Parent's Code
As a parent, you play a special role in the development of your child and of his/her teammates. Your encouragement and good example will do more to ensure good sportsmanship and self-discipline than any other influence. The other team is the opponent, not the enemy, and should be treated with respect. While winning is important, playing well and fairly is the essence of the game.
1. Support your child
Support your child by giving encouragement and showing interest in his/her team. Help your child work toward skill improvement and good sportsmanship in every game. Teach your child that hard work and an honest effort are often more important than victory.
2. Always be positive
Children learn more by example than by criticism. Work to be a positive role model, and reinforce positive behavior in others. Applaud good plays by others on your child's team as well as good plays by the opposing team. Do not criticize any child’s performance from the sidelines. Accept the results of each game. Teach your child to be gracious in victory and to turn defeat into victory by learning and working toward improvement.
3. Don't be a sideline coach or umpire
Refrain from coaching or umpiring from the sidelines. Parents who shout or scream from the sidelines often give inappropriate advice at the wrong time. The coach should be the only sideline voice. Remain well back from the sidelines and within the spectator area. You and your child will both enjoy the game more if you put some emotional distance between yourself and the field or play. Umpires are symbols of fair play, integrity and sportsmanship - Do not openly question their judgment or honesty.
4. Demonstrate a positive attitude toward your opponents and their families
Opponents are not enemies. Never allow yourself to be drawn into a verbal disagreement with opposing parents or coaches. No one has ever regretted letting “cooler heads prevail.”
5. Remember that your child wants to have fun
Your child is the one playing baseball, not you. Children must establish their own goals - to play the game for themselves. Take care not to impose unreasonable demands on your child. Let your children experience the fun of playing as well as the challenge of excelling.
I/we will set following:
- We will not criticize the umpires openly or directly, during or after games. Any criticism shall be done in writing, sent to my coach and not verbally.
- We will give only positive feedback to players.
- We will cheer at all games within the spirit of fair play and shall do our best to cheer the effort regardless of the outcome. We will be mindful in “lopsided” game where cheering our own “winning” team might be misunderstood.
- We shall do our best to teach our players to become students of the game.
- We shall show the quality of our sportsmanship during and after each game and help our child remember to thank the umpire after the game without regard to the result.
- We shall do our very best to have our child prepared for every game.
- We shall support the learning efforts of the players, the coaches, and the umpires by demonstrating our patience.
- We shall leave the coaching to the coach during the game. We shall not give our child instructions during the game.
- We understand that the league can, and will if necessary, suspend our individual privilege to watch our child play should we behave in a manner that is rude or otherwise offensive.
- We agree to do our best to have as much fun watching the game as the players should have playing the game.