CODES OF CONDUCT

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ALL PARENTS/SPECTATORS AFFILIATED TO TE AROHA COBRAS JUNIOR FOOTBALL

We all have a responsibility to promote high standards of behavior in the game.
This club is here to ensure football can be enjoyed in a safe, positive environment.
Remember children’s sport is a time for them to develop their technical, physical, tactical and social skills.
Play your part and observe Code of Conduct for spectators and parents/caregivers at all times. This includes attendance at training.

I WILL;

Remember that children play for FUN
Applaud effort and good play as well as success
Always respect the match officials’ decisions
Remain outside the field of play
Let the coach do their job and not confuse the players by telling them what to do
Encourage the players to respect the opposition, referee and match officials
Not criticize any player for making a mistake-mistakes are part of learning
Never engage in, offensive, insulting, or abusive language or behaviour
I understand that if I do not follow the code, any/all of the following actions may be taken by my club

I MAY BE;

Issued with a verbal warning from a club or official.
Required to meet with club committee, WAIBOP.
Obliged to leave the match venue by the club.
Requested by the club not to attend future games.
Required to leave the club along with any dependents.

PLAYER STRIP AGREEMENT

I hereby confirm that I have read and agree with the below conditions of receiving the issued TA Cobras Junior Football playing strip;

I agree to take all possible due care to look after the strip and in washing and drying agree not to use a tumble dryer to dry the strip.
I agree to return the strip at the end of the playing season and in the condition I received it or with normal wear and tear.
I agree that if I fail to return the strip (both shirt and shorts) or either is lost or damaged outside of normal wear and tear then I will be liable to reimburse the TA Cobras Junior Football Club for these items at $54 incl gst for a shirt and $40 incl gst for shorts.
I agree to only use the issued playing strip on ‘Game Days’ and will not use it for training or general wear and use outside of these Game Days.
I understand I am to purchase my own ‘gold’ playing socks at my expense.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ALL PLAYERS AFFILIATED TO TE AROHA COBRAS JUNIOR FOOTBALL

We are here to improve our football skills.
We will applaud the performance of both teams, and the referee.
We will give all players the opportunity to participate in the game. We will listen to, and respect our coaches and managers, who are volunteers.
We will show them respect by following their instructions and paying attention to them at training. If we don’t show respect, we may be asked to sit out and our parents may have to attend training from there on.
We will not use any disrespectful language when talking to them. If we cannot attend training, we will advise our coach. Failure to do so may result in a player being stood down.
We are aware that the starting lineup is selected on effort and attendance at training, not necessarily on the skill of the player. The idea is to reward those who turn up to training and games on time, ready to follow the instructions of their coaches/manager, and who give 100% effort every time.
We will create an enjoyable and safe environment. Verbal or physical abuse of any sort will not be tolerated, and may result in a player being stood down, or removed from the team. A first offence will require a player to apologise to their team (and the opposing team, if appropriate), and a 1 week stand down. A second offence will result in the player being removed from the team completely.
We play hard, but we also play fair. We will follow the rules, and the rulings of the referees. We show referees respect, and ensure that those who have come to support us also do the same.
We are here to work as a team. We value our team mates and their opinions, and celebrate not only success, but also a game well played.

Parents/Caregivers: I have read and understood this code of conduct for my child and will make them aware of the code of conduct.
I understand the consequences if this code is not followed and will support Te Aroha Cobra Junior Football implementing this code.
If I have an issue with the implementation of this code, I will contact a committee member, who will advise the next step.

Coaches Guide:

New Zealand Football and Te Aroha Cobra's focus is on developing the skills of the player over and above winning games and trophies. The role of the Coach is as follows:

