks you to spectate from a certain place, please respect his or her wishes.
6. Parents and fans should inform us of any improper coach conduct. With hundreds of coaches and teams, we rely on the feedback of parents to assess the quality of our coaches and our programs. Although there may be circumstances that properly warrant discipline of a player, a coach should primarily resort to employing positive motivation. In addition, coaches must fairly distribute playing time amongst the players and should never place a player in harm’s way – physically or emotionally. We rely on you to report any issues, infractions, and constructive comments. All feedback should be made via our contact form.

For additional information on codes of conduct, please refer to the New York City Law relating to behavior on public fields.