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NB Player-Parent Manual
Game Day Rules:
1. Students must attend school on the day of a game except for unavoidable circumstances such as doctor's appointments or school-related activities. Please do not take your son out of school for other reasons unless prior arrangements are made.
2. If we need to provide transportation for any team related events, here are our rules of travel. We appreciate parents help when we are putting together car pools, but we do need to keep some things in mind:
A. Please meet in a designated place and at a designated time. We should travel to the game as a group and arrive as a team normally does.
B. Students cannot get out of class earlier than the planned time. The coach or athletic director determines that time. Athletes miss quite a bit of school due to athletics, and we do not want them getting out earlier than necessary.
C. Students cannot drive to the events, even if accompanied by the parent. We would ask that no one under the age of 21 be a driver to an event unless he or she is approved in advance.
D. Practice safe driving habits. Do not drive faster than the speed limit and remember that your cargo is the most precious that can be carried.
E. When leaving the event, make sure that everyone who rode with you has a ride home. Anyone who rides home with a parent must sign out with a coach and the coach must personally meet the parent before he or she leaves.
F. If anyone wants to ride with someone other than his parent, he must get prior administrative permission.
3. Please allow your son to be part of the team. Do not try to contact your son during the game. Coaching from the stands can only hinder the type of sideline atmosphere we are trying to develop.
Game Time Behavior for fans (taken from the article "Sportsmanship is Our Responsibility")
1. I will be remember that young people play sports for THEIR enjoyment, not to just entertain me.
2. I will not have unrealistic expectations and will understand that doing one’s best is as important as winning. I understand that ridiculing an athlete for making a mistake is not acceptable behavior.
3. I will respect the official’s decisions and will encourage all participants and other fans to do the same.
4. I will respect and show appreciation for the coaches and understand that they have given their time to provide sport activities for our young people.
5. I will encourage athletes and coaches to play by the rules and to resolve conflicts without resorting to hostility or violence.
6. I will show respect for my team’s opponents because I realize there would be no game without them.
7. I will not use bad language and will not harass athletes, coaches, officials or other spectators.
8. I will always show good sportsmanship since young people learn best by example.
An athlete's pledge
1. I will participate because I want to, not just because my parents or coaches want me to.
2. I will play by the rules and in the spirit of the game.
3. I will control my temper since fighting and disrespect can spoil the activity for everyone.
4. I will respect my opponents.
5. I will do my best to try to be a true team player.
6. I will remember that winning isn’t everything. Having fun, improving my skills, making friends and doing my best are also important.
7. I will acknowledge all good plays or performances by both my teammates and my opponents.
8. I will remember that coaches and officials are there to help me. I will accept their decisions, show them respect and understand they have given their time to be with me.
Thoughts for Coaches (As coaches we try to keep these precepts.)
1. I will be reasonable when scheduling games and practices, remembering that young people have other interests and obligations. I will try to keep practices of reasonable length and will try to make all practices productive.
2. I will teach my athletes to play fairly and to respect the rules, officials and opponents.
3. I will ensure that all athletes get equal instruction, support and opportunities. At the junior varsity level I believe strongly that all athletes should have opportunities. I was given opportunities by my own coaches when I was younger and I have always appreciated their efforts on my behalf. At the varsity level, skills play a more important role in the program.
4. I will not ridicule my athletes for making mistakes or performing poorly. I will remember that young people play to have fun and must be encouraged to have confidence in themselves.
5. I will remember that young people need a coach they can respect. I will be generous with praise and set a good example.
6. I will make sure that equipment and facilities are safe and match the athletes’ ages and abilities.
7. I will obtain proper training and continue to upgrade my coaching skills.
Thoughts for parents- Communicating with your child
- Being a parent in this day and age has its own set of difficulties. Children face challenges that were not dreamed about even a few decades ago. A recent statistic showed that over 65% of young people that participate in athletics before the age of 12 will quit sports. The two reasons that are most cited are coaches and parents. Many of the children still love the game, they just don't enjoy playing it. It is easy in this age of specialized sports to find student-athletes under much more stress to perform. As a coach I try to strike a reasonable balance between the rigors of good program and the fun that it must also contain. I hope we can work together to make your daughter's experience a positive one. The following suggestions are taken from Athletic Journal.
- Make sure your children know that win or lose, scared or heroic, you love them, appreciate their efforts and are not disappointed in them. This will allow them to do their best without fear of failure. Be the person in their life they can look to for constant positive reinforcement.
- Be helpful but don’t coach them. It’s tough not to, but it is a lot tougher for the child to be flooded with advice and critical instruction.
- Teach them to enjoy the thrill of competition, to be “out there trying,” to be working to improve their skills and attitudes. Help them develop the feeling for competing, for trying hard, for having fun.
- Try not to relive your athletic life through your child in a way that creates pressure. It is probable that all of us were frightened, were not always heroic and even failed at an important task. Athletic children need their parents, so do not withdraw and do not expect the perfection that we were never able to obtain in our youth. There is a thinking, feeling, sensitive, free spirit in that uniform who needs a lot of understanding, especially when their world turns bad. If they are comfortable with you win or lose, then they are on their way to maximum enjoyment.
- Don’t compete with the coach. If your child is receiving mixed messages from two different authority figures, he or she will likely become disenchanted.
- Don’t compare the skill, courage or attitude of your child with other members of the team.
- Get to know the coach(es). Then you can be assured that his or her philosophy, attitudes, ethics and knowledge are such that you are happy to have your child under his or her leadership.
- Always remember that children tend to exaggerate, both when praised and when criticized. Temper your reaction and investigate before overreacting.
- Make a point of understanding courage and the fact that it is relative. Some of us climb mountains and are afraid to fly. Some of us will fly but turn to jelly if a bee approaches. Everyone is frightened in certain areas. Explain that courage is not the absence of fear, but a means of doing something in spite of fear and discomfort.
Communication You Should Expect From Us
- Our philosophies
- Our expectaions for your child as well as all players on the squad
- Locations and times of all practices and contests
- Team requirements (fees, special equipment, off-season conditioning)
- Procedure should your child be injured
- Discipline that results in the denial of your child’s participation
Communication We Expect From Parents
- Concerns expressed directly to the coach
- Notification of any schedule conflicts well in advance
- Specific concerns in regard to a coach’s philosophy and/or expectations
Appropriate Concerns To Discuss With Coaches
- The treatment of your child, mentally and physically
- Ways to help your child improve
- Concerns about your child’s behavior
Issues Not Appropriate To Discuss With Coaches
- Playing time
- Team strategy
- Play calling
- Other student-athletes
Appropriate Procedures For Discussing Concerns with Coaches
- Call to set up an appointment with the coach (contact the athletic director to set up the meeting if you are unable to reach me.)
- Do not confront a coach before or after a contest or practice (these can be emotional times for all parties involved and do not promote resolution)
If The Meeting With The Coach Did Not Provide A Satisfactory Resolution
- Call to set up an appointment with the athletic administrator or principal
- Determine the appropriate next step at this meeting
Please remember. We do not coach for any other reason than the thrill of working with your children. We want to work with you to make you and your son's experience in North Bend football a positive one.