Players Responsibility: Players are expected to participate in a positive and respectful manner both on and off the field. Players should respect all parties including, teammates, opponents, officials, and coaches, at all times. Particular attention should be paid toward honoring referees’ decisions. In every way (voice, action and gesture), players should strive to cooperate with officials. Players should also act as helpful and respectful hosts at home games and considerate guests at away matches. Examples of respectful behavior off the soccer field include greeting opposing players, cleaning up after themselves, and talking good care of equipment and facilities. Cheering or complimenting good play, giving assistance to a fallen player, and behaving thoughtfully in both victory and defeat.
Coach Responsibility: Coaches should model behavior for all of the parties. They should remember that team participation is only a component of each player experience. Coaches’ behavior should bring credit to themselves, their team and club. Coaches too need to show respect for officials and scorekeepers and their respective decisions. Special attention should be paid by coaches toward managing their players and the game so that all players enjoy a positive experience. The club, encourage coaches to create as equal playing field as possible while recognizing that one of the intrinsic purposes of the club is competing and winning. Coaches also need to help facilitate the appropriate behavior of their players and fans before and after games. Asking for clarification (rather than arguing with officials), pulling out “star” players when one has established a solid lead, and complimenting an official’s correct decision (even when it rewards the other team), are all examples of model behavior.
Parent Responsibility: Parents (along with other family members and friends) also have an important role to play in promoting a positive and enriching atmosphere. At different times this may require them to play a more active or passive role. Perhaps the most obvious contribution parents can make is showing their support for all of the players at the games. Cheering on positive play while refraining from criticizing “mistakes” (by officials, players and coaches), is a good example of both active and passive participation. Parents model respect by leaving the coaches to do the coaching, the officials to do the officiating. Though it may at times prove challenging, it is always in the children’s best interest that such boundaries be respected. Whether at home or away games, parents bear a special responsibility to be either passive or active participants at the right time. Parents are encouraged to take an active role in helping coaches to oversee players who are waiting to participate in upcoming games.
· Enjoy the games in a civil manner!
· appreciate and cheer for good play by both teams!
· treat your opponents respectfully!
· do not yell and/or scream at the referees - even if you think they made a mistake!
· watch for and admire the short and long term improvement of individual players and the teams!
· watch and admire how much these young players run and exert themselves - admire, don't criticize!
· be as good an example for your children - as they are for you!
· don't ruin this event for the many hundreds of players by acting inappropriately!
· report any inappropriate behavior to a field marshal or the scorers table!
· follow the example of your coaches and manager as regards the expected behavior!
· understand that soccer is known worldwide - at all levels, but especially for the younger players - as a game of mistakes. There will be many hundreds in any given under 12 and under 13 game!
· ask yourself - what can i do to help develop more opportunities for players who love soccer to have a "year round" team on which they can play and learn?
PLEASE RESPECT THE REFEREES!
Managers
and Coaches: Before traveling to the game, or as soon as you arrive at
the field, please have your team parents and fans understand the
importance of why the referees should be treated respectfully! It is
important that a few parents not be allowed to bring disrespect towards
our wonderful sport!
Please compliment the great majority of
parents who act civilly and maturely - and tell them Bay Area Soccer
Academy greatly appreciates their positive example.
Every soccer fan knows that mistakes are made by referees at every level – from U9 youth games to the World Cup.
It
is perfectly understandable that as you watch the game you will think
about referee calls and judge them, but please do this very quietly and
respectfully!
If you wish to comment on what you think is a bad
call – please do it quietly to the person sitting or standing next to
you. Your comments should not be heard by people standing more than a
foot or two away from you and never by the referee or the players.
Youth
and adult soccer needs trained and experienced referees; and at the
present time Northern California loses far too many - about 30% a year
- often because of abuse by a few loud parents.
Parents – If
the coach of your team thinks the referee called a very poor game – she
or he can report that to BASA and on Monday we will send that report to
the Referee Coordinator.
Experienced and wise coaches expect
that mistakes will be made and hope that over a game or a season they
will even out. Also, they hope one will not happen at a crucial time –
but the reality of the situation is that some games might be lost by a
wrong call and others won! It will even out over time.
The
worst mistake a referee can make – and in 35 years of watching
thousands of games – this is seldom the case – is not to be impartial
and be influenced by their feelings for the home team.
EVEN AT
THE YOUTH LEVEL, SOCCER IS KNOWN AS AN “FAST ACTION” GAME WITH FAST
PACED MOVEMENT OF THE BALL AND PLAYERS. IN THOSE THOUSANDS OF “ACTION”
SITUATIONS, PLAYERS AND REFEREES WILL MAKE MISTAKES AND THAT IS WHY
SOCCER IS KNOWN – AT ALL LEVELS - AS A SPORT WITH MANY MISTAKES
BE KIND TO THE REFEREES (AND PLAYERS) EVEN IF YOU THINK THEY MAKE SOME MISTAKES – WHICH THEY CERTAINLY WILL!
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
