Wellesley Little League welcomes all eligible participants to become a part of its baseball and softball programs, but requires participants to acknowledge that appropriate behavior is an essential ingredient to the success of the program and the enjoyment of those involved. Accordingly, all those interested in participating in Wellesley Youth Baseball & Softball (WYBS) are required to review and abide by this Code of Conduct, as a condition to eligibility. Any individual who fails to abide by these requirements is subject to disciplinary action by Wellesley Youth Baseball & Softball, including suspension and a termination of participation, without refund of participation or other fees.
Baseball and softball are games that connect generations and one’s childhood experiences often generate memories that last a lifetime. Many adults can recall vividly their experiences playing ball when they were in Little League, including their teams, coaches and teammates. Our goal is to ensure that the experiences of children participating in our programs continues that tradition and that the behavior of those involved in our leagues - at all levels - promotes good sportsmanship, responsibility and the best elements of team competition. Accordingly, in order to participate in Wellesley Youth Baseball & Softball, each player, coach, board member, league officer and any other volunteer is required to agree to comply with this Code of Conduct:
- I will not force my child to sign-up to play but, once committed to a team, will use my best efforts to encourage and enable my child to participate fully in his or her team’s practices and games and use his or her best efforts to practice, seek personal improvement in skills as a teammate and learn the game.
- I will remember, and remind the children playing, that baseball and softball are very challenging games - where even the best professional players fail to get a hit more than 3 out of every 10 at bats - and that success is measured by effort and not the individual success of a player or the outcome of a game.
- I understand and will remember that children participate in sports to have fun, build social relationships and become better players. (Studies have shown only 10% of children age 13 and under identify winning as a reason they play sports.) Accordingly, I will recognize and promote a league appropriate emphasis on competition and accentuate the benefits derived from competing as an individual and team over the importance of winning.
- I understand and will remember that Little League is for the children who are playing, not the adults, and that less than 1% of children who play sports will receive a college sports scholarship, and far fewer play at any professional level.
- I will be a positive role model for my child and other participants of all ages by encouraging good sportsmanship and positive support for all players, coaches, umpires and spectators at every game, practice and associated activities, and will ensure the same behavior from my guests and family members. I will talk first and predominantly about the positive things in each practice and game. I will emphasize improvement and success for each individual player, and avoid comparisons to the more or less skilled players.
- I will not engage in any unsportsmanlike conduct with any umpire, coach, player, parent, or any other person, including, without limitation, booing or taunting, or verbally criticizing umpire calls, coaching decisions, plays in the field or game results, or using any profane or abusive language or gestures, and will ensure the same behavior from my guests and family members.
- I will emphasize that mistakes, errors, bad calls and losses are part of any game (and life) and work with my child to (i) develop strategies to learn from those events, (ii) not dwell on them and (iii) develop a strategy for moving forward to the next play or situation.
- I will neither engage in nor enable any behavior or practice that would endanger the health or well being of any of the participants or spectators at any game, practice or associated activity (including, without limitation, any inappropriate physical contact or verbal attacks), and will ensure the same behavior from my guests and family members.
- I will ensure that my family promotes respect for all players, coaches, umpires, spectators, and administrators, regardless of race, color, gender, playing ability or any other category. I will not make or disseminate critical or derogatory remarks (including by email or other electronic media) that are designated to harm, or would have the likely affect of harming, another’s reputation or standing in the community. I will therefore handle any issues or complaints that I may have in a constructive manner and in a private setting that is appropriate under the circumstances.
- I will learn the rules of the game and the leagues in which we participate, and ensure that my player understands those rules and the importance of playing by the rules. I will neither promote nor engage in any activity designed to avoid or disregard the rules of the game or any league, or manipulate any process to obtain a result inconsistent with those rules, including any process for selecting teams.
- I will abide by and respect the calls of the umpires on the field, and understand that our umpires are often children in middle and high school who are learning and may make mistakes. I will not challenge or demonstrate any objection to a judgment call made by an umpire during a game, and will ensure the same behavior from my guests and family members. I understand and agree that any challenge or argument with a judgement call may result in disciplinary action against me.
- I will not question, object, challenge or confront any coach on the field during any game or practice (except to prevent injury), and will constructively engage in discussion with a coach at a mutually acceptable time and place away from the view and hearing from players, parents, and others. I will not criticize the judgement or abilities of any coach before my child or other children, as this may negatively influence my child’s enthusiasm for participating.
- I will not act like a “coach from the sideline” unless I am actually a coach of the team and will limit my comments to encouragement and support for the participants, and will ensure the same behavior from my guests and family members.
- I will inform WYBS and my child’s coaches of any physical or emotional condition that may affect the safety of my child or other participants in the team’s activities.
- I will abide by the judgments of the administrators of the league (including player tryout and selection processes for competitive leagues and teams) and, if I disagree with any WYBS policy or process, I commit to constructively engage in appropriate dialogue with the WYBS to explore any issues I wish to discuss.
- I will respect the public and private property on and around our playing fields and participate in ensuring that no damage to or theft of such property occurs, and that all fields are maintained in at least as good condition at the end of each game and practice as at the beginning, with all trash and other items properly disposed of or removed from the field.
- I understand that WYBS welcomes my participation, and will work with me in an effort to find a suitable position as a coach, team manager, board member or other open position if I volunteer. I understand that if I am selected to serve in any such capacity, I may be subject to additional rules and behavioral requirements that I will abide by when serving in such a position.
- I understand that if I personally observe actions by others that are inconsistent with this Code of Conduct, I may report such actions by filing an Incident Report Form. I further understand that I may request my identity be kept confidential, and that WYBS may request my involvement in order to conduct a review and take any action in response to such report.
- I understand that the WYBS Board of Directors may, from time to time, establish a committee and certain processes to review and take action in connection with any violation of this Code of Conduct (or other action inconsistent with intentions and spirit of this Code of Conduct or the interests of WYBS participants), and I agree to comply with the existing process and conclusions resulting form such process. I understand that the WYBS Board of Directors may from time to time publish guidelines for disciplinary action associated with violation of this Code of Conduct, but that any such guidelines are meant to be illustrative and not necessarily binding upon WYBS.
- I understand that the WYBS Board of Directors may, from time to time, amend and otherwise modify this Code of Conduct and, upon publication to the WYBS website, will be considered the applicable Code of Conduct.
- I understand that this Code of Conduct is not intended to be an exhaustive recitation of policy for every possible situation, and that I will be expected to comply with the spirit and intent of this Code, in addition to the Code’s specific requirements.
~Adopted by WLL Board of Directors, October 7, 2008