California Haze Fastpitch

Policies / Procedures / Code of Conduct

Purpose

The California Haze Girl's Fastpitch Softball Association was founded in 1993 to provide motivated female athletes with the opportunity to compete in youth fastpitch softball in a highly competitive environment.

It is our goal to help these young athletes learn and grow athletically, socially and emotionally in a positive environment that emphasizes respect for coaches and peers while developing character, leadership, personal responsibility and personal accountability.

We emphasize the values of a positive attitude toward challenge and diversity, selflessness and teamwork, self-discipline, sportsmanship and hard work as an avenue towards achieving certain goals and building life skills.

Policies and Procedures

Season of Sport:

The Organization and its teams will participate in both the spring/summer and fall/winter travel ball seasons. The spring/summer season is defined as a period of time after March 1st and will end on or before the 3rd weekend in August. The fall season is defined as a period of time after September 15 and will end on or before the last weekend in November. Prior to these time periods a team may conduct tryouts, or hold team meetings, or conduct open clinics or workouts. Official practices and tournaments should not be scheduled outside of the season of sport.

14U, 16U and 18U teams should not schedule any tournament play or any other contested events, with or without umpires, including friendlies or scrimmages prior to the completion of high school softball unless enough non-high school players are available to play. It is considered a violation of CIF/NCS procedures for High School players to compete and could result in suspension of high school athletes and forfeiture of high school team games.

Teams:

Teams are formed by way of open tryouts to be held from time to time, as well as open recruitment of certain players, individual tryouts, and any other ethical method used by the coach or coaches of a particular age level or team. Coaches are discouraged from recruiting players who are actively rostered and participating on another team during a

season of championship play, (defined as April 1st through the 2nd weekend in August), except for pickup players as defined in the ASA procedures guidelines.

Rosters:

Rosters will be formed for each team during a fall or summer season. Players who have shown interest by tryout or otherwise and are not selected should be notified either by phone, email or use of the notification call deadline procedure. Notification call deadline means that players are informed at the end of tryouts that they will receive a phone call only if they are selected for the team. Those who do not receive a call by the pre-selected deadline date will assume that they were not selected.

Failure to release players in a timely manner could result in that player's inability to play elsewhere. This policy is foremost to maintaining the Organizations stature in our community.

Selected players and their parents or guardians will be required to sign a Code of Conduct Form when moving to different age levels or teams. Players will not be allowed to participate on any team for any reason without having signed this form.

Coaches and Staff:

Head coaches are selected and approved for each team by the Director of the Organization. Head coaches can also be nominated from time to time to the Director by certain individuals from within the Organization who believe that the Organization would benefit from his/her participation as a coach. Assistant coaches are selected by the head coach and are approved by the Director. For the purposes of staff travel expense reimbursement, a maximum of three coaches will be considered as part of the team staff.

Each head coach selected shall display an extensive knowledge of the rules of the game of Fastpitch Softball, the ability and willingness to teach the game to all members of the organization, including the various skills needed to play the game, and the ability to handle him/herself in a manner that represents the highest regard for the Organization and its players. Coaches and their families should always maintain a positive attitude with respect to the staff members and players whom they represent. This is vital to the Organizations survival.

The use of tobacco and alcohol is strictly prohibited by any staff member around the area where children are present at any team or organizational event, official or unofficial.

All staff members are reminded that when dealing with young athletes, inappropriate language, actions or innuendoes will not be tolerated.

Failure to meet the above criteria may result in the removal of a head coach or assistant coach or any other member of a staff from the Organization.

Teams may designate a team scorekeeper as part of its active staff but are then limited to 2 active coaches for purposes of reimbursement. Staff scorekeepers are responsible for keeping accurate and fair records of all games and will be charged with compiling and printing statistics for the coaches. A staff scorekeeper must be designated at the beginning of the season and included in the budget. A replacement scorekeeper may be designated if the staff scorekeeper is unable to perform his/her duties. This policy should not be abused for purposes of travel reimbursement.

Schedules and Budgets:

Teams are run on a separate but unified basis. The head coach for each team is responsible for a team’s schedule, budget and handling of funds. There is no central account. Each head coach will be responsible for providing its team members and/or parents with an accounting budget. That budget should be divided equally among its players to determine the player's fees. The budget should include all expenses for that season including reasonable reimbursement for administration expense, equipment maintenance and pro-rated equipment and uniform replacement as well as travel expenses for up to three active members of the staff.

