CODE OF CONDUCT

Child members of Enniskerry Youth Club are entitled to:

1. Be safe, be treated with dignity, sensitivity and respect.
2. Participate in soccer on an equal basis, appropriate to their age/ability and stage of development.
3. Experience competition at a level at which they are comfortable.
4. Be happy, have fun and enjoy soccer in an environment where winning at all costs is not the priority.
5. Make a complaint in an appropriate way and have it dealt with through a proper and effective complaints procedure.
6. Be afforded appropriate confidentiality.
7. Be listened to.
8. Have a voice in the running of the club.

We do encourage players to realise that they also have responsibilities; to treat other children, fellow players, coaches and volunteers with the same degree of fairness and respect they expect in return.

In this regard child members of Enniskerry Youth Club must undertake to:

1. Play fairly, do your best, have fun & be on be on your best behaviour at all times.
2. Abide by all club rules & have high standards of Fair Play.
3. Respect opponents remembering they are not the enemy, they are friends/partners in a sporting event.
4. Line up and shake hands before and after the match, whoever wins.
5. Thank the referee at end of game.
6. Give opponents a hand if they are injured, if in possession put the ball out of play so they can get attention.
7. Accept any apologies offered by opponents when they are offered.
8. Respect fellow team members, support them when they do well and when things go wrong.
9. Treat everyone equally.
10. Exercise self control and tolerance for others, even if others do not.
11. Be modest in victory and be gracious in defeat.  “Be A Sport”.
12. Approach the club Child Protection Officer (details below) with any questions or concerns you might have.

Child members of Enniskerry Youth Club must not:

1. Cheat
2. Bully or use bullying tactics.
3. Use abusive language or argue with referees or officials, team mates, opponents or coaches.
4. Use violence, harm others or their property.
5. Tell lies about adults or other children.
6. Spread rumours.
7. Take banned substances to improve performance.
8. Keep secrets about any person who may have caused them, or others, harm.
9. Behave in any manner that may bring the name of Enniskerry Youth Club into disrepute.
10. Misbehave at training sessions and/or matches by refusing to participate or being generally disruptive.

Code of Conduct for Parents/Guardians & Spectators

1. Encourage but do not force your children to play football. Your own instincts will tell whether they are ready to start playing.
2. Encourage and assist your children in attending all training sessions and matches throughout the season. Ensure they arrive on time and collect them promptly. Be mindful of others when using the carpark. Respect our coaches and managers by letting them know in good time if players will not be available for training or matches.
3. Transport arrangements for your child to and from away games are strictly your responsibility.
4. The use of foul or abusive language will not be tolerated in the presence of any child at Enniskerry Youth Club. You will be asked to leave our grounds if you fail to comply with this. Verbal abuse of players, referees or opposing supporters cannot be accepted.
5. Welcome and respect all your teams’ opponents. Without them there would be no match. Do not argue with opposition players/coaches/parents or supporters.
6. Promote and teach FAIR PLAY. Applaud good play, sportsmanship and best effort by the visiting team as well as your own. Show approval for effort, not just results.
7. Teach your child to treat referees, other players, coaches, officials and spectators with respect regardless of difference.
8. Let the referee do their job and teach your child to respect the decisions of referees.
9. Encourage your child to appreciate all on the team, regardless of ability.
10. Lead, as most parents do, by good example. Condemn the use of violence in all forms at every opportunity.
11. Do not shout instructions to your child as they may conflict with managers/coaches instructions and will only lead to confusion for our players. Don’t interfere with the coach. Your job is to support your child and offer only positive encouragement.
12. You are encouraged to establish regular contact with the individual/s responsible for coaching your child.
13. Refrain from any negative commentary concerning players and/or managers/coaches at all times and especially in the company of children. If you are unhappy or wish to lodge a complaint about any issues please do so through the correct complaint procedures and same will be fully considered and addressed by the Youth Committee.
14. Any support and assistance that parents/guardians can provide is greatly appreciated. Don’t be too shy to ask.
15. Please do not ignore or dismiss complaints or concerns expressed by your child which relate to his/her involvement in football. These should be relayed back to the Youth Committee so that, if necessary, corrective action can be taken.
16. Under no circumstances should a child be ridiculed or shouted at for losing a game or making a mistake. Do not admonish your child, or any other child, for the standard of their performance.
17. Ensure your child is adequately prepared for the weather.
18. Inform coaches/managers and other relevant Club personnel of any medical needs your child has that should be known.
19. Please remember that although children play organised soccer they are not professionals. Don’t place excessive pressure on children to perform to unrealistically high expectations. Children play soccer to develop their skills and have fun.
20. Remain in the spectator area. During games at Under 8 to Under 11 all parents and spectators must remain 5 metres away from the pitch, or in the designated spectator area, No spectators are allowed at the end lines.
21. Please do not approach a manager/coach with any issues you may have about a game until at least 48 hours has passed, as often emotions can take over.
22. Remember that coaches and managers are volunteers and congratulate them on a job well done.
23. The behaviour of a team’s supporters will often be remembered long after the result of the game. Be remembered for the right reasons”

