Each player and one of his/her parents are required to read and sign this contract as part of participation in the Greeneville Lacrosse program.

This Code of Conduct has been created with the expectation that it will support these young men/women in becoming all that they can be through hard work, commitment, and discipline, both on and off the field. Our Code of Conduct is defined by our guiding principles of:

1.   Restraint
2.   Respect
3.   Responsibility
4.   Represent         


Restraint- Make Good Decisions Everyday

Our team is committed to being drug and alcohol free. The use of illegal drugs and alcohol are strictly prohibited at all team activities. Any player who uses drugs or alcohol at a team activity or is found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at a team activity will be immediately suspended from the team. Team activities include, but are not limited to: practice, games, travel, road trips, team hotel and team event. Tobacco and e-cigarette use are not allowed at team related activities. Even if you are 18 years of age, you will not be permitted to use any tobacco or e-cigarette products at team activities. Any behavior at school that results in suspension from school may also be grounds for dismissal, subject to board review. If you are arrested or bring a firearm to a team event, you will be immediately dismissed from the team subject to board review.

Respect- Treat Others As You Want To Be Treated

Players are required to show respect for their coaches and teammates. Additionally, Pioneer players will show respect for the other teams we play-their players, coaches, parents, and game officials. The use of foul or inappropriate language is prohibited. Players will keep the practice and game fields clean and be responsible for putting away goals and collecting balls at the end practices and games. Players will show respect for all practice and game facilities. Vandalism will result in immediate dismissal from the team.

Responsibility- Build Trust By Following Team Rules And Doing What Is Required

Players are expected to arrive at team activities on time and have all required gear on the field with you, including mouthpieces and water. It is a player’s responsibility to contact the coaches if you will be late. Players should only be at our practice fields during scheduled practice times and with supervision by coaches or adults, unless advance approval from coaches has been given. Players must be accompanied and driven by an adult to all games outside of Greene County, even if they are 18 or older. Violation of this rule will result in immediate suspension from play for one game. Players must turn in all required team paperwork by the assigned deadline. Late paperwork will result in a player being restricted from participating in team activities.

Represent- Set The Example For Others To Follow

Academic success is very important. Players are responsible to notify their coaches if they are having problems keeping their grades at an acceptable level. Players must drive safely in practice or game parking lots without speeding or excessively loud music. Players must only use designated restrooms, and will not urinate in the view of practice or game facilities. Players will change their clothes for practice before leaving home or in their cars, rather than in a public place or parking lot.

Attendance, Playing Time, and Illness/Injury Policy

Pioneer Lacrosse is a varsity level lacrosse team. Playing time for players in varsity games will be determined by their preparedness, ability, effort, and practice participation. If we are able to support a Junior Varsity (J.V.) team, these same principles will apply for those players eligible to play J.V. Players are responsible to notify a coach in advance with a phone call when they cannot be at practice- period. Unexcused absences will result in loss of game playing time. After two unexcused absences, the parents will be contacted. After three unexcused absences, a call for review by coaches and the board will be made as to whether the player needs to continue in the program. Sick or injured players are responsible for contacting the coaches about coming to practice rather than assuming he should stay at home. Coaches recognize that some players may also have a job. Players are required to inform the coaches of their work schedules in advance. Player’s work schedules that interfere with the Pioneers’ practice schedule may impact the member’s playing time.

Code of Conduct Summary

We believe this Code of Conduct will help to further instill personal values that will carry members forward into adulthood. These values exhibited by our members also promote our team as a high-quality organization in the lacrosse community of the Southeastern U.S.

It is important that each player and parent understand the consequences of violating the Code of Conduct. It is the discretion of the Greeneville Lacrosse Club Board to determine the consequences associated with a Code of Conduct Violation. Consequences include, but are not limited to, loss of starting position, loss of playing time, loss of captain status, requirement to complete additional community service, additional conditioning requirements, suspension and even dismissal from team activities.

It is the policy of Greeneville Lacrosse Club not to refund any monies already paid to the team if a player decides to leave the team or is suspended or dismissed.

*GLC Coaches/Board reserve the right to modify these policies if deemed necessary for the safety of athletes and the good of the organization.