At the 10U, 12U and 14U levels, it is not recommended that team budgets include players rooms for tournaments that require overnight stays, as the parents at these levels usually travel with their children.

However, at the 16U and 18U levels, where team members can begin to legally drive to tournaments on their own, and where extended travel expense can limit a family’s ability to travel with the team, it is highly recommended that team rooms with chaperones be included in the budget for tournaments which require overnight stays in order to ensure that the players of the team are accommodated regardless of whether a parent elects to travel with the team.

In this circumstance, a female parent chaperone for each room should be chosen from the team to stay in each team room. Chaperones will not be charged for team room expenses. The chaperones may be chosen from a blind draw from those who volunteer. If more than enough parents volunteer, chaperones should be rotated to allow participation.

In consideration for paid accommodations, a chaperone will be charged with the responsibility for the players in her room for the duration of the tournament. These responsibilities include but are not limited to making sure players are supervised, fed and abide by room curfews as designated by the staff, as well as making sure players are at the field or other team events on time.

Travel Expense Reimbursements:

Each member of the staff (up to three maximum) shall be reimbursed for travel expenses regardless of whether or not the staff member has a child participating on that team. The staff member's participating child shall be treated as any other member of the team for budget purposes, sharing in an equal amount of the team’s expenses.

Staff travel expense reimbursements shall be included in the original budget, or added at a later date to include any changes that effect the original schedule, and shall include staff hotel rooms, (1 room per staff member per night at $90 per room all inclusive), airfare to and from tournaments which result in more than 4 hours of driving time, each staff members airport parking charge, rental car transportation (if required) for the staff while at the tournament (1 vehicle per team at $60 per day all inclusive.) Meals and mileage will not be considered for travel reimbursement.

Player/Parent Code of Conduct Form

Players and parents or guardians are required to sign this Player/Parent Code of Conduct form. The signature below indicates that I/we have read, understand and agree to the Policies and Procedures document and the Code of Conduct Form.

The California Haze Code of Conduct defines the Organization’s expectations of its team members and their parents or guardians.

Players:

While participating in organizational activities both on and off the field, players are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that represents a positive attitude, good sportsmanship and respect toward authority. Swearing, disrespect, or misuse of equipment will not be tolerated.

Players are expected to put forth 100% effort at practices and games. Attitudes which are negative or contrary to productive efforts, as well as displays of disrespect towards staff members or other players may result in removal from participation in practices and/or games as well as possible removal from the Organization.

While outside organizational activities, players must be aware that they represent the California Haze at all times and must act in a manner which will uphold the integrity of the Organization. While traveling under the Organization’s name, players are expected to respect the rules and regulations of any establishment or activity in which they are involved, including hotels, motels, restaurants, etc.

Any player who is found to be involved in any illegal activity, or who unlawfully possesses, uses, sells or has been under the influence of a controlled substance including, but not limited to, illegal drugs, tobacco and alcohol will be removed from the Organization. Players who knowingly protect such activities may also be suspended or removed.

Parents and Guardians:

Parents/Guardians traveling with the team are expected to be responsible for their daughter’s behavior while participating outside of tournament play or practice.

The Organization realizes that at times, a parent or guardian may not agree with a coach’s strategy, method of discipline, or coaching technique. Parents should also realize that coaches are human and mistakes can and will be made. Parents/guardians may ask to discuss their concerns with the coaching staff after a 24 hour time period from the end of tournament play and not at any time during tournament play. Verbal or personal attacks against any staff member or player will not be tolerated at any time. Always remember, the right approach will usually result in the most positive resolution.

Violation of the “24 hour rule” at any time during tournament play, or verbal attack directed at any staff member or player at any time, will result in the immediate suspension of the player for a minimum of 2 consecutive games in which the player is present.

Furthermore, the Organization requires its parents and guardians to refrain from creating a negative atmosphere or expressing outwardly negative comments directed at any other player or staff member, including assistant coaches and team scorekeepers. These actions will not be tolerated at any time and will result in suspension as well as possible removal of the player from the team at the discretion of the staff.

Consumption of alcohol at any team event where players are present is strictly prohibited.

Violations of any part of this Code of Conduct by a player, parent or guardian may result in the immediate removal of a player from the team and Organization. This procedure will also result in forfeiture of paid player fees as team expenses are rarely diminished in this situation. No warning is necessary under any of these circumstances.

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Parent/Guardian Player Date

Player/Parent Copy