Coaching children is as much about providing encouragement and enthusiasm as it is about teaching skills. Investing in a child’s self-belief is essential to getting them to learn new skills and to play creatively during matches. NZF’s philosophy is “Let the game be the teacher” and coaches are encouraged to give less instruction than has been common in the past. This is so that the players can work things out by themselves and achieve a deeper level of learning.
Equal Game Time. It is club policy that players receive equal game time so that they have equal opportunity to develop skills. They should also receive equal attention from the coach. Apart from the fact that it is a basic right to be treated equally, players are known to develop at different rates and this year’s clumsy and unfocused player may well blossom into a valuable member of the team in a few years’ time.
While it is important to note that we’re not trying to stop the children from playing in a competitive manner, we do recognise that the competitive urges felt by adults are not always appropriate for children’s sport. Negative criticism and an emphasis on winning at all costs makes the players overly cautious and hinders their development (not to mention spoiling the fun). It can also result in them giving up the game in the long term.
Coach Training. New Zealand Football provides a free training session for new coaches each year. WaiBOP often run a local Intro to coaching course in Piako at the start of each season. Te Aroha Cobra's Junior Football will cover costs of all coaching courses.
Match etiquette. Please make sure the team does “three-cheers” and lines up to shake the hands of the opposition at the end of the game. We also recommended that you introduce yourself to the opposition coach and discuss the game with them prior to kick off. Agreeing on how closely particular rules are to be followed (i.e. throw-ins) is easier before the game than during it. Please also encourage those on the sideline to model respect for the opposition and the referee.
Code of Conduct: NZ Football has a published Code of Conduct which covers players, coaches and Below are some of the key points that coaches should promote within their teams:

Play within the rules;
Respect team mates;
Respect the referee;
Respect the opposition and their supporters;
Be gracious winners and dignified losers;
Play hard but play fair.

Full details of the Code can be found at www.nzfootball.co.nz

Please also encourage those on the sideline to support the team in appropriate ways and to model respect for the opposition and the referee.

Bullying and player misbehaviour: The club has a policy on bullying and conflict resolution and we ask that coaches be familiar with it.
The key to the club shed are provided to team coaches. The last coach to leave practice will need to have a quick look to see if anything has been left out and then make sure the shed is properly locked. The committee has spare keys issued to them.
Equipment: Early on you’ll need to explain to the children to respect the club equipment. The cost of lost balls, cones and nets quickly adds up and has to be paid for from their fees (It could be their job to pack the gear in at the end of the sessions). The gear-bag and kit-bag remain the responsibility of the coach and manager. Please contact the committee if anything gets lost or damaged or if you have any concerns.
Player of the Day: We encourage those making the decisions to ensure each player gets the award at least once during the season. Also, please hand out the certificates from Newlight Takeaways one week at a time as saving them up for a big feed at the end of the season can make life difficult for our sponsor.
Grading games. The first four games of the season are grading games and teams should be aware that large victories or losses might occur (goal differences of 10 or more are likely) before the league organisers find the appropriate level for your team. We advise against putting the best players on in an attempt to get a better result as you’ll end up playing overly tough teams for the rest of the season.
Other games/tournaments. There is a 5 a side tournament at the end of the season. There are also other tournaments run during the year that teams are welcome to compete in. Typically teams from Te Aroha Cobras enter the end of season 5 a side tournament which is a popular and enjoyable day (7th grade and above). Each team handles their own entry with the tournament organisers.
ACC Requirements: An important part of injury prevention is the pre-game warm up, and players should arrive at least 20 minutes prior to kick-off to accommodate this. Warming up may include a light jog, some simple drills and stretches.
Health & Safety: All blood related injuries must be treated with bottled water (sponges are not allowed) and covered before being allowed back on to play, any bloodied clothing must also be changed. Sprains may be treated with gel packs or cold sponges. Players are not to share drink bottles for their own personal safety. The coach is not required to share their whistle with any other person.

We hope this is a useful guide, if you have any suggestions for improving it please let the club know.

Team Manager Guide:

The main role of the Team Manager is to relieve the Coach of as much of the organisational work as possible so that they can concentrate on coaching. The Manager will also be the team’s main point of contact for the Club Committee.

Typical tasks for the Team Manager

Text/email/group chat parents with details of each match including time and venue, as well as arranging carpooling if the game is a long way away. Likewise, contact parents with details of cancellations or relocations. The game schedule can be found at the Waibop website
Text the score of the game to the Committee member assigned for score entry immediately following the game.
Phone parents to check on their whereabouts if they are late for a match.
Let the committee know if any players leaves or joins the team during the season (so that the club can comply with competition regulations)
Half time oranges are usually suggested to be brought by the previous week player of the day, this way everybody gets a turn.
Ensure there are parents available to assist in putting out and taking down corner flags and goal nets on match day – so that the coach can focus on warming up the team.
The gear-bag and kit-bag, containing balls, training bibs, first aid kits etc will remain the responsibility of the coach and manager. Please contact the Committee if anything gets damaged or if you have any concerns.
Every coach will have different needs but there are several tasks that can be performed by parents during the playing of a game that will help the coach out, including; subbing, time keeping and refereeing (if there is another parent who knows the rules).
Making sure player of the day certificates are ready for the coach at the end of the game and keeping track of who has already received one is also helpful.

