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CLUB CHARTER

August 2010

The club will operate 3 main areas for Codes of Conduct.  These Codes of Conduct will cover the Coaches, the Players and the Parents. The Codes of Conduct are as follows:

Coaches must:

ü         Have completed and returned the Army Welfare Service vetting forms [within 1 week of receiving it]

ü         Attend, within 12 months of taking up the coaching post, the “Off site”, “Hazardous activity” and 1^st Aid training courses as provided by Army Welfare Service

Ø         Respect the rights, dignity and worth of each and every player and treat each equally within the context of the sport.

Ø         Place the well being and safety of each player above all other considerations, including the development of performance.

Ø         Adhere to all guidelines laid down by the FA Coaches Association (as implemented by the director of football)and the Rules of the Football Association.

Ø         Develop an appropriate working relationship with each player based on mutual trust and respect.

Ø         Not exert undue influence to obtain personal benefit or reward.

Ø         Encourage and guide players to accept responsibility for their own behavior and performance.

Ø         Ensure that the activities they direct or advocate are appropriate for the age, maturity, experience and ability of the players.

Ø         Ensure that they only give positive encouragement, preferably in public and any constructive criticism is given in private.

Ø         Clarify at the outset with the player (and where appropriate their parents) exactly what is expected of them and also what they are entitled to expect from their coach.

Ø         Co-operate fully with other specialists (eg The PRB FC Director of Football, other coaches, officials and medical staff) in the best interests of the player(s).

Ø         Always promote the positive aspects of the sport (eg fair play) and never condone violations of the laws of the game, behavior contrary to the spirit of the laws of the game or relevant rules and regulations or the use of prohibited substances or techniques.

Ø         Consistently display high standards of behavior and appearance.

Ø         Play for fun- or it is not worth playing.

Ø         Control their temper [losing it will affect performance].

Ø         Not keep appealing [learn the laws of the game and stick to them].

Ø         Not over react when injured.

Ø         Never argue with the referee [accept the decision and keep your thoughts to yourself].

Ø         Not criticise team mates  [an encouraging word is more helpful].

Ø         Treat all players and officials with respect.

Ø         Not use foul and abusive language.

Ø         Thank the officials and the opposition after the game [remember that without them you have no game].

Ø         As spectators, we will refrain from the booing or yelling at officials at any time during a game because we are aware that:

            ·        Such behavior on our part sets a poor example of sportsmanship, especially to the children.

            ·        Such behavior reflects negatively on our community, our team, our players and us.

            ·        Most youth Team officials have limited experience and formal training and do the best job they can, given these limitations:

            ·        Most football officials have limited experience, formal training/qualifications and do the best job that they can, given these limitations.

            ·        Most football officials make correct calls even though we sometimes see the incident otherwise.

Ø         If officials do make incorrect decisions during a game. the following circumstances usually apply:

·        The number of 'poor' decisions usually balance out for both teams

·        No one is perfect

·        The officials do not always have the same observation point as spectators

·        An occasional incorrect decision seldom affects the outcome of the game

·        There are more effective channels for correcting poor officiating than verbal abuse during the match.

·        We do not appreciate the difficulty of refereeing until we have done it ourselves!

Ø         During a game, we will refrain from yelling at players on either team because we are aware of the following:

·        They are young people, not football professionals, who, due to limited playing experience and great enthusiasm, make many mistakes

·        Encouragement and praise should be made in public; constructive criticism is best made in private.

·        The coach is best placed to analyse and correct deficiencies in football skills.  Our attempts to be helpful in this respect may only confuse the players.

·        The golden rule applies: Treat other players with the courtesy, respect and consideration, which we want other supporters to show our own players.

Ø         At football games, we will refrain from being argumentative or using abusive language towards opposing supporters because we are aware of the following:

·        Others are judging our actions and words.  We will always strive to ensure that the result of the judgment is a verdict of sportsmanship.

·        We will conduct ourselves in such a courteous and restrained manner that if called upon to do so; we could line up after the game and shake hands with the opposing supporters in the same way that the players are expected to do after each game.

Ø         If our team loses, we will demonstrate our ability to cope with the loss in both deed and word, because we are aware of the following:

·        In football, as in other aspects of life, it is not always possible to win no matter how extreme the effort.

·        When victory eluded us, we must learn to accept it graciously as we do in our triumphs.

·        It may be just possible that a loss is due to the fact that the opposing team played the game better than out team.

Ø        Our players should learn from our reactions to a loss that:

·        We feel that they played their best, which just was not good enough on this particular day.

·        They should hold their heads up high; there is no shame attached to honest effort - win or lose.

·        There is always something to learn from a loss.

·        There is nothing gained from brooding; players should be encouraged to put the game behind them and look forward to the next opportunity to play.

·        Seeking scapegoats, such as 'biased officials', 'poor pitch', or 'poor performance' by one or two team mates is not a mature or healthy reaction to a loss.

Whether away from the football field, our words should convey a philosophy which include:

Matt Irwin
Secretary PRB Gütersloh FC

 Click to download the Club Charter in pdf  format.

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