Any breaches of this policy could result in you being suspended or expelled from the club.

Managers/Coaches Code of Conduct & Guidelines

Rationale

This code of conduct and the guidelines contained herein are designed to protect both our players and our Managers/Coaches and to help everyone uphold the laws and ethics of the game.

Coaches/Managers are key to the establishment of good ethics in football and their concept of ethics and their attitudes directly affects the behaviour and attitude of players under their supervision.

Coaches/Managers are expected to pay close attention to the moral aspects of their general conduct and to ensure it is consistent with the Club Ethos and in line with FAI Guidelines (available from the Youth Committee).

Priorities

Most children and their respective Managers/Coaches would naturally prefer to be winning matches. That said, the best interests of children (especially at an early age) are served by providing a football environment that concentrates on improving and developing their football skills, allowing them to make friends and, above all, ensuring they have fun.

At schoolboy level Managers/Coaches at the Club must disassociate themselves from the “winning at all costs” mentality. This mentality inhibits player development and can lead to young players having a sense of frustration and failure.  The Clubs’ approach in this regard is consistent with FAI Guidelines for the development of young players which the Club fully supports.

The health, safety, welfare, moral education and skill development are Club priorities and MUST at all times be put before the achievement or reputation of any Manager and/or Coach.

Managers/Coaches should appreciate that children’s reasons for playing football and their expectations and values are quite different from those of adults.

We would ask all Managers/Coaches to familiarise themselves with the following Club policies so they can understand and appreciate the expectations of the Club, the Schoolboy Committee, the Parents/Guardians and the Children:

• Players Code of Conduct
• Parents/Guardians & Spectators Code of Conduct
• Child Safeguarding Policy
• Reporting Procedures for Child Abuse Allegations & Concerns
• Bullying Policy & Guidelines

Garda Vetting & Volunteer Recruitment

It is a legal requirement that anybody working in a voluntary capacity with children must first be Garda Vetted through the FAI. Garda Vetting application forms are available from the Club Child Protection Officer or the website of the F.A.I.

In addition a Volunteer Registration form must be completed. These are available from the Child welfare officer.

If you recruit somebody to help with your team, that person MUST be approved by the Child welfare officer and Committee in advance. As with all volunteers they must first go through the Garda Vetting process.

Record Keeping

Managers/Coaches are encouraged to keep both match record sheets and attendance record sheets for training sessions. These are important to ensure there is an official record of attendance and playing time.

Coach Education & Development

In house coaching plan for coaches of Enniskerry Youth club coaches in development

Club Ethos

In promoting “Sport for Fun” the Club will insist on:

1. Encouraging participation and fun.
2. Promoting the development of skills as opposed to winning at all costs.
3. Ensuring fair playing time for every player.
4. Emphasising and praising effort.
5. Acting as good role models.
6. Insisting on Fair Play.
7. Being realistic with our expectations.
8. Being aware of children’s feelings.
9. Teaching players to respect different cultures.
10. Teaching players that standards of behaviour are just as important as winning.
11. Encouraging respect for referees, opposition players and managers/coaches.
12. Not having permanent substitutes on any teams.