[Adopted 5-21-2002 by Ord. No. 7-2002]
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 III of Chapter 121 of the Logan 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 Logan or utilizes any facility owned, operated or maintained by the Township of Logan.
Any competition, practice or instructional event involving
one or more youth sports team.
As used in this article, shall refer to any sports organization
organized pursuant to a nonprofit or similar charter which is affiliated
with or received monetary or other support from Logan Township or
the Logan Township Youth, Parks and Recreation Committee or utilizes
any facilities owned, operated or maintained by Logan Township, which
sports organization participates in sporting competitions involving
minors.
As used in this article, shall include 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.
A.
Every youth sports team shall be required to establish an athletic code of conduct incorporating at a minimum the requirements of Article III of Chapter 121 of the Logan Township Code. Every visiting youth sports team shall be required to abide by the athletic code of conduct established by the hosting Logan 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.
Prohibitions.
(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 causes 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 Logan 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 Logan Township Municipal Court.
A.
The code of conduct, including the proscribed activities,
shall be posted, by the Township of Logan, at the entrance to each
facility owned, operated or maintained by the Township of Logan 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 Logan Township which may be utilizing
any facility that is owned, operated or maintained by the Township
of Logan.
C.
It shall be the responsibility of each Logan 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.
Any Logan Township police officer may 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 Logan Township Youth, Parks and Recreation Committee
and park attendants shall, in conjunction with their duties imposed
by law, diligently enforce the provisions of this article.
C.
The Logan Township Youth, Parks and 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 Logan Township Youth, Parks and 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.
Under N.J.S.A. 2B:12-17, the Logan 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 Logan for a period of up to 12 months from the date of the incident,
at the discretion of the Logan 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 Logan
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, 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 Logan 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 Logan 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 Logan
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.
