[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Eatontown 8-4-2004 by Ord. No. 25-2004. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
A written specification of the behavior of the parents, guardians,
coaches and officials prepared by each sports activity, which must
at the minimum incorporate the terms of the within chapter and must
be consented to in writing by the parents and legal guardians of the
minor participants, coaches and other adults and children participating
in an official capacity in each youth sports activity.
The Eatontown Athletic Advisory Committee.
Any competition, practice or instructional event involving
one or more youth sports activities, sponsored by the Borough Recreation
Department.
Any sports organization pursuant to a Borough-sponsored charter
which is affiliated with or receives monetary or other support or
services from the Borough of Eatontown and is registered with the
Borough Recreation Department and utilizes any facilities owned, operated
or maintained by the Borough, which sports organization participates
in sporting competitions involving minors.
One who is authorized to take part in the youth sports activity
or youth sports event.
A patron or invited visitor of the youth sports activity
or youth sports event.
One who views or observes a youth sports activity or youth
sports event.
One who holds a position of authority to regulate, rule upon
or control the youth sports activity or youth sports event.
Removal from a particular youth sports event or activity
for which the violation occurred.
Prohibition from participating or attending future youth
sports events or activities.
A.
Each youth sports activity and each participant or parent or legal guardian of said participant where the participant is a minor and all adults participating in some official capacity, including but not limited to coaches, umpires or referees and other officials and participants, shall be required to follow the Code of Conduct as set forth more fully below and sign a pledge listing the Code of Conduct listed below and agreeing to conform conduct to the Code of Conduct and be subject to disciplinary action for violations. In addition, guests and spectators shall be subject to Subsection B below. The Code of Conduct followed by the Borough of Eatontown shall be as follows:
(1)
Participants shall not engage in any unsportsmanlike
conduct with any coach, parent, player, participant, official or any
other attendee.
(2)
Participants shall encourage children and other persons
and participants not to engage in unsportsmanlike conduct by any coach,
parent or player, participant, official or any other attendee.
(3)
Participants shall not engage in any behavior which
would endanger the health, safety or welfare of any coach, parent,
player, participant, official or any other attendee.
(4)
Participants shall not encourage any child or any
other person to engage in any behavior which would endanger the health,
safety or well-being of any coach, parent, player, participant, official
or any other attendee.
(5)
Participants shall not use drugs or alcohol while
at a youth sports event and will not attend, coach, officiate or participate
in a youth sports event while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
(6)
Participants shall not permit any child or encourage
any other person to use drugs or alcohol at a youth sports event and
will not permit any child or encourage any other person to attend,
coach, officiate or participate in a youth sports event while under
the influence of drugs or alcohol.
(7)
Participants shall not engage in the use of profanity.
(8)
Participants shall not encourage any child or any
other person to engage in the use of profanity.
(9)
Participants shall treat any coach, parent, player,
participant, official or any other attendee with respect regardless
of race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation or ability.
(10)
Participants shall encourage children to treat any
coach, parent, player, participant, official or any attendee with
respect regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, sexual
orientation or ability.
(11)
Participants shall not engage in verbal or physical
threats or abuse aimed at any coach, parent, player, participant,
official or any other attendee.
(12)
Participants shall not encourage any child or any
other person to engage in verbal or physical threats or abuse aimed
at any coach, parent, player, participant, official or any other attendee.
(13)
Participants shall not initiate a fight or scuffle
with any coach, parent, player, participant, official or any other
attendee.
(14)
Participants shall not encourage any child or any
other person to initiate a fight or scuffle with any coach, parent,
player, participant, official or any other attendee.
B.
Guests, spectators and other parties present at youth
sports events who would not normally sign the pledge or did not sign
the pledge set forth above are still prohibited from participating
in fights, scuffles, or any type of physical or verbal abuse or threats
towards participants, coaches, officials or one another and are subject
to sanctions set forth more fully below.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 326-3, Eatontown Athletic
Advisory Committee; creation; purpose; membership, was repealed 2-22-2023
by Ord. No. 08-2023.
[Amended 2-22-2023 by Ord. No. 08-2023]
A.
