PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT FOR PARENTS OF MINORS

Elite Academy Parent/Guardian Code of Conduct Youth football programs play an important role in promoting the physical, social, and emotional development of children. Therefore, it is essential for parents, coaches, spectators, and officials to encourage youth athletes to embrace the values of good sportsmanship. Furthermore, parents, coaches, spectators, and officials involved in youth sports events should be models of good sportsmanship and should lead by example by demonstrating fairness, respect, and self-control.

7 Elite Academy (7EA) has developed this code of conduct to help protect a model of good sportsmanship and conduct throughout our organisation. It is important to us that our staff, players, and players’ families commit to these principles. We ask that you pledge to be responsible for your words and actions while attending, coaching, officiating, or participating in all youth football events, and any communications channel associated with 7EA such as social media outlets. This agreement serves to confirm that parents and guardians shall behave according to the following code of conduct, which 7EA may update/amend from time to time.

As a parent or spectator, I/We will:

1. Encourage good sportsmanship by always demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches, officials, opponents, and 7EA staff. I/We agree to act responsibly and civilly while displaying sportsmanship-like behaviour before, during, and after any training, matches, scrimmages, tournaments, promotional events, and other similar activities (collectively, the “Activity”).
2. Place the emotional and physical well-being of my/our child/minor and other participants ahead of my/our personal agenda or desire to win. I/We will emphasize that the Activity is played for fun and for the benefit of the participants (and not their parents or guardians). I/We understand that playing time is set by the coaching staff and depends on the team’s needs, player effort, commitment, skill, and dedication and that at no time is a certain number of minutes on the pitch during games guaranteed or implied.
3. Ensure I/We and my child/minor treat other players, coaches, fans, and officials with respect, regardless of race, sex, creed or ability. I/We agree to act as a role model by demonstrating active support for all players, coaches, and match officials and will not engage in any discriminatory, derogatory, disrespectful, rude or unsportsmanlike behaviour with any player, coach, official, parent, or spectator (e.g., booing, taunting, refusing to shake hands, using profane or vulgar language or gestures).
4. Ensure that my child arrives, and is picked up and dropped off promptly at the scheduled time for all practices, games, and other 7EA events.
5. Never value winning over the safety and welfare of others. I/We will take responsibility for any action that violates this Code of Conduct by my child/minor, or a guest or relative/s of attending parent/guardian. This includes financial responsibility for any penalty charges from the County FA.
6. Direct constructive feedback of my child’s team program to the head coach and/or 7EA staff at an appropriate time, and through the correct channels. I will work toward a positive result for all concerned. Any questions I have regarding my child’s or their coaches’ performance will be asked no sooner than 24 hours after the practice or the game, as per club guidelines.
7. Respect the authority of game officials (including coaches) and their decisions during matches and accept their decisions on the field as being called to the best ability of said officials. I/We understand that the officials oversee all games and that their decisions are final. I/We will not interfere or interrupt the coaching staff during games or practices and will not protest a game official or judge’s decision in an abusive, aggressive, demonstrative manner, which might incite violent, abusive or aggressive fan involvement.
8. Abstain from the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, tobacco products, vaping/electronic tobacco products or the type, and the possession or use of any illegal substance on the practice or the team playing field, or in the presence of a gathering of the team/squad at any Activity.
9. Stay sufficiently behind the designated ‘spectator respect barrier’ or ground markings during games and practices.
10. Never encourage or in any manner coerce any player from an opposing team to join my child’s team, or encourage any player on my child’s team to join another team.

Internet and Social Media Conduct

While the internet is helpful to distribute a lot of information quickly to a lot of people, it can also be an outlet for misuse, abuse and misconduct. At no time will a 7EA player, parent, or anyone be allowed to post negative or derogatory messages or comments pertaining to any football item to online chat rooms, blogs, bulletin boards, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. This behaviour is unacceptable by any player and parent and may reflect negatively against the reputation and integrity of you, your family, and 7EA. 7EA’s media team will monitor these outlets for such behaviour to the best of their ability. 7EA parents and players may post appropriate videos, pictures of team games or positive comments about your team or 7EA, if desired, but extreme care should be taken when choosing what and where to post. If at any time 7EA finds players, parents, or anyone else posting negative comments on any 7EA Social Media channels, 7EA reserves the right to remove those posts and exclude parties from making further comments at any time without notification, and to initiate disciplinary proceedings as necessary.

I/We agree to remove/take down any post regarding or relating to 7EA, its players, coaches, members, representatives, or other teams, coaches, or officials at the request of 7EA. Remember: if in doubt don’t post it! Grievances & Consequences of Behaviour. Anyone who fails to conform their conduct to the prevailing code of conduct while attending, coaching, officiating, or participating in a youth football event may be subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to the following in ANY order or combination:

1. Verbal warning issued by an official, team coach, and or representative of 7EA.
2. Written warning issued by 7EA.
3. Suspension or immediate ejection from a youth football event issued by 7EA.
4. Removal from the 7EA team and organization. 5. All incidents regarding safeguarding issues and abusive behaviour will be reported to the Club Welfare Office and the Local County F.A.

In the event of suspension or expulsion from a team or the organisation, no refund of registration, sponsorship fees, and uniform/equipment fees will be made.