GLC coaches expect player expectations: 

• arrive to team activities on time,

• have all required gear, assignments ready to go when practice begins,

• be prepared to begin when practice starts,

• be attentive to and participate in the task at hand until dismissed by the coach,

BULLYING, HARASSMENT, and HATE LANGUAGE

Bullying/ Harassment/ Hate Language will not be tolerated by Greeneville Lacrosse Club. Bullying/ Harassment/ Hate Language is a violation of Greeneville Lacrosse Club's Social Media and Bullying and Harassment Policies (GLC Policies and Procedures Manual pp. 11-16) and USA Lacrosse Governing Body USAL-antidiscrimination-leagues.pdf (usalacrosse.com).

Definitions

Bullying, including cyber-bullying, is defined as any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived imbalance of power between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or a single incident that causes severe emotional trauma. Bullying may take various forms including cyberbullying, harassment, or hate language.

Bullying includes, but is not limited to:

• Direct physical contact, such as hitting, shoving, spitting, tripping, or damaging other's property 

• Verbal assaults, including but not limited to teasing, name-calling, threatening, rude or mean gestures, or language that disparages, intimidates, or degrades another person.

• Social isolation, manipulation, or purposeful embarrassment. This includes spreading rumors and/or social media posts that target, insult, degrade, or humiliate another person.

• Stalking, sexual harassment or violence, or theft.

• Retaliating to someone for asserting, opposing, or alleging an act of bullying.

Hazing, including an intentional or reckless act by an athlete or group of athletes that is directed against any other athlete(s) that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of the athlete(s) or that induces or coerces an athlete to endanger his/her mental or physical health or safety.

Bullying is not:

• unkind words that occur once

• rough-housing or rough play that is not intended to hurt; A physical attack that is not part of a pattern of behavior or

• behavior that may be inappropriate to the adult, but that the other does not perceive as hurtful, for example name-calling that all are participating in on an equal basis.

Cyber-bullying is a form of bullying undertaken through the use of electronic devices. Electronic devices include, but are not limited to, telephones, cellular phones or other wireless telecommunication devices, text messaging, emails, social networking sites, instant messaging, videos, websites, or fake profiles.

Harassment occurs when the bullying behavior is directed at a target who is a member of a protected class. Protected classes include race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, disability, and national origin.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

• racial, homophobic, or transphobic slurs

• anti-immigrant comments

• teasing due to disability

•taunting students about their nationality or ethnicity

non-verbal: gesturing, drawing illustrations, hand signals, writing, texting, leveraging social media to intimidate others.

*These lists are intended to be illustrative and non-exhaustive.

Hate Speech

Greeneville Lacrosse Club denounces the use of words or images to harass individuals or groups based on gender, gender expression, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of identity.

Hate Language is defined as any cruel, hostile, or negative statements directed toward someone based on their race, religion, national origin, disability, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

Hate Language includes, but is not limited to:

• name-calling

• spreading stereotypes

• making derogatory comments

• non-verbal: gesturing, drawing illustrations, hand signals, writing, texting, leveraging social media to intimidate others

*These lists are intended to be illustrative and non-exhaustive.

Hate speech of this nature is contrary to Greeneville Mission Statement and Core Values. Individuals determined to have participated in such harassment, may be subject to consequences including suspension and expulsion.

CONSEQUENCES 

Level 1: Verbal Warning 

Level 2: Written Warning and discussion with player’s parents

Level 3: Loss of playing time 

Level 4: Game(s) Suspension

Level 5: Team Expulsion 

10 Attributes of a Good Sports Leader
https://monclubsportif.com/en/blog/10-attributes-of-sports-leaders/

Everyone has their place in a team, but there is one role that often takes an important place: the leader. In fact, the team leader tends to motivate others, to encourage them and to support them, even if he doesn’t want to take the lead.

10. They are cheerful
Leaders are positive and motivated. Their smile is part of their charisma, which makes them so important to us. Also, as they are very positive. Despite the sense of competition that characterizes the leaders generally, they know how to enjoy and have fun during a game, which makes them more cheerful.

9. They are continually seeking to improve
Because they are very motivated to achieve their goals, they are always looking to improve in many ways to shape their skills. That’s also one reason why they accept constructive criticism and see it more as a way to improve.

8. They admit their mistakes
Leaders do not blame anyone else if they are wrong. A good sports leader is able to confess his mistakes and apologize.

7. They are very motivated
Everything is a good reason to be motivated. They never lose sight of their goals and continually try to outperform them.

