Parent/Spectator Guidelines

NORTH SYRACUSE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

PARENTAL/SPECTATOR GUIDELINES

The NSCSD Athletic Department has high standards in regard to sportsmanship and conduct. We expect our spectators to uphold these standards at all times. Spectators are expected to reinforce these standards when they interact with coaches, contest officials, opposing teams, and other spectators.

The following applies to a parent/spectator physically present at an athletic event, or through the use of electronic mediums (i.e. internet/e-mail, etc.).

DO:

· Understand that your attendance provides you with the opportunity and privilege to observe an athletic event, not to berate players, coaches or officials.

· Remember that interscholastic athletics is a part of the educational process - It is for the students, not adults.

· Cheer for your team.

· Be a positive role model and encourage sportsmanship by giving support to, and showing respect for all players, coaches, officials, and spectators.

· Demand that others treat players, coaches, officials, and spectators with respect regardless of race, religion, color, gender, or ability.

· Support the decisions of coaches and officials.

· Teach our youth that doing their best is of the utmost importance.

· Emphasize that a healthy work ethic, a high level of effort, and cooperation with coaches are imperative for doing one’s best.

· Learn and understand the rules of the game.

· Appreciate the efforts of the players, coaches, and officials.

· Be generous when you win, gracious when you lose.

DO NOT:

· Ridicule or berate players, coaches, officials, or other spectators.

· Engage in any kind of unsportsmanlike conduct with any official, coach, player, or parent such as bullying, taunting, or using profane language or gestures.

· Encourage or condone any behavior or practice which would endanger the health or well-being of any participant.

· Humiliate or intimidate, in any way, any participant or attendee.

· Ridicule any participant for making a mistake.

· Attempt to coach from the sidelines or grandstand.

· Confront coaches or officials in an inappropriate/antagonistic manner before, during, or after game/practices. Instead, make arrangements to speak with coaches at an appropriate time and place. (The use of impersonal, electronic, or handwritten means of expressing concerns is not an effective substitute for cooperative, face-to-face communications).

PARENTS:

· Be a “team fan,” not a “my child” fan.

· Encourage your child to discuss any problems with the coach, while emphasizing how to improve their status on the team.

· Addressing problems will be completed in the following manner:

1) Players talk to head coach

2) Player, parent, and head coach meet

3) Player, parent, head coach, and Athletic Director meet

4) Player, parent, head coach, Athletic Director, and Superintendent meet

· Encourage the attainment of team goals, rather than individual goals.

· Understand that criticism and disrespect not only undermine the purpose of interscholastic sports, but the very behavior being taught to your child.

Behavior that degrades, humiliates, intimidates, or threatens a player, coach, referee, school official, or another parent or fan is subject to action by school personnel.

Anyone who engages in misconduct as described above, or who is removed from an interscholastic contest at the request of a game official or school administrator will be subject to the following:

1^st Offense: Offender(s) will be removed immediately from the contest and will be prohibited from attending the next home contest regardless of sports season.

2^nd Offense: Offender(s) will be prohibited from attending ANY home school district athletic

events for the remainder of the season in question (fall, winter, spring) or for a

period of 3 months commencing from the date of the second offense, whichever is

longer.

3^rd Offense: Offender(s) will be prohibited from attending ANY home school district athletic

events for one full calendar year, commencing from the date of the 3^rd offense.

REMEMBER, WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM. WE ALL REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY, SCHOOL, AND FAMILIES.