The goal of the HMMS Youth Soccer Association ("HMMS") is to maximize the opportunity for each registered player to enjoy the game of soccer, learn and display sportsmanship, and develop individual and team skills.   In pursuit of that goal, the principles set forth below reflect our Code of Conduct and shall apply to coaches, players, referees, parents, guardians, volunteers, trainers, and any other participants in HMMS activities. 

All participants in HMMS shall abide by this Code of Conduct.

Failure to abide by the Code of Conduct may result in, among other sanctions, suspension or expulsion from participation in or attendance at any HMMS activities.

• All participants are prohibited from using profanity when participating in or attending any HMMS activities.
• Referee abuse or intimidation of any kind, verbal or physical, will not be tolerated. 
• No participant shall engage in the use of abusive language, physical contact with the intent to harm or injure, physical abuse, harassment, or intimidation of any kind against any other participant, including players, referees, coaches, assistant coaches, and any other spectator or team supporter.[1]
• Head coaches shall be responsible for the behavior of their assistant coaches, players, trainers, parents, guardians, and team supporters.
• All coaches, assistant coaches, referees, and other official representatives of HMMS must maintain reasonable composure at all times and demonstrate and teach good sportsmanship at all times.
• All coaches, assistant coaches, referees, and other official representatives of HMMS shall abide by and implement practices and policies as approved and communicated by the HMMS Board.
• If any referee, player, coach, parent, guardian, or other participant in an HMMS activity perceives that this Code of Conduct has been violated, they have the right to, and should, report the perceived violation to any member or representative of the HMMS Board for investigation.
• The HMMS Code of Conduct is not limited to the principles enumerated above; any conduct that undermines the goal and purpose of HMMS may be deemed a violation of this Code of Conduct.

     It has come to the attention of the HMMS Board of Directors that we have been experiencing an increased number of violations of the attached HMMS Code of Conduct.  It is the intention of the HMMS Board of Directors to begin to aggressively correct this situation by educating our coaches, players, and families.  In addition, it is the intention of the Board to follow through with the guidelines of the HMMS Code of Conduct by issuing sanctions, suspensions and/or expulsions when warranted.

     The recent spate of incidents prompting these actions have primarily involved players and parents associated with teams in the older age groups of our recreational program; specifically U14 boys, U15-19 boys and U13-U19 girls.  We have received reports of player profanity, acts of referee intimidation by players and spectators, and spectators encouraging acts of physical harm to players from opposing teams.

    
     The HMMS Board of Directors believes that our coaches are strongly supportive of the goal to allow our players to “enjoy the game of soccer, learn and display sportsmanship, and develop individual and team skills”.  It is the opinion of the HMMS Board of Directors that our coaches are often unaware of situations involving violations of the HMMS Code of Conduct.  However, the HMMS Youth Soccer Association must rely on our volunteer coaches to be accountable for the behavior of their players, as well all spectators associated with their team.  In order to correct the problems that we have been experiencing, the HMMS Board of Directors has decided to take the following steps:

1. The head coach is the designated sole liaison to his/her players, fans, the opponents’ coaches, as well as to the referees.
2. Coach/Team and their respective spectators should be on one side of the field, and opposing Coach/Team and spectators on the opposite side of the field.  This will better position a coach to potentially hear and address any abusive language, harassment or intimidation initiated by spectators associated with their team.
3. If a red card is issued in any game, that player must sit the remainder of that game, and the following game.  HMMS reserves the right to investigate and further discipline any player receiving a red card in accordance with the provisions of the HMMS Code of Conduct.
4. Any player receiving 2 red cards in one season must meet with members of the HMMS Board of Directors to determine future play.
5. Coaches need to reinforce before every single game the HMMS Code of Conduct.  This includes both the spectators and players. Particular areas of concern involve the use of profanity, abusive language and threats to another player, parent, or referee.
6. The referee has the right to stop a game, eject a parent, coach, or player, and does not have to re-start the game until that individual is gone from the playing field.
7. Referees will be asked to report any violations of the HMMS Code of Conduct to the coach, as well as the HMMS Executive Board.  In the past, the Board recognizes that the coaches have often been unaware of these situations.
8. Any violations of the HMMS Code of Conduct should be reported to a member of the HMMS Board of Directors.

SPORTING BEHAVIOR BY EVERYBODY PARTICIPATING IN, OR ATTENDING HMMS PRACTICES AND GAMES IS SOMETHING THAT THE CLUB TAKES VERY SERIOUSLY.