[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Freehold 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. O-04-27. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
A written specification of the behavior of players, parents,
guardians, coaches and officials prepared by the Township of Freehold
which will at a minimum incorporate the terms of this chapter and
must be consented to in writing by the coaches, players, parents and
legal guardians of the minor participants of each youth sports organization
utilizing any facilities or properties owned, controlled, leased or
operated by the Township.
Comprised of designated members from each youth sports activity
and the Commissioners of the Freehold Township Board of Parks and
Recreation Commission, as outlined in this chapter.
Any sports organization pursuant to a Township-sponsored
or a nonprofit or similar charter which is affiliated with or receives
monetary or other support or services from the Township of Freehold
or regularly utilizes any facilities owned, operated, or maintained
by the Township, which sports organization participates in sporting
competitions involving minors.
Any sports organization pursuant to a Township-sponsored
or a nonprofit or similar charter which is affiliated with or receives
monetary or other support or services from the Township of Freehold
or regularly utilizes any facilities owned, operated, or maintained
by the Township, which sports organization participates in sporting
competitions involving minors, whose sports events are sponsored solely
by the Parks and Recreation Commission.
The Freehold Township Board of Parks and Recreation Commission.
Any competition, practice or instructional event involving
one or more Township internal and external sports organizations.
The participants, parents or legal guardians
of minor participants, coaches and officials of every sports organization
shall be required to follow the Code of Conduct, set forth as follows:
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I hereby pledge to be responsible for my words
and actions while attending, coaching or participating in a Township
sports event and shall conform my behavior to the following Code of
Conduct:
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1.
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I will not engage in unsportsmanlike conduct
with any coach, parent, player, participant, official or any other
attendee.
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2.
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I will not encourage my child, or any other
person, to engage in unsportsmanlike conduct with any coach, parent,
player, participant, official or any other attendee.
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3.
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I will not engage in any behavior which would
endanger the health, safety or well-being of any coach, parent, player,
participant, official or any other attendee.
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4.
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I will not encourage my 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.
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5.
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I will 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.
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6.
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I will not permit my child, or encourage any
other person, to use drugs or alcohol at a youth sports event and
will not permit my 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.
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7.
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I will not engage in the use of profanity.
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8.
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I will not encourage my child, or any other
person, to engage in the use of profanity.
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9.
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I will treat any coach, parent, player, participant,
official or any other attendee with respect regardless of race, creed,
color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or ability.
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10.
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I will encourage my child to treat any coach,
parent, player, participant, official or any other attendee with respect
regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation
or ability.
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11.
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I will not engage in verbal or physical threats
or abuse aimed at any coach, parent, player, participant, official
or any other attendee.
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12.
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I will not encourage my 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.
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13.
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I will not initiate a fight or scuffle with
any coach, parent, player, participant, official or any other attendee.
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14.
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I will not encourage my child, or any other
person, to initiate a fight or scuffle with any coach, parent, player,
participant, official or any other attendee.
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15.
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I will abide by any decision rendered by the
Code of Conduct Committee or the Township Parks and Recreation Commission.
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16.
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I will be responsible for the behavior of all
those attending a Township youth sports event on my child's behalf.
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Signature
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The Code of Conduct will be made available to
all coaches and players, parents and legal guardians of each child
participating in a sports organization.
A.
A coach, parent, player, participant, official or
other Township sports event attendee who violates one or more of the
provisions contained in the Code of Conduct may be banned from attending,
coaching or participating in at least one Township sports event 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;
(2)
Throws or causes to be deposited any object on the
field of play, court or rink during any youth sports event; or
(3)
Violates the Code of Conduct by engaging in verbal
or physical threats or abuse aimed at any coach, parent, player, participant,
official or any other attendee.
B.
Any parent, guest, spectator, coach or official at
any Township sports event who participates in a fight, scuffle, or
any type of physical confrontation, abuse or threats of abuse towards
any player, coach, official, parent, or spectator will be banned from
attendance at all Township sports events within the Township of Freehold
for a period to be determined by the Code of Conduct Committee.
C.
Any violation of a discipline or ban issued by the
Code of Conduct Committee or Parks and Recreation Commission may result
in additional penalties being added to the discipline or ban.
