The Coaches and Players Program (CAP) was developed to assist the Township of Mahwah Youth Sports Boosters (TMYSB) in maintaining the highest level of quality with how our Athletes, Coaches and Parents are treated and how all our Youth Sports Programs are run.
1. CODE OF CONDUCT
Established Code Conduct or acceptable behaviors for all participants in any aspect of our Youth Sports Programs. This includes:
TMYSB Board Members
Commissioners / Ass’t Commissioners
Sport Directors
Coaches / Ass’t Coaches
Team Moms / Field Ass’ts
Athletes
Parents / Guardians / Spectators
During sport registration all of the above will be asked to review and sign a Code of Conduct Pledge. In the case of TMYSB Board Members, it is done once a year in September. By adhering to all of the stated expectations, all participants are “on the same page” with regard to their respective behavior on and around our facilities and in all contact with each other.
Violations of the Code Conduct by anyone involved in our program is simply not acceptable in any form. The Code was developed to ensure that all individuals participating in any of our sports programs are treated fairly and with the utmost of respect. The Code of Conduct also helps to create an environment of good sportsmanship as a result of how all members deal with Game Officials, Opposing Players, how each player treats his/her own Coaches and Team members and vice versa.
The penalty for non-compliance with any aspect of the Code of Conduct can be a Warning or Suspension – Temporary / Permanent from the program based on the severity of the action as determined by the Commissioner of the Sport and Executive Committee.
2. ISSUE RESOLUTION PROTOCOL
The second component of the program involves dealing with issues that arise during the course of the Sports Season and ensuring that ALL Athletes are treated fairly and no problems exist with regard to how a Head Coach or member of the Coaching Staff deals with an Athlete and / or their family.
There are situations that arise where a parent/guardian may find it necessary to question a Coach’s decisions or actions. The Parent, after observing a 24-hour “cooling-off” period, has the right to discuss the matter directly with the Coach involved in order to understand why a particular action was taken and what the Coach will do in order to further explain and resolve any issue(s) that exist. As per CAP Protocol, the Parent and/or Athlete also has the right to discuss any issue of this type with a neutral Third Party who will review the situation and determine if an issue still exists.
In order to do this, in accordance with CAP Program guidelines, we have a designated a Player Agent (one for each Sport Season) and a Vice President of CAP who can be consulted at the Parent’s discression. Either of these individuals is empowered to work with the Coach, Commissioner, Athlete and his/her Parents to be certain that a resolution is achieved that is fair to all parties and correct with respect to TMYSB By-Laws and Operational Guidelines.
Should there be an issue that either isn’t addressed by the Coach or you feel the issue isn’t addressed correctly, the CAP Protocol is:
1. Conversation (or E Mail) with your Commissioner of the Sport (Contact info listed on www.tmysb.org).
2. E Mail to your Player Agent (there is a Player Agent for each season – also listed on the Web Site) with a cc to VP of CAP
3. E Mail to VP of CAP
ALL E-Mails are expected to be answered and ALL issues will be escalated, investigated / addressed and resolved within as short a period as possible.
3. DRAFT PROTOCOL
For all Sports that run a formal DRAFT PROGRAM, there is a written DRAFT Procedure outlined in TMYSB’s By-Laws. These Procedures have been developed in the interest of FAIRNESS ! (A copy of the By-Laws can be found at www.tmysb.com).
For Sports that don’t have a formal draft plan but place Athletes on Teams or in specific categories based upon abilities, we make these judgements on a group basis. In some sports, third-party, independent evaluators are brought in so that each Athlete is being judged impartially. For others, a group of Coaches will place an Athlete on a particular team, squad or particular position based on group assessment. NO Athlete will be placed on a particular team level or squad via the decision of an individual Coach. Rather, decisions of this type are made by multiple Coaches, a group or committee in order to ensure the most accurate decision possible.
4. COACH’S SELECTION PROCESS
Our organization’s goal is to have the highest quality Coaching Staff possible for all the sports / programs offered by TMYSB. Head Coaches and Assistant Head Coaches are required for both Recreational (in town) and travelling (inter-town) sports.
All Coaches are screened via a NJ State certified Background Check procedure to ensure that each individual Coaching our athletes meets the high moral, ethical and legal standards that we have established for our program. Any previous issues are identified and investigated in order to determine if the individual is a viable Coaching candidate. In order to achieve continuity, each of our active Coach’s background is re-checked every two years.
Recreational Coaches are selected from the available volunteer pool and Travel Coaches must go thru a formal application and evaluation process that includes rating their experience as well as final selection via a sport-specific committee. This process is outlined in the By-Laws.
Once each Head Coach is in place, it is he/she who fills out the Coaching Roster with Assistant Coaches selected from the existing pool of volunteer Coaches with sport specific experience. New volunteer Coaches are also added as needed. TMYSB provides Coaching clinics and encourages the more experienced Coaches to train and assist any “beginners” so our pool of experienced Coaches is always growing and all Coaches are fully trained as they gain on field (court, mat, etc) experience.
5. COACH’S CONDUCT
The Coach’s Code of Conduct as well as copies of the ‘Notice/Warning of Improper Conduct’ forms that specify the conduct and behavior that is demanded by the TMYSB in order to clarify and reinforce the principles of good sportsmanship that our programs are based on are available on TMYSB’s website.
If a Coach does not adhere to any of the ‘good sportsmanship’ provisions as identified in the Coach’s Code of Conduct, the Commissioner of the sport may (at their discretion based on the violation)
1. Issue a Verbal Warning (w E Mail back up)
2. Serve the Coach with a “Notice of Improper Conduct” (most offenses)
3. A “Warning of Improper Conduct” if the first offense is a severe offense (as determined by the Commissioner of the sport).
A “Notice of Improper Conduct” will be considered a reminder to the Coach of the Code of Conduct as demanded by TMYSB and is corrective by nature. A “Notice of Improper Conduct” will not affect a Coach’s consideration to be a Coach again in the future.
If a Coach is guilty of an infraction a second time, he/she will be issued a “Warning Notice”, which will be considered by TMYSB when selecting coaches in the future. The Commissioner may issue a “Warning Notice” without ever having given the Coach a “Notice of Improper Conduct” if the Commissioner believes the infraction is severe. The Coach can contest a “Warning Notice” if he/she notifies that season’s Player Agent, the VP of CAP within 2 weeks of the issuing of the “Warning Notice”. A Hearing will then be coordinated by that season’s Player Agent allowing the Coach to dispute the “Warning Notice” to a Committee of no less than three TMYSB Executive Board members. This Committee will then either uphold the issuing of the Warning or retract the Warning. This Committee will make a ruling based on a “preponderance of evidence”, rather than “beyond a reasonable doubt”.
A third instance of misbehavior will result in a second Warning and /or Suspension. Suspension can be temporary (as little as a 1 game suspension) or more permenant based on the severity of the infraction as determined by the Commissioner of that sport and the Executive Committee. A Coach can contest this second and all subsequent Warnings / Suspension and request a Hearing as outlined above. In order to uphold a suspension, the Committee must find the coach guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt”.
The Commissioner must issue the Notice, Warning or Suspension or at least notify the Coach within 2 weeks of the Commissioner’s knowledge of the infraction.
It is the absolute intent of the Coaches and Player’s Program to ensure the quality of all aspects of TMYSB Sports Programs and to provide for fair and equal treatment for all participants.