Wilsonville Little League Volunteer and Coach's Code of Conduct

The Wilsonville Little League Board of Directors has mandated the following Code of Conduct. All coaches and managers will read this Code of Conduct and sign in the space provided below, acknowledging that he or she understands and agrees to comply with the Code of Conduct.

Role of Volunteers, Managers and Coaches:

Wilsonville Little League volunteers, managers and coaches must be leaders. All must recognize that they hold a position of trust and responsibility in a program that deals with a sensitive and formative period of a child's development.

It is required that the manager and coach have understanding, patience and the capacity to work with children. The manager and coach should be able to inspire respect. Above all else, managers and coaches must realize that they are helping to shape the physical, mental and emotional development of young people.

The Little League manager must be something more than just a teacher. Knowledge of the game is essential but it is not the only badge of a Little League coach or manager. The heart of Little League is what happens between the adult manager/coach and player. It is the manager more than any other individual who controls the situation in which the players may be benefited. Improving the level of leadership in this vital area must be a continuing effort.

Children of Little League age are strongly influenced by adults whose ideals and aspirations are similar to their own. The manager/coach and player share a common interest in the game, a desire to excel, and determination to win. Children often idolize their managers and coaches, not because the adult is the most successful coach or mentor, but because the manager and coach are sources of inspiration.

Managers and coaches must be adults who are sensitive to the mental and physical limitations of children of Little League age and who recognize that the game is a vehicle of training and enjoyment, not an end in itself. It has been stated many times that the program of Little League can only be as good as the quality of leadership in the managing and coaching personnel. To that end, Coaches and Parents agree to place the emotional and physical well-being of players at the top of your priorities (to include a safe playing environment).

Wilsonville Little League Code of Conduct:

No board member, manager, coach, player or spectator shall, at any time:

• Lay a hand upon, push, shove, strike, or threaten to strike an official.
• Verbally abuse or demean a player or teammate for poor play.
• Engage in unsportsmanlike acts directed at their opponents before, during or after the game.
• Be guilty of heaping personal verbal or physical abuse upon any official for any real or imaginary belief of a wrong decision or judgment.
• Be guilty of an objectionable demonstration of dissent at an official's decision by throwing of gloves, helmets, hats, bats, balls, or any other forceful unsportsman-like action.
• Be guilty of using unnecessarily rough tactics in the play of a game against the body of an opposing player.
• Be guilty of a physical attack upon any board member, official manager, coach, player or spectator.
• Be guilty of the use of profane, obscene or vulgar language in any manner at any time.
• Appear on the field of play, stands, or anywhere on the Little League complex while in an intoxicated state. Intoxicated will be defined as an odor or behavior issue.
• Be guilty of gambling upon any play or outcome of any game with anyone at any time.
• Be guilty of publicly discussing with spectators in a derogatory or abusive manner any play, decision or a personal opinion on any players during the game.
• Speak disrespectfully to any manager, coach, official or representative of the league.
• Be guilty of tampering or manipulating any league rosters, schedules, draft positions or selections, official score books, rankings, financial records or procedures.
• Challenge an umpire's authority. The umpires shall have the authority and discretion during a game to penalize the offender according to the infraction up to and including expulsion from the game.
• ONLY THE HEAD COACH shall engage the umpire with questions or for clarifications of rulings. Arguing of balls and strikes will not be tolerated. Assistant coaches shall at no time verbally engage or question an umpire's judgement.

The League Discipline Committee will review all infractions of the Code of Conduct. Depending on the seriousness or frequency, the board may assess any disciplinary action it sees fit up to and including expulsion from the league.