Policies
Tobacco and Vaping Policy
Roanoke County Parks and Recreation prohibit vaping and the use of tobacco by a coach, participant, or game personnel during a scheduled game or practice.
Failure to abide by this rule may result in a multiple game suspension.
Please note that the Roanoke County School Board
prohibits vaping and the use of tobacco products on school property by anyone and the offender could be removed from the facility for failing to comply with this request.
Code of Conduct – Coaches
To ensure that the principles of sportsmanship, fair play, and mutual respect among players, coaches, officials, and spectators the following Code of Conduct has been established.
SCSL expects all coaches to always maintain a high standard of conduct. The SCSL Board reserves the right to select coaches who they feel will represent SCSL and abide by the following Code of Conduct. The SCSL Board is the sole administrative body and is the final authority pertaining to club policies and guidelines and reserves the right to dismiss any coach from the league if they do not uphold the Code of Conduct.
Standard of Conduct
1. Act Professionally. All Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches are expected to always act professionally when coaching for and representing SCSL. This includes while at Darrell Shell fields, Clearbrook fields, at community fields, and at tournaments.
2. Know the rules. Know the official rules of play adopted by SCSL and RAYSA.
3. Respect others. Respect the coaches and players of the opposing team before, during, and after the game. Respect game officials at all times. It is never ok to yell at the officials. Refrain from questioning their decisions or challenging their authority. Always ensure that spectators exhibit sportsmanship and maturity. Assist league and game officials in maintaining control of spectators during games.
4. Be a good sport whether you win or lose. Show a positive attitude toward the players, game officials, opposing coaches, and spectators watching the game. Take appropriate steps to minimize scoring in runaway games.
5. Be a role model. Teach each player, especially through personal example, to be humble and generous in victory and courteous in defeat. Maintain control of emotions and avoid actions, language, and/or gestures that may be interpreted as hostile or humiliating. Teach and practice good sportsmanship and fair play by personally demonstrating commitment to these virtues. Coaches shall avoid the use of alcohol or tobacco products when in contact with players at SCSL games, practices, or other team activities.
6. Be positive. Coaches will not yell, berate, or belittle players in any way. Remember the mental maturity of the players we are serving. Use of profanities by coaches will not be tolerated.
7. No physical contact. All coaches are prohibited from touching, slapping, or hitting players in any way. Exceptions include providing medical assistance or providing appropriate encouragement, for example: giving a high five, a fist bump, or lightly patting the player on the top of the head. Any other physical contact may be interpreted as inappropriate.
8. Never be alone. Under no circumstances will it be allowed for a coach or volunteer to be alone with a player who is not their own child at the field, for transportation, etc. All volunteers must be aware of circumstances for inappropriate behavior accusations. If any volunteer becomes aware of any situation that has this potential, they are obligated to report it immediately to the Head Coach and/or a member of the SCSL Board.
9. Make sure all players are with the proper guardian before leaving any team activity. Do not leave a game, practice or any other team activity until all players are with the proper guardian and/or have been picked up.
10. Coaches must always remember that the purpose of the SCSL program is to provide a positive experience for the players, to teach proper techniques, to build self-confidence, and to provide adult role models. Anything that undermines these purposes shall not be part of the program.
Concussion Management
It is the policy of Roanoke County Parks and Recreation to follow the National Federation of State High School Association's Guidelines for the management of concussions.
1. No athlete should return to play or practice on the same day of a suspected concussion.
2. The athlete's guardian should be immediately notified of the suspected concussion by a coach so an appropriate healthcare professional can immediately evaluate the athlete.
3. Any athlete who is suspected of a concussion must submit written medical clearance from an appropriate healthcare professional to their home Recreation Club prior to returning to practice or competition. Recreation Clubs must disallow players from participating until this document is produced.
4. Each youth sports coach will take the Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports online course from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). All training links can be found under training links at www.southcoutysoftball.com.