Any parent, official, coach or spectator at
any Township sports event shall be subject to the authority of all
field officials, including umpires, referees, elected league officials,
Parks and Recreation Commission personnel or coaches of the Township
sports event. This authority shall include the authorization to direct
any person or persons involved in any incident in violation of this
chapter or the Code of Conduct to immediately remove themselves or
be removed from the premises.
A.
Any violations of the Code of Conduct will fall under
the jurisdiction of Township sports event officials.
B.
Any person receiving a penalty from Township sports
event officials who wishes to contest the same shall appeal to the
Parks and Recreation Commission within 14 calendar days from the date
of the penalty by forwarding a written statement of the penalty and
the basis of such person's contest of the penalty via personal delivery,
fax or certified mail to the Chairperson of the Parks and Recreation
Commission, c/o Township of Freehold, One Municipal Plaza, Freehold,
New Jersey 07728.
C.
Should no penalty be issued by Township sports event
officials, any individual involved in the incident in question may
report the incident to the Parks and Recreation Commission within
14 calendar days from the date of the incident to the Chairperson
of the Parks and Recreation Commission, c/o Township of Freehold,
One Municipal Plaza, Freehold, New Jersey 07728.
D.
Upon receipt of such appeal, or upon receipt of a
complaint from a parent, official, coach, Parks and Recreation Commission
personnel, spectator, or participant, three members of the Parks and
Recreation Commission shall convene within 14 calendar 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 Township sports event officials.
[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-8]
E.
The three members of the Parks and Recreation Commission
will review statements, firsthand accounts and any other pertinent
information or documentation relevant to the violation and, upon a
majority vote of the members of the Parks and Recreation Commission
present at such hearing, may sustain, overturn, or modify the penalty
by increasing or decreasing the penalty, if any, or issue a penalty
where none was previously issued, consistent with this chapter or
the Code of Conduct.
[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-8]
F.
Any person who has been issued a penalty other than
a ban from attending, coaching or participating in a Township sports
event will be reinstated with full rights and authority until such
time that a determination and disposition of his/her appeal has been
made by the members of the Parks and Recreation Commission who hear
the appeal.
[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-8]
G.
All notices of banning shall remain in effect until
overturned or modified by the three members of the Parks and Recreation
Commission.
[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-8]
H.
In the event any notice of violation is not appealed
within 14 calendar days of such notice, said notice of violation and
action taken by the official or the Parks and Recreation Commission,
including banning from Township sports events, or other action taken
shall become final.
I.
Any person who, in violation of a finding of the Parks
and Recreation Commission, knowingly enters onto facilities or properties
owned, controlled, leased or operated by the Township, after being
given notice of a ban pursuant to this chapter, shall be subject to
prosecution as a defiant trespasser pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:18-3 or
such other provisions of the law deemed appropriate.
A.
Any parent, official, coach, Parks and Recreation
Commission personnel, spectator, or participant may file a complaint
with the governing board of the external sports organization alleging
a violation of the Code of Conduct within 14 days from the date of
the incident giving rise to the complaint.
B.
Upon determination by a majority vote of the governing
board of the external sports organization that a parent, guest, spectator,
coach or official at any sports event sponsored by such sports organization
has violated a provision of this chapter or the Code of Conduct, the
external sports organization will forward to such violator and to
any other individuals involved in the action leading to the violation
a notice, via regular and certified mail, identifying the date, location
and nature of the violation and the period of the banning or other
action to be taken in response to such violation. Said determination
must be reached by the external sports organization within 14 calendar
days from the date of the incident. Should no notice be filed by the
external sports organization within the applicable time frame, any
individual involved in the incident in question may report the incident
directly to the Code of Conduct Committee within 30 calendar days
from the date of the incident to the Chairperson of the Code of Conduct
Committee at the address specified and, if none, to the Code of Conduct
Committee, c/o Township of Freehold, One Municipal Plaza, Freehold,
New Jersey 07728.
C.
Any person receiving a notice from the governing body
of the external sports organization who wishes to contest the same
shall appeal to the Code of Conduct Committee within 14 calendar days
of the mailing of said notice by forwarding a copy of said notice
of violation, specifically setting forth the basis of such person's
contest of the notice of violation, via personal delivery, fax or
certified mail, to the Chairperson of the Code of Conduct Committee
at the address specified and, if none, then to the Code of Conduct
Committee, c/o Township of Freehold, One Municipal Plaza, Freehold,
New Jersey 07728.
D.
