[Adopted 10-7-2002 by Ord. No. 24-2002]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
A written specification of the behavior of parents, guardians, coaches and officials prepared by each sports team, which must at a minimum incorporate the requirements of Article II of Chapter 500 of the Greenwich Township Code. The Code of Conduct shall be agreed to in writing by the parents or legal guardian of each minor participant, as well as, each participant of each youth sports team that receives funds from the Township of Greenwich or utilizes any facility owned, operated, or maintained by the Township of Greenwich.
Includes all field officials, including umpires and referees
and elected league officials of the youth sports team or teams sponsoring
the youth sports event, or in the absence of such persons at a youth
sports team's practice or instructional event to the authority of
the ranking youth sports team coach on the premises.
Any competition, practice or instructional event involving
one or more youth sports teams.
Any sports organization organized pursuant to a nonprofit
or similar charter which is affiliated with or received monetary or
other support from Greenwich Township or the Greenwich Township Recreation
Committee, or utilizes any facilities owned, leased, operated, or
maintained by Greenwich Township, which sports organization participates
in sporting competitions involving minors.
A.
Every youth sports team shall be required to establish an athletic Code of Conduct incorporating at a minimum the requirements of Article II of Chapter 500 of the Greenwich Township Code. Every visiting youth sports team shall be required to abide by the athletic Code of Conduct established by the hosting Greenwich Township Youth Sports Team.
B.
The parents and guardians of each child participating
in a youth sports team shall be required by the youth sports team
to execute an agreement acknowledging receipt of said youth sports
team athletic Code of Conduct and agreeing to be bound thereby. The
parents and guardians of each child participating as part of a visiting
youth sports team shall have agreed to abide by the requirements of
this article as stipulated by their youth sports team, and they shall
be bound thereby.
A.
The following behavior and acts are prohibited:
(1)
The initiation of a fight, scuffle, or any type of
physical abuse or threats of abuse towards any player, coach, official,
parent, or spectator.
(2)
The entering of the field of play, court, or rink
during any youth sporting event for the purpose of physically or verbally
abusing or confronting coaches, players, or officials.
(3)
The verbal abuse of officials, players, or spectators
including the use of obscene or profane language or gestures, racial,
ethnic or sexual slurs.
(4)
Throwing or causing to be deposited any object on
the field of play, court, or rink during any youth sports event.
B.
All proscribed activity engaged in on the public property
of the Township of Greenwich as herein above defined is hereby prohibited.
Persons engaging in proscribed activities shall
be deemed in violation of this article and shall be subject to an
action brought in the Greenwich Township Municipal Court.
A.
The Code of Conduct, including the proscribed activities,
shall be posted, by the Township of Greenwich, at the entrance to
each facility owned, leased, operated, or maintained by the Township
of Greenwich that is used for youth sporting events.
B.
The Code of Conduct, including the proscribed activities,
shall be sent, via certified mail, to each visiting youth sports team
that is headquartered outside of Greenwich Township, which may be
utilizing any facility that is owned, operated, or maintained by the
Township of Greenwich.
C.
It shall be the responsibility of each Greenwich Township
youth sports organization to provide the Township Clerk with the name
and address of each visiting youth sports team that must receive notice
of this Code of Conduct. This list shall be provided to the Township
Clerk at least 60 days prior to the start of the respective season,
and any additions during the season shall be forwarded to the Township
Clerk at least 10 days prior to the athletic event.
A.
Any parent, official coach or spectator at any youth
sporting event shall be subject to the authority of all field officials
including umpires and referees and elected league officials of the
youth sports team or teams sponsoring the youth sports event, or in
the absence of such persons at a youth sports team's practice or instructional
event to the authority of the ranking youth sports team coach on the
premises. Such authority shall include the authorization to direct
any person or persons involved in any incident in violation of this
article or the applicable youth sports team's Code of Conduct to immediately
remove themselves from the premises.
B.
A Greenwich Township police officer shall be requested
to assist the appropriate authority in directing the removal of any
person that may be in the act of violating or had violated this article
or the sponsoring youth sports team's Code of Conduct.
A.
Any police officer or special officer duly appointed
by the Mayor and Township Council is hereby authorized and empowered
to take into custody any such person who may be in the act of violating
the provisions of this article.
B.
The Greenwich Township Recreation Committee and park
attendants shall, in conjunction with their duties imposed by law,
diligently enforce the provisions of this article.
C.
The Greenwich Township Recreation Committee, and any
park attendant shall have the authority to request any police officer
or special officer duly appointed by the Mayor and Township Council
to eject from the park or recreational area any person or persons
acting in violation of this article.
D.
The Greenwich Township Recreation Committee and any
park attendant shall have the authority to request any police officer
or special officer duly appointed by the Mayor and Township Council
to seize and confiscate any property, thing or device in the park
or recreational area, or used, in violation of this article.
E.
Any person empowered with authority in accordance
with § 500--12 of this article shall have responsibility
of bringing an action in the Greenwich Township Municipal Court against
any person that violates the provisions of this article.
Under N.J.S.A. 2B:12-17, the Greenwich Township
Municipal Court has jurisdiction over violations of municipal ordinances.
A.
Any person convicted of violating this article shall
be banned from attendance at all youth sports events within the Township
of Greenwich for a period of up to 12 months from the date of the
incident, at the discretion of the Greenwich Township Municipal Court.
B.
Any person convicted of violating this article that
involved the physical abuse of any parent, guest, spectator, coach,
player, or official at any youth sports event shall be banned from
attendance at all youth sports events within the Township of Greenwich
for a period of 12 months from the date of the incident.
C.
Any person banned for 12 months from youth sports
events for a violation of this article shall prior to being allowed
to resume attendance in any sports event shall be required to complete
an anger management or equivalent counseling program consisting of
no less than 12 hours of instruction and shall provide proof of satisfactory
completion to the Greenwich Township Municipal Court. Any banning
for less than 12 months may include up to 12 hours of anger management
or equivalent counseling program at the discretion of the Greenwich
Township Municipal Court.
D.
Any person found guilty of violating this article
shall be subject to a fine in an amount not to exceed $500 per violation,
community service up to 50 hours, or both, which fine and/or community
service will be assessed by the Municipal Court in its discretion,
plus court costs.
E.
Any person who is convicted of violating this article
within one year of the date of a previous violation of this article
and who was fined or sentenced to community service for the previous
violation, shall be sentenced to a fine not less than $500 and not
to exceed $1,000, and shall be sentenced to up to 100 hours of community
service that shall be assessed by the Municipal Court in its discretion,
plus court costs.
F.
Any person who is convicted of violating this article
and previously was banned from youth sports events for a period of
12 months, who violates this article a third time, shall be banned
from attending all youth sports events within the Township of Greenwich
permanently.
G.
The anger management or equivalent counseling may
be obtained from a private or public source at the expense of the
person convicted of violating this article and subject to the approval
of the Municipal Court. The Municipal Court shall determine the minimum
criteria for such counseling in its discretion.
The ordinance codified in this article is in
addition to and not in derogation of any other ordinance or law involving
any of the subject matters contained in this article.