The Director of Recreation or their designee, as well as other individuals
such as umpires, referees and elected league officials who are allowed
to provide temporary, limited and immediate enforcement as set forth
more fully below, should impose sanctions in a progressive fashion
depending on the severity of the offense, providing verbal and/or
written warnings where appropriate and possible prior to suspensions
and bans depending upon the severity of the offense and the existence
of a continued violation.
B.
Any parent or guardian, participant, player, guest, spectator, coach
or official at any youth sports event who initiates a fight, scuffle
or any type of physical abuse or threats of abuse towards any participant,
player, coach, official, parent, guardian or spectator may be subject
to a verbal and/or written warning, a suspension from the particular
youth sports event in attendance or may be banned from attendance
at all youth sports events within the Borough of Eatontown for a period
not exceeding 12 months from the date of the incident, subject to
further conditions of anger management counseling as set forth more
fully below and/or other disciplinary actions allowed by ordinance.
C.
Any parent or guardian, participant, player, guest, spectator, coach
or official at any youth sports event who verbally abuses officials,
participants, coaches, players or spectators, including the use of
obscene or profane language or jesters, racial, ethnic or sexual slurs,
may be subject to a verbal and/or written warning or, in severe cases,
suspended from the subject event and/or banned from attendance at
all youth events for a period not exceeding 12 months from the date
of the incident, subject to conditions of anger management counseling
as set forth more fully below and/or other disciplinary actions allowed
by ordinance.
D.
Any parent or guardian, participant, player, guest, spectator or
official at any youth sports event who throws or causes to be deposited
any object on the field of play, court or rink during any youth sports
event may be suspended from the subject event and/or banned from attendance
at all youth events for a period not exceeding 12 months from the
date of the incident, subject to conditions of anger management counseling
as set forth more fully below and/or other disciplinary actions allowed
by ordinance.
E.
Any parent or guardian, participant, player, official, coach or spectator
at any youth sporting event shall be subject to the authority of all
field officials, including umpires, referees and elected or appointed
league officials or coaches of the youth sports activity. This authority
shall also include any youth teams, practice or instructional event,
and such authority shall include the authorization to direct any persons
involved in any incident in violation of this chapter or applicable
Code of Conduct to immediately remove themselves from the premises.
F.
Any parent or guardian, participant, player, official, coach or spectator
who violates one or more of the provisions contained in the Code of
Conduct, either during the same event, or separate events, may be
banned from attending, coaching, officiating, participating in any
youth sports events within the Borough of Eatontown for a period not
exceeding 12 months from the decision of the Director of Recreation
or their designee if the person:
(1)
Has been issued a prior written warning for violating one or more
of the provisions contained in the Code of Conduct; or
(2)
Violates the Code of Conduct by engaging in verbal or physical threats
or abuse aimed at any coach, parent, guardian, player, participant,
official or any other attendee, guest, or spectator; or
(3)
Violates the Code of Conduct by initiating a fight or scuffle with
any coach, parent, guardian, player, participant, official or any
other attendee, guest, or spectator.
G.
Any parent or guardian, official, coach or spectator 18 years of
age or older who is suspended from a youth sporting event and/or removed
from the premises and/or banned from youth sports events for violations
of the Code of Conduct for whatever time shall be required to complete
anger management or an equivalent counseling program consisting of
not less than 12 hours of instruction prior to being allowed to attend
future youth sports events and shall provide proof of satisfactory
completion to the Director of Recreation or their designee.
H.
Any person 17 years of age or younger who is suspended from a youth
sports event and/or removed from the premises and/or banned from a
youth sports events in violation of the Code of Conduct shall be required
to complete an anger management or equivalent counseling program consisting
of not less than six hours of instruction prior to being allowed to
attend future youth sports events and shall provide proof of satisfactory
completion to the Director of Recreation or their designee.
I.
An anger management counseling program shall, at a minimum, offer
services to individuals, singly or in groups, for purposes of providing
anger control principles and shall be administered by an individual:
J.
Nothing contained in this chapter shall prohibit the Director of
Recreation or their designee from requiring a person to complete an
anger management counseling program at his or her expense as a condition
of not being banned from youth sports events or as a condition in
reducing the length of such a ban.
