Northwest Youth Baseball & Softball

The Northwest Youth Baseball & Softball operates baseball and softball programs for young persons in the City of St. Petersburg. This organization recognizes and greatly appreciates the commitment of its volunteer administrators, officials, and coaches involved in those programs. Your time and effort is greatly appreciated by this organization, the league or level in which you coach, and the parents and participants in these programs.

Northwest Youth Baseball & Softball is committed to creating, through its programs, opportunities and experiences which will foster the development of positive moral and ethical standards within the youth of our communities and will promote good sportsmanship among all participants. The achievement of those goals, in large part, depends on the character and conduct of persons involved in those programs as administrators, officials, and coaches.

No person has a right, or property interest, in participating as a volunteer in any of those programs. Such participation is controlled by the administrators for the particular program. As an inducement to permitting their participation in programs, the we must be assured that such persons are committed to conducting themselves in a manner which will serve as a positive role model for the participants and which will be consistent with the high moral and ethical standards, and with the ideals of good sportsmanship, which Northwest Youth Baseball & Softball seeks to develop through all its programs.

In order to assure Northwest Youth Baseball & Softball of his/her continuing commitment to those goals, all administrators, officials, and coaches hereby agree to abide, and be bound, by the following standards of conduct and further agree to the authority of Northwest Youth Baseball & Softball to enforce those standards:

1.	Abstain from using any tobacco or alcohol products in or around the playing field or the sports complex in which the field is located.
2.	Refrain from participating in any game or practice activity when it is apparent that you have consumed alcohol prior to arriving for the activity.
3.	Refrain from using abusive or profane language in or around the playing field or the sports complex in which the field is located.
4.	Refuse to permit a player to participate in a practice or game when in doubt as to the player’s health or physical condition.
5.	Abide by a doctor’s decision in all matters relating to a player’s health and physical ability to participate.
6.	Provide equal opportunities for all players regardless of race, color, ethnic background, religion, or age, if otherwise qualified.
7.	Refrain from accepting or offering any gift, gratuity, or favor that might influence your judgment, or with the intent of obtaining special privileges, and from exploiting any relationship with a player for your personal gain or other advantage.
8.	Strive to promote good mental and physical health in all aspects of participation and refrain from any type of verbal or physical abuse of any players.
9.	Constantly display and demand good sportsmanship in practice and in games, including, but not limited to, accepting decisions of game officials in a professional manner; refrain from criticizing opposing coaches, players, and fans; congratulate opposing players and coaches following a game; refrain from teaching unsportsmanlike strategies; and refrain from “running up the score” rather than providing more players with opportunities to participate.
10.	Consistently act in a manner which is in keeping with the positive image and high standards of personal conduct which each program should strive to teach and to foster.
11.	Conduct yourself in accordance with all rules, regulations, and determinations of the particular league or program in which you are participating.
12.	Make any criticism “constructive” in nature and reserve it for private moments.
13.	Hold a pre-season parents’ meeting, and maintain open communications with parents relating to all aspects of participation, including conduct of both parents and players.
14.	Consistently act in the best interests of the players and the particular program in which you are participating so as to provide a positive experience for each player and to promote a positive image of the program.

All volunteers serve at the pleasure of the particular program and Northwest Youth Baseball & Softball. Actions or activities which are considered contrary to these standards of conduct initially will be reported to the administrators of the particular program, and they will be expected, and given a reasonable opportunity, to take appropriate action; however, the Northwest Youth Baseball & Softball Board of Directors shall have the final authority to take appropriate action in that regard which it believes to be in the best interest of the participants, the program, and Northwest Youth Baseball & Softball. Such action may include, but shall not be limited to, removing the offender from a particular game, suspension of the offender for any appropriate period of time, or disqualification of the offender from participation in any program(s) operated by Northwest Youth Baseball & Softball.

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