We hope this is a useful guide, if you have any suggestions for improving it please let the club know.

Parents Guide

In addition to the joy of driving your young footballer around the Waikato on a wet winter morning there are a number of other ways that parents and care-givers can contribute to the team and the club.

Arriving on time: It is important that players arrive at training and games on time and ready to play as it is very difficult to run a training session or warm up if players are turning up in dribs and drabs. Please let the manager know if your child will be unable to attend a training session or game.
Code of Conduct: NZ Football has a published Code of Conduct covers everyone involved with the sport. Below are some of the key points that parents be aware of:

Play within the rules;
Respect the referee;
Respect the opposition and their supporters;
Be gracious winners and dignified losers;
Play hard but play fair

Full details of the Code can be found at www.nzfootball.co.nz

Help the Coach & Manager: Any assistance you can offer will be greatly appreciated. This may involve helping with the setting up and taking down of nets and corner flags on game-day, or assisting the manager with the organisation of rosters.
Criticism of Coaches: Please do not criticise your child’s coach to your child or other parents. If there is anything you are not happy about please raise the issue with the coach or manager. Remember they have volunteered their time.
Be your child’s biggest fan: Support your child unconditionally; they should never have to perform to win your approval. Children don’t mean to make mistakes and too much criticism will demoralise them and make them into cautious players, which will then slow their development as soccer players.
Let the coaches coach: Please do not shout instructions during the game, this is the coaches job and multiple instructions will confuse the players.
Do not bribe or offer incentives: If a child is enjoying their soccer there will be no need to provide external motivation. We especially ask parents to not offer rewards for scoring goals as it is detrimental to the development of team spirit.
Performance: If your child has come off the field when their team has lost, but they have played their best, help them to see this as a “win”.
Referees: NZ Football states that the referee’s decision is final. Occasionally they will make mistakes. We all do. If you abuse or shout at the referee you are breaking the rules of the game and risk causing problems for the club.
Safety and Conflict Resolution Policy: Refer our code of conducts above and policy outlined below.

We hope you find this document helpful, if you have any ideas for improving it please let us know.

Safety and Conflict Resolution Policy

Aims and Objectives

Te Aroha Cobras Junior Football recognises that conflict between players, parents, coaches and supporters is a major reason for players and coaches giving up the sport. We also recognise that children should not be subjected to bullying when in our care. The aim of this document is to provide measures for preventing conflict but also for resolving problems when they do occur.

TAC also recognises that coaches and managers are volunteers and will probably not have the skills or experience of managing groups of children that, for instance, a trained teacher would have. It is therefore essential that we have structures in place for dealing with difficult situations when they arise.

Bullying

For the purposes of this document bullying Includes, physical violence, verbal violence, violence to property, criticism of another player’s abilities and excluding others from participation during practice or a match. Every child has the right to be treated with dignity and none of these events should be treated as ‘kids just being kids’.

Coaches should make it clear to the team that bullying is not allowed and should deal with any instance of it immediately. If coaches feel they require help the club will make it available. Persistent bullying will result in the parents becoming involved and in extreme cases the child being asked to leave the team.

Disruptive Team Member

If a child is misbehaving to the point where they disrupt practice it is important that the situation be dealt with immediately. They should be asked to sit out of practice for 5 or 10 minutes and then invited back in when they have cooled off. In the event this has no effect the child may be removed from the rest of practice.

Parents

If parents are unhappy with anything to do with their child we ask that they talk to the coach or manager of the team – as opposed to discussing it on the sideline. If this fails to resolve the situation we then ask that they approach the committee to help with a prompt resolution. TAC wants to ensure that all of our players, coaches and parents are enjoying their sport as much as possible.

Mediation

In the event that either party is not happy with the committee’s attempt to resolve a situation or if members of the committee are involved TAC will employ mediation from outside the club with the assistance of WaiBOP.