JTYS Rules of Etiquette for Parents and Players
Your child is playing soccer for fun. We want you to enjoy the game also. This information is provided to assist everyone in gaining the maximum benefit possible from our soccer club. Below are some simple rules you should observe. Please do so.
*We have a strict no touch policy. Physical aggression is grounds for immediate dismissal from the club for the remainder of the season.
1. Keep it fun for everyone! Remember: your child will forget today’s game. Next week he or she will probably have forgotten the score. However, both of you will remember that you had a good time playing the most popular sport in the world.
2. Be a knowledgeable participant. Refer to Jim Thorpe Website for Rules and Regulations.
3. Be on time. All players should arrive 30 minutes prior to game time so you can have a full 30 minutes to warm up. Players need a proper warm-up in order to perform well.
4. Players are responsible for having all appropriate equipment. That includes appropriate gear for any weather. It is not acceptable – and it impacts on performance – for players not to have proper warm clothes, wind-breakers, and rain gear.
5. Full uniforms and shin guards are required. Players must wear club issued uniforms. They may wear sweatshirts and pants under their uniforms. They may also wear stocking caps and gloves. Only soccer spikes are permitted. Soccer Socks must be overt op of shin guards. No “Hoods” are permitted. No jewelry of any kind.
6. Remember that the main objective of this club is DEVELOPMENT. Winning is not the best or only measure of development. Development takes time. Be patient, and help us foster it by recognizing every incremental gain. Do not focus on whether you win or lose, but rather on performance. Any good play is success. Any slight individual improvement is success. By acknowledging the little successes and giving all players the recognition they deserve you will be contributing to everyone's success.
7. If your team loses, adopt a positive attitude. Compliment the child upon his or her good plays. Ignore the mistakes. The child will be happy that you noticed his or her good qualities.
8. Parents and players are to stay on opposite sides of the field. This is so players develop self-reliance and learn to focus on the game.
9. Both parents and players are to keep their distance from the sideline - This is so the assistant referees have an unobstructed view of the sidelines.
10. Save all snacks for after the game. Players are to drink water only, and listen to the coach's half-time talk. NO PLAYER-PARENT CONTACT AT HALFTIME.
11. Do not shout instructions out to your child. Parents may NOT coach from the sidelines. That is the coach's job. Parent coaching distracts players and is often in conflict with the coaching instructions we are giving players. If you shout instructions, your child will probably try to please you and the coach at the same time. In trying to do two things at the same time, the child may fail both. Let the coaches do the coaching. If you have any questions on proper coaching points you may contact the coach after the game.
12. Cheer when your child successfully plays the ball. However, remember that your child is a member of a team. Let the other players know you support them too.
13. Do not run up and down the sidelines. Find a comfortable place to sit down or stand and enjoy the match.
14. Soccer is a contact sport and it requires players to be aggressive. You may think it was a foul, but it probably was not. While we want maximum safety, we do not want players to develop wrong habits. We need them to be aggressive.
15. Show respect and do not shout insults at the referees. Create a nurturing environment in which our referees can develop. The referee has the power to stop the game if the crowd becomes discourteous. We are mentoring them, and we need to be kind and supportive even when they make mistakes. However, don’t make a fool out of yourself - why assume automatically that the referee is wrong? The best policy is to approach the referee at the appropriate time and ask for clarifications (at half-time or after the game). The referee has the right to have any individual removed from the field and surrounding area due to unsportsmanlike conduct.
16. Show respect toward our coaches. If you don’t approve of certain coaching decisions discuss it with the JTYS Board. Sometimes an inexperienced coach makes a bad decision. Your feedback to the board will help improve the program. More often there are good reasons for that coaching decision, which the parent was not aware of. The parent may not be knowledgeable about certain aspects of the game. The coach has the right to have any individual removed from the field and surrounding area due to unsportsmanlike conduct.
17. Development takes time for coaches and referees, as well as for players. Please speak to the JTYS Board I regards to coaching issues, refereeing issues and/or player issues. Make sure you don’t create an incident only to find out it was due to a misunderstanding on your part.