K.
Conditions on termination of bans.
(1)
In regards to all disciplinary actions taken by the Director of Recreation
or their designee, the termination of all bans shall be subject to
the following three conditions, which can also serve as disciplinary
requirements by the Director of Recreation in lieu of bans or as part
of the decision in reducing the length of a ban:
(a)
Any person subject to a ban shall, and in the case of other
disciplinary actions may, be required to request permission to resume
participation for attendance at youth sports activities which were
a subject of the ban or other disciplinary action;
(b)
Any person subject to a ban shall, and in the case of other
disciplinary actions may, be required to provide a written apology
to the Director of Recreation or their designee which issued the ban
or disciplinary decision and to the person or persons who were the
subject of the behavior which constituted the violation of the Code
of Conduct as directed by the Director of Recreation or their designee;
(c)
Any person subject to a ban shall, and in the case of other
disciplinary actions may, as set forth fully in this chapter, be subject
to an anger management counseling program prior to being allowed to
continue attending youth sports activities.
(2)
Any person subject to a ban or other disciplinary actions may also
be subject to other requirements set forth more fully by the Director
of Recreation or their designee.
L.
Temporary, limited and immediate enforcement allowed by umpires,
referees and Borough recreation supervisors includes verbal and/or
written warnings, suspension from participation in part or all of
the current event or game or removal from the premises for part or
all of the event or game.
M.
Bans in excess of 12 months shall be permitted where the violator
committed a felony or indictable offense or the equivalent thereof
as part of his violation of this chapter as determined by the Recreation
Director or their designee or was subject to two or more prior bans
in separate disciplinary actions at separate youth sports event.
[Amended 2-22-2023 by Ord. No. 08-2023]
A.
Upon determination by the Recreation Director or their designee that
a parent, guardian, participant, player, guest, spectator, coach or
official at any youth sports event sponsored by such youth sports
has violated a provision of this chapter or Code of Conduct of the
youth sports activity, the Recreation Director or their designee shall
forward to such violator a notice via regular and certified mail identifying
the date, location, nature of the violation, period of proposed banning
or other action to be taken in response to such violation.
B.
Any parent, guardian, participant, player, official, coach or spectator
at a youth sports event who believes that a violation of this chapter
or Code of Conduct has been violated shall forward his or her name,
address, phone number and violation of ordinance, date, and location
of violation and nature of the violation to the Recreation Director
or their designee. The Recreation Director or their designee will
then investigate the incident and, upon determination by the Recreation
Director or their designee, such official shall forward to such violator
a notice via regular and certified mail indicating the date and location
and nature of the violation, a period of proposed banning or other
action to be taken in response to such violation.
C.
Any person receiving such a notice who wishes to contest the same
shall appeal to the Business Administrator within seven calendar days
of the mailing of said notice by forwarding a copy of said notice
with a written request for appeal specifically setting forth the basis
of such person's contest of the notice of violation via personal
delivery, fax or certified mail to the Business Administrator.
D.
Upon receipt of such appeal, the Business Administrator shall schedule
a hearing within seven days and provide an opportunity for said person
and any interested person or persons to appear and be heard with respect
to the occurrence of any violation and action taken by the Recreation
Director or their designee.
E.
The Business Administrator shall review statements, first-hand accounts
and any other pertinent information or documentation relevant to the
violation and may sustain, overturn or modify the notice of violation
consistent with this chapter or the Code of Conduct.
F.
Any person, while appealing his or her violation of the Code of Conduct,
shall be reinstated with full rights and authority until such time
as a determination and disposition of his or her appeal has been made.
G.
All notices of violation and banning or other actions taken shall
remain in effect until terminated by decision of the Business Administrator.
H.
In the event any notice of violation is not appealed within seven
days of such notice, said notice of violation and action taken by
the official or the Recreation Director or their designee, including
banning from youth sports events or other actions taken, shall become
final.
I.
There shall be no basis for appeal of temporary, limited and immediate
enforcement by umpires, referees and the Borough Recreation Supervisor,
except that such officials are also subject to the Code of Conduct.