6. They do not exclude anyone
Leaders are present for the entire team. They do not like people being behind because they want everyone to feel accepted. It is in unity that there is strength and sports leaders know it.

5. They take criticism
They know that by learning from mistakes, people move forward. That’s why they don’t take the criticism personally. Instead, they see it more as constructive remarks, on which they work on, with the aim of improving themselves and their skills. 

4. They are good listeners 
Sports leaders are unifiers. They are present for their team members on field as well as outside. You can always count on them to listen to you when you need them.

3. They encourage the rest of the team
Encouragement is a must and leaders know it. They are always there to motivate other players and encourage them in doing what they do best.

2. They always find a way to resolve a problem
Very proactive, leaders never let themselves or the team down. They continually seek to overcome challenges and find solutions when there are pitfalls.

1. They stay positive. Always.
In victory as in defeat, the great sports leaders find the good in all things. They mainly take control of their own emotions first, and then shift the mood. 

A good team leader never points fingers at others, instead he/she discusses clearly what went wrong with the team in order to improve it for future games.

Captain and Athlete Leadership Explored 
https://www.athleteassessments/

Hopefully, every person on the team, regardless of seniority should be behaving in a way which sees them positively leading and influencing others.

Leaders are selected based on a set of criteria constituting effective leadership behavior; otherwise it would be a popularity contest. 

Teams have a set of values and behaviors they have agreed upon as the standard to uphold. The captain and other leaders must uphold these standards to the highest degree. Mostly the leaders role model and influence others to behave in the right way more so than other team members.

It is useful to separate what we know to be the characteristics of effective leaders from the skills of effective leaders.

• Knowledge of Self: An Athlete creating effective leadership begins with a self-awareness of their own leadership style, based on their AthleteDISC profile. This enables an understanding of strengths, limitations, communication style and conflict style as well as motivations and necessary environments for success.
  
  
• Interpersonal Relationships: By this we mean understanding team members and coach behaviors. Once a leader understands themselves, they are positioned to understand others, and this enables them to help those people be better contributors. This knowledge and skill enable leaders to develop relationships with those different to themselves. Building relationships is a core foundation skill for effective leadership. Teams are forged through common bonds and mutual understanding.
  
  
• Communication Skills: This skill is contingent upon the first two skill areas. Effective leaders know how to adapt their communication to suit the people and situation they are communicating in. This is referred to the ability to tailor a message to suit the audience.
  
  
• Guardian of Team Culture: Focused on the vision and behaviors of the team required to be successful. Leaders know the ingredients to be successful and will uphold these standards.

• Knowledge of Sport: This is an acquired skill, developed (of course) over a long time and it is critical to be seen as a credible person to lead others in the sporting environment. Effective leaders become students of their game and of sport in general. This means they take an active interest in what sport is about, its role in society and the intricacies of sporting performances. They are skilled in their respective game knowledge and the strategies required to be the best team, or individual possible.
  
  
• Leadership Skills: This is an area of skill incorporating a leaders ability to manage stressful situations, control their own emotions, present inspiring messages to their team, role model a work ethic, be willing to have “tough conversations” in order to uphold standards and manage conflict, and take personal responsibility for their own performances.
  
  
• Mentoring and Support Skills: Skills relating to one’s ability to work with another towards team goals and to help others be effective team members and learn the sport or game. Leaders are to be patient in supporting fellow team members and provide appropriate feedback in order to improve other’s performances.
  
  
• Decision Making: This is another critical area of leadership. The ability to make decisions under the pressure of training or intense competition is a defining factor in being successful. This decision-making skill is the ‘game breaker’ when it comes to athlete leadership. If this skill is lacking in the captain or athlete leader, they will lack credibility with the team and the team will always struggle to perform well.

In addition to skills, leaders also possess many varying behavioral qualities. This is not a complete list as there are so many behaviors; however, we believe these behaviors are critical:

• Hard work and dedication.
• Team focused (not selfish).
• Self-esteem and confidence in own ability as a leader.
• Ability to be themselves and work to their strengths.
• Respectful of coaches, team members, support staff, opponents and officials.
• Behave in a credible and reliable manner by role modeling effective behavior to coaches and team members.

https://exactsports.com/blog/top-tips-to-become-a-leader-in-sports/2022/12/18/