Ethos

MISSION STATEMENT ST KEVIN’S BOYS CLUB

Aims to enable all players to realise and maximise their full potential as footballers and as people through coaching, training and practice that inculcate true standards of discipline, technique and manner whilst maintaining fun, enjoyment and a love of sport

ST KEVIN’S BOYS CLUB CODE OF ETHICS FOR MANAGERS AND COACHES

Managers / Coaches in children’s sport should strive to create a positive environment for the players in their care. They have an overall responsibility to take the steps necessary to ensure that positive and healthy experiences are provided.

Sports managers / coaches should:

· Be Competent and qualified

· Be positive, enthusiastic and cheerful

· Reinforce the principles of fair play

· Give feedback in a constructive and encouraging manner

· Encourage an active healthy lifestyle

· Involve parents / guardians as much as possible

· Recognize that they themselves are human and will not get it right all the time!

The Manager / Coach should maintain the highest standard of personal conduct and support the principles of fair play. Coaches are given a position of trust by parents and players, and are therefore expected to show the highest standards of behaviour while in the company of under age players.

The coach must consistently display high personal standards and project a favourable image of the club, the game of soccer and of coaching – to other players, coaches, officials, spectators, and the general public. Personal appearance is a matter of individual taste but the coach has an obligation to project an image of health, cleanliness and functional efficiency.

Coaches should not drink alcohol so soon before coaching that their judgment may be impaired and the smell of alcohol will still be on their breath when working with players. Under no circumstances should young players be in the proximity of alcohol, irrespective of the occasion.

As persons responsible for the well-being of young people it is inappropriate to smoke in their presence. Remember that young people need a coach whom they can respect. Be aware of the effect you have on growing children. Lead by example.

Create a safe and enjoyable environment in which to train and play, players should be kept under control at all times and show respect for any equipment or facilities that may be made available for their use.

Be aware of any medical condition that any of your players might suffer from, i.e. asthma etc.

Never criticize the referee or assistant referee during or after a match in front of players or spectators. Ensure that all your players know that bullying by mangers/coaches or by fellow players whether verbal or physical will not be tolerated.

Those working with young people should be aware that certain situations or friendly actions could be misinterpreted by the player or by outsiders. This could lead to allegations of impropriety. When working with young players you should do so in an open environment. Where ever possible there should be at least two adults present in changing rooms at all time.

Confidentiality must be maintained throughout all stages of dealing with any complaint. Only those who need to know about a complaint should be given information.

COMMUNICATION WITH PLAYERS

Although your communication principles should never change, the style you use to communicate should change to meet the needs of the situation.

The style you use when discussing a problem with a player may be friendly, angry, comforting or threatening. In a quiet one-to one conversation (preferably with a co-manager present) you can be far more direct than if the player is with the entire team. You must be careful not to say anything that will make the player look bad in the eyes of team-mates. The player will accept a negative statement about his performance made in private but will not forgive you for making that statement in front of other players. Not only that, but the other players may sympathize with the player in question and you will lose respect all around. If you have a problem with a player, handle it sensitively.

Even in private be careful of what you say and how you say it. Attack the problem, not the person. There is a big difference between saying “John, you are stupid” , and “John, that was a stupid thing to do”. The first statement attacks John personally.
The second attacks something John has done. He will never agree with the first statement but may agree with the second. You should make the player realize that you are there to help solve any problems.

In all confrontations stay focused on the problem. Don’t attack the person. A player who makes a mistake, or even two or three, is guilty of bad judgment. It doesn’t necessarily make him a bad player or a bad person.

Most people feel that after a confrontation there must be a winner and a loser, that one person’s opinions must prevail. However that is not true. A good communicator will try to create a win-win situation. This can be done as follows:

1. Clarify the problem
2. Allow the other person to state his or her views and thoughts
3. Listen to what the player says or does not say
4. Restate the player’s feelings and thoughts, making sure that both of you understand exactly how the player feels and thinks
5. Find the common grounds in your feelings and thoughts
6. Find alternate solutions to any remaining problems
7. Make a new agreement

PLAYERS NEED CONFIDENCE HUMILIATION DESTROYS CONFIDENCE

CODE FOR PARENTS

Remember, young people are involved in Soccer for their enjoyment, not yours.

Encourage your child always to play by the laws of the game. Teach young children that honest endeavour is as important as winning so that the result of each game is accepted without disappointment.

Help young people to work towards skill improvement and good sportsmanship.

Please encourage our players and our teams and cheer them on. Set a good example by applauding good play on both sides. Never ridicule, humiliate, or shout at young players for making a mistake or losing a match. Do not place emphasis on winning at all costs.

Do not force an unwilling child to participate in the playing of soccer. If the child is to play, he/she will do so in good time through your encouragement. There are other aspects of soccer other than playing which are equally fulfilling.

Support all efforts to remove verbal, racial and physical abuse from soccer. As a spectator, do not use profane language or harass referees, coaches or players.

Do not publicly question the referee’s judgement and decisions. Recognize the value and importance of volunteer referees and coaches. They give of their time and resources to provide recreational activities for young people. Please don’t shout at, or
abuse referees. While you may not always agree with their decisions referees are an essential part of the game and no official game can proceed without them.

Encourage in your child’s an appreciation of mutual respect for team-mates and opponents.

We place great emphasis on providing a safe and secure environment for all our members.

All team managers will run an induction meeting for parents at the start of each season at which topics like correct eating habits, the need for practice, Code of Ethics etc. are discussed.

We actively encourage parents to attend all games and assist with aspects such as transport for away games, putting up and taking down nets, dealing with subs and klotto etc.

We ask the parents to respect the role of the appointed team managers and not to enter dressing rooms before or after games.
Please refrain from instructing players on what to do, as tactics, roles etc., have been decided in the dressing room or on the training pitch and can be disrupted by conflicting instructions no matter how well intended.

Please don’t put pressure on managers to make changes, substitutions etc.

We are aware that we must stay in touch with all parents’ expectations for their children and have mechanisms in place to achieve this important task.

Code for Players

· Bullying of any sort will not be tolerated.

· No bad language or racist remarks will be tolerated.

· Players must show respect for coaches and team-mates.

· Players should arrive on time for coaching and for games.

· Players must maintain a high level of respect for their club, fellow players and opponents. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

· Play with control and do not lose your temper.

· Players should be respectful towards referees and other match/league officials and should never question a decision of a match official.

· Players should at all times abide by the laws of the game.

· At the final whistle applaud and thank your opponents and the referee for the match.

· Always remember that you owe a duty of care to your opponents.

· Tackle hard but fairly, do not intend to hurt your opponents.

· Win with humility – lose with dignity.

Note to Managers Parents and Players

The executive committee have consulted with the F.A.I with a view to implementing a Code of Ethics. All managers and parents are asked to read the above Code and parents are asked to discuss same with their children to ensure everybody is aware of the contents.

The above Code of Ethics should not be interpreted as rules. Moreover, they should be used as a guideline as to what the club feels is acceptable behaviour. Everybody connected with football in the club will be expected to adhere to the above Code. We feel that the Code is not too much to expect and it is designed to ensure that everybody enjoys their participation in the sport of Soccer.