Township of Harrison, NJ Youth Sports Code of Conduct

Chapter 224 Youth Sports Code of Conduct

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Harrison 1-16-2007 by Ord. No. 2-2007. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 224-1 Definitions.

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

CODE OF CONDUCT

A written specification of the behavior of parents, family members, guardians, spectators, coaches and officials by which they must adhere when attending a sports activity.

CODE OF CONDUCT COMMITTEE

Comprised of a duly elected member from each sports activity and two members of the Harrison Township Recreation Commission.

TOWNSHIP

Township of Harrison, Gloucester County, New Jersey.

YOUTH SPORTS ACTIVITY

Any sports organization pursuant to a Township-sponsored, or a nonprofit or similar charter, which is affiliated with or receives monetary or other support or services from the Township or regularly utilizes any facilities owned, operated or maintained by the Township, which sports organization participates in sporting competitions involving minors.

YOUTH SPORTS EVENT

Any competition, practice or instructional event involving one or more youth sports activities.

§ 224-2 Information to be filed with Clerk.

Each youth sports activity shall annually advise the Township Clerk through the Recreation Commission Coordinator of the name, address and telephone number of its duly elected member who shall serve on the Code of Conduct Committee commensurate with his/her term of office with the youth sports activity.

§ 224-3 Adherence to code of conduct.

Every sports activity, as defined above, shall be required to follow the code of conduct as set forth hereinafter.

§ 224-4 Enforcement.

The Code of Conduct Committee shall be charged with enforcing the provisions of this chapter as establishing a youth sports code of conduct.

§ 224-5 Availability of code of conduct.

The code of conduct shall be made available to all parents and guardians of each child participating in a sports activity.

§ 224-6 Prohibited acts and penalties for violations.

Any parent, guardian, family member, guest, spectator, coach or official at any sports event who initiates a fight, scuffle, disturbance, or any type of physical abuse or threats of abuse towards any player, coach, official, parent, or spectator shall be banned from attendance at all youth sports events within the Township for a period not exceeding 12 months from the date of the incident.

Any parent, guest, coach, or official at any youth sports event who enters the field of play, court or rink during any youth sports event for the purpose of physically or verbally abusing or confronting coaches, players or officials shall be banned from attendance at all youth sports events within the Township and those sports event outside of the Township for a period not exceeding 12 months from the date of the incident.

Any parent, guest, spectator, coach or official at any youth sports event who verbally abused officials, players or spectators, including the use of obscene or profane language or gestures, or racial, ethnic or sexual slurs, shall be banned from attendance at all youth sports events within the Township for a period not exceeding 12 months from the date of the incident.

Any parent, guest, spectator, coach or official at any youth sports event who throws or causes to be deposited any object on the field of play, court or rink during any sports event shall be banned from attendance at all youth sports events within the Township for a period not exceeding 12 months from the date of the incident.

§ 224-7 Authority to remove violators from the premises.

Any parent, guest, spectator, coach or official at any youth sports event shall be subject to the authority of all field officials, including umpires, referees, and elected league officials or coaches of the youth sport activity. This authority shall also include any youth team's practice or instructional event, and such authority shall include the authorization to direct any person or persons involved in any incident in violation of this chapter or applicable code of conduct to immediately remove themselves from the premises.

§ 224-8 Anger management counseling for violators.

Any parent, official, coach or spectator 18 years old or older who is banned for 12 months from a youth sports event for a violation of this Code of Conduct shall be required to complete anger management or an equivalent counseling program, with all associated costs to be assumed by the violator, consisting of not less than 12 hours of instruction and shall provide proof of satisfactory completion to the Code of Conduct Committee.

Any person 17 years old or younger who is banned for 12 months from a youth sports event for a violation of this Code of Conduct shall be required to complete anger management or equivalent counseling program, with all associated costs to be assumed by the violator, consisting of not less than six hours of instruction, and shall provide proof of satisfactory completion to the Code of Conduct Committee.

§ 224-9 Code of Conduct Committee.

The Code of Conduct Committee shall meet in January of each year to elect a Chairman and Secretary, and any other such officers as the Code of Conduct Committee shall deem necessary to conduct its business and for the purpose of enforcing this chapter.

In order to conduct business and hearings or change or adopt new codes of conduct, a quorum of five Committee members must be present and will have authority as set forth in this chapter.

The Code of Conduct Committee may establish rules and procedures as it deems appropriate for the conduct of its business and, in default thereof, shall operate pursuant to Robert's Rules of Order to the extent they are not in conflict with this chapter.

§ 224-10 Violation procedures and hearings.

Upon determination by the majority vote of the highest ranking official of the youth sports activity and the governing board of the youth sports activity that a parent, guest, spectator, coach, official at any youth sports event has violated a provision of this chapter or the code of conduct of the youth sports activity, the Code of Conduct Committee shall forward to such violator a notice via regular and certified mail, identifying the date, location, nature of the violation and the period of the banning or other action to be taken in response to such violation.

Any parent, official, coach or spectator at a youth sports event who believes that there has been a violation of this chapter or the code of conduct has been violated shall forward their name, address, phone number, violation of ordinance, date, location of violation and nature of violation to the Code of Conduct Committee. The Committee will then investigate the incident and, upon determination by a majority vote of the Committee, the Code of Conduct Committee shall forward to such violator a notice via regular and certified mail, indicating the date and location and nature of the violation and the period of banning or other action to be taken in response to such violation.

Any person receiving such notice who wishes to contest same may appeal to the Township Code of Conduct Committee within seven calendar days of the mailing of said notice by forwarding a copy of said notice with a written request for appeal, specifically setting forth the basis of such person's contest of the notice of violation, via personal delivery, fax or certified mail, to the Chairperson of the Code of Conduct Committee at the address specified and, if none, then to the Code of Conduct Committee c/o Township of Harrison, Recreation Commission Coordinator, 114 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill, NJ 08062.

Upon receipt of such appeal, the Code of Conduct Committee shall convene within seven days and provide an opportunity for said person and any interested person or persons to appear and be heard with respect to the occurrence of any violation and action taken by the Code of Conduct Committee.

The Code of Conduct Committee shall review statements, first-hand accounts and any other pertinent information or documentation relevant to the violation and, upon a majority vote of members of the Committee present at such hearing, may sustain, overturn, or modify the notice of violation consistent with this chapter or the code of conduct.

Any person while appealing his/her violation of the Code of Conduct shall be reinstated with full rights and authority until such time that a determination and disposition of his/her appeal has been made.

All notices of violation and banning or other actions taken shall remain in effect until overturned or modified by the Code of Conduct Committee or the requirements of banning have been satisfied.

In the event any notice of violation is not appealed within seven calendar days of such notice, said notice of violation and action taken by the official or the Code of Conduct Committee, including banning from youth sports events or other action taken, shall become final.