Southeastern Virginia Pop Warner
Code of Conduct and Parental Behavior
From The National Pop Warner Office:
The National Board of Directors of Pop Warner has discussed with increasing concern the number and severity of incidents of parental violence and misbehavior in youth sports.
We unanimously endorse parent meetings and parental education in all local Pop Warner Associations. We strongly recommend that every Pop Warner Association have at least one pre-season, or early season, meeting with parents of all participants.
Pop Warner Leagues, and their member Associations, should make clear what types of behavior are unacceptable, and that there are consequences for such inappropriate actions. At the minimum, unacceptable behavior includes profanity, obscene gestures, verbal threats and physically threatening action.
We have all seen and heard in the media numerous stories of verbal and physical attacks. None of us want to see any violent or profane occurrences in Pop Warner. If not already detailed, each Pop Warner League should include in their By-Laws one or more policies that specify possible penalties for unacceptable behavior. Such penalties may include banning from practices and competitions of any parent(s) or other adult guilty of unacceptable behavior. In some rare cases, it may be necessary to prohibit participation of a child in Pop Warner due to repeated instances of inappropriate actions or words by a parent, guardian or family member.
An example of such language is enclosed. Several states have enacted laws that elevated any act of violence at a youth sports event to felony level. On the one hand, it’s encouraging that laws can help protect our volunteers, but, on the other hand, it’s extremely disturbing that those laws are necessary.
As a Board of Directors, we want all of you to be proactive in dealing with this inflammatory and potentially dangerous issue. Let us all make our best efforts to allow the children in Pop Warner to have fun without rude or intimidating interruptions from parents and adults.
The appropriate language for enforcement can be found in the National Rule Book under “Adult Code of Conduct.”
Adult Code of Conduct Section 8 of the Pop Warner Rule Book
S1: In order to uphold the goals of Pop Warner and ensure that all participants have the benefit of a safe and fun learning environment, all parents, guardians and other adults and attendees of Pop Warner events, including but not limited to practices, competitions, and banquets, must behave accordingly in a respectful, courteous and sportsmanlike manner at all times.
S2: Any adult who is using alcohol, tobacco or non-prescription drugs and/or appears intoxicated at a Pop Warner event, and/or who is flagrantly rude, attempts to intimidate, verbally abuse, heckles, taunts, ridicules, boos, throws objects and/or uses vulgarity or profane language/gestures with an official, coach, volunteer, staff member, participant or other event attendee, must receive a verbal warning and/or be asked to leave a Pop Warner event. The member organization may also provide a written warning to the individual regarding the misbehavior. The adult’s children may also be removed from the event. Any adult who commits one of the above stated offenses a second time, will be banned from any and all Pop Warner events for a period of one year from the date of the second offense, and their children may also be removed from the program(s) for that time period.
S3: Any adult who physically assaults an official, coach, volunteer, staff member or participant or threatens grave bodily harm may be banned from any and all Pop Warner events for one year from the date of the offense, and their children may also be removed from any and all Pop Warner programs for that same period of time. After the ban has expired, if the individual commits another offense of the adult code of conduct, the individual will be permanently banned from any and all Pop Warner events and the individual’s children may also be permanently removed from any and all Pop Warner programs.
Each participant has a signed player contract in which they have agreed to the following:
RULES & REGULATIONS
I hereby understand and acknowledge that as a parent/guardian of a Pop Warner participant it is my responsibility to comply with all rules and regulations stipulated, adopted or recognized by Pop Warner Little Scholars Inc. or any of its member organizations, including but not limited to the Adult Code of Conduct, stipulated in Section 8 above and published in the Pop Warner Rulebook Any non-compliance with any and all rules and regulations may be cause for discipline and/or dismissal of my child/the participant, myself, and/or any spectators or other persons affiliated with the undersigned and the above named participant.
By my signature below, I hereby stipulate that I have read, fully understand and voluntarily agree to all of the above