Upon receipt of such appeal, or upon receipt of a
complaint from a parent, official, coach, Parks and Recreation Commission
personnel, spectator, or participant, the Code of Conduct Committee
shall convene within 14 calendar 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 governing board of the sports organization.
E.
The Code of Conduct Committee will review statements,
firsthand accounts and any other pertinent information or documentation
relevant to the violation and, upon a majority vote of the Code of
Conduct Committee present at such hearing, may sustain, overturn,
or modify the notice of violation, if any, or issue a notice of violation
where none was previously issued, consistent with this chapter of
the Code of Conduct.
F.
Any person who has been issued a penalty other than
a ban from attending, coaching or participating in a Township sports
event will be reinstated with full rights and authority until such
time that a determination and disposition of his/her appeal has been
made by the Code of Conduct Committee.
G.
All notices of banning shall remain in effect until
overturned or modified by the Code of Conduct Committee.
H.
In the event any notice of violation is not appealed
within 14 calendar days of such notice, said notice of violation and
action taken by the official or the Code of Conduct Committee, including
banning from Township sports events, or other action taken shall become
final.
I.
Any person who, in violation of a finding of the Code
of Conduct Committee, knowingly enters onto facilities or properties
owned, controlled, leased or operated by the Township, after being
given notice of a ban pursuant to this chapter, shall be subject to
prosecution as a defiant trespasser pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:18-3 or
such other provisions of the law deemed appropriate.
A.
There is hereby created and established a Code of
Conduct Committee. The Code of Conduct Committee will have jurisdiction
over matters brought to it involving external sports organizations.
The Code of Conduct Committee shall be comprised of a designated member
from designated external sports organizations (three), three members
of the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Superintendent of the
Freehold Township Parks and Recreation Department or his/her designee.
Should an external sports organization increase to 500 members, the
Township reserves the right to designate a seat on the Code of Conduct
Committee for that organization. Should an additional external sports
organization be granted a seat on the Code of Conduct Committee, the
three seats granted to the external sports organizations shall be
rotated on a seasonal basis as determined by the Township.
B.
For complaints pertaining to internal sports organizations/Township
recreation programs, the Code of Conduct Committee will consist of
three members of the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Superintendent
of the Freehold Township Parks and Recreation Department or his/her
designee shall act as Chairperson of the meeting and will not exercise
a vote.
[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-8]
C.
Each external sports organization shall annually designate
a member who shall serve on the Code of Conduct Committee. Should
a conflict of interest arise with respect to any member of the sports
organization who sits on the Code of Conduct Committee, that member
of the sports organization shall be replaced with another member of
the sports organization, which member shall be designated by the sports
organization.
D.
Meetings.
(1)
In order to conduct business and hearings or recommend
changes to the Code of Conduct, a quorum of Committee members must
be present pursuant to Robert's Rules of Order and will have all authority
as set forth in this chapter. For external sports organizations, the
Chairperson of the Committee shall be the Superintendent of the Freehold
Township Department of Parks and Recreation or his/her designee, who
shall only vote during hearings in the event of a tie vote amongst
the remaining members who participate in a hearing.
[Amended 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. O-08-8]
(2)
The Code of Conduct Committee may establish rules
and procedures as it deems appropriate for the conduct of its business
and, in default thereof, shall operate pursuant to Robert's Rules
of Order to the extent they are not in conflict with this chapter.
A.
Any parent, league official, coach or spectator who
is banned from a Township sports event for a violation of this chapter
or the Code of Conduct shall be required to complete anger management
or an equivalent counseling program at his own expense, consisting
of not less than 12 hours of instruction, and shall provide proof
of satisfactory completion to the Parks and Recreation Commission
or the Code of Conduct Committee, as applicable.
B.
A coach, parent, player, spectator or league official or other Township sports event attendee may be permitted to attend, coach, officiate or participate in a youth sports event from which the person has been banned pursuant to § 295-4 if the person:
(1)
Provides a written request for permission to resume
participation or attendance to the Parks and Recreation Commission
or the Code of Conduct Committee, after the one-year ban has expired;
and
(2)
Provides a written apology to the youth sports organization
which issued the ban and to the person or persons who were the subject
of the behavior which constituted the violation of the code, as directed
by the youth sports organization.
C.
An anger management counseling program must, at a
minimum, offer services to individuals, singly or in groups, for the
purposes of promoting anger control principles and shall be administered
by an individual:
