2025 CODE OF CONDUCT
Welcome to another season of Fowler Girls Softball League! We look forward to seeing all our players grow, develop and enjoy the game this season. Please remember that throughout the softball season, our collective goal as parents is to promote and develop team spirit, skills and good sportsmanship.
COACH RESPONSIBILITIES
Our responsibility as a coaching staff is to develop the fundamental skills of each player on our team. Our main objective is to develop, train, and teach each player to maximize their ability as an athlete. It is our job to promote the performance of each of our players and to help each realize their full potential.
All players will be given equal opportunity for training and development during practice and games. The Coaching staff will be responsible for:
• Teaching at practice sessions
• Balancing player growth and development while fielding a competitive team
• Making sure safety and athlete welfare comes first
• Being on the field, on time, with a positive attitude for practices and warm-ups
• Being respectful to Umpires - ask for time and ask your question. Respect the decision. Yelling or offensive language will not be tolerated.
• Addressing other teams/coaches in a calm and non-offensive manner
PLAYER RESPONSIBILITIES
As a team and as individual athletes, each plater will get out of this season what they put into it! Growth and development are continuing challenges. Each year we will face stronger, faster, and more capable opponents. How we compete will be a measure of how we prepare as individuals and teams. Learning new mechanics may feel awkward or uncomfortable at first, but trust that our intention is to make the best players possible. Allow the coaches to help you become a stronger player on a stronger team.
Players should:
• Be on the field, on time, with a positive attitude for practices and warm-ups
• Do your best, always providing 100% effort
• Be receptive to coaching
• Be responsible for all uniforms and equipment
• Understand that you represent your team and your community
• Work on improving individual skills outside of team practices
• Respect all calls made by Umpires during games. If a mistake is made, Coaches will be responsible for raising concerns
PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES
We are a team - Athletes, Coaches, and Parents. Parents need to support their child (children) by allowing them to experience their frustrations and successes on and off the field. We want you to know that we always have the best interest of your child in mind. Our intention is to get the best out of our players as a team and to help them grow individually. This is a process, and by the end of the season your child will have improved. How much they improve depends on their openness to instruction, effort to be the best, and how they are encouraged by you.
We need parent assistance to:
• Coordinate schedules and transportation for your players and to attend a maximum number of practices and games on time.
• Encourage your athlete(s) to be receptive to coaching
• Keep your athlete(s) focused on their goals, assist with their skill work, and always be positive as an example to the players.
• Assist with player growth and development, including work outside of scheduled practices
• Support the coaching staff - to eliminate confusion for the players, we ask that parents do not coach from the stands
• Report all injuries to a coach immediately to allow them to adjust practices and game plans
• Refrain from addressing Umpires directly - Coaches are responsible for all communication with officials to ensure a safe and positive environment
PARENT COMMUNICATION
Parents are very important to a Team's success. The coaches depend on parental support. Therefore, Parents, Coaches, and Players shall not slander each other or any other player, coach, or parent from opposing teams.
24 HOUR RULE
Any comments or concerns that a parent may have regarding coaching decisions may be discussed with the coaching staff after a 24-hour time period has elapsed. If you have a complaint, we require that you wait 24 hours before discussing the issue. This gives you time to think about your concern and how to communicate it in a calm and reasonable manner. After this period, if you still want to address the issue, you may call one of the coaches. This rule is designed to help prevents all parties involved from saying something out of haste that may be regretted later.
Should a parent have a problem with the coaching staff or management team, please arrange a meeting outside of regular team activities. No coaches or managers will entertain discussions during practices or games.
Parents must understand that being a member of the team does not guarantee your child's position. While we aim to maximize playing time for all players, while meeting team objectives, positions and playing time can be affected by:
• attendance and punctuality at practices and games
• level of cooperation, and effort displayed at practices and games
• positive attitude and participation during practices, games, and other team activities
If a player has a concern about positions or playing time, we would encourage them to use the following questions with their coach
- "What could I work on to earn an opportunity to play at (insert position)?"
- "What can I do to earn more playing time?"
Teaching players to advocate for themselves in a polite and positive way builds character.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
We have a zero-tolerance policy for the inappropriate use of social media. Social Media is defined to include ALL online sources for the distribution of information including, but not limited to, websites, blogs, vlogs, wikis, social networks (eg Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc.), online forums, virtual worlds, email, and any other online platform available to consumers or the general public for the transmission of information.
The goal of FGSL is to insure that ANYONE associated with FGSL maintain the highest standard of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. Inappropriate behavior online or in-person will result in a verbal warning, followed by a written warning, and then disciplinary action that may include removal from the FGSL.
Inappropriate behavior is defined as:
- The denigration of (attack the character or reputation of, speak ill of, defame, disparage, belittle or bully) any individual, player, teammate, coach, manager, or sponsor involved with or the processes associated with FGSL.
- The sending of harassing emails to anyone associated with FGSL
- The use of foul language at any FGSL event or in any communication regarding FGSL