Staff Code of Conduct
Last updated: April 24th, 2023
Keeping Players Safe
The safety of the players is the coach’s first priority. Coaches should ensure that their environment is safe from any potential physical hazards. Additionally, the coach should ensure the playing environment is open, welcoming and inclusive to all players and members. Finally, the coach should be aware of potential risk factors of players, including medical conditions, injuries, fatigue, etc. This includes following EAFC safety and return to play protocols before reintroducing an injured player.
Model the Club Values
The coach is responsible for modeling the club values (respect, integrity, growth mindset, and player centric behavior). Coaches, in all contact with EAFC players, parents, officials and coaches, should treat others with respect and serve as an example of the club’s values. The same respect should be shown to opponents, coaches, players and officials during game days. Coaches should create a positive learning environment for their players, prioritizing player safety, development and fun. This includes both challenging and motivating players to be the best version of themselves through positive and constructive communication and modeling.
Coaches are expected to act with integrity with staff, players, and families and maintain a high standard of professionalism in all interactions.
Sportsmanship
EAFC wishes to ensure that games are fair, positive and enjoyable experiences for the children and adults involved. Coaches should require all players and spectators to adhere to the highest level of sportsmanship at all times.
Relating to Officials
Coaches should demonstrate respect for the official and his/her/their role. Coaches can help referees improve by letting them concentrate on the game, accepting their inevitable and occasional mistakes. It’s best practice for coaches to introduce themselves to the referee before the game. Outside of breaks, a coach can address the referee to request a substitution or bring attention to an injury and/or unsportsmanlike conduct. After the game, they should thank the referee and ask players to do the same. If a coach is concerned about the referee’s ability to maintain safety of the players during the game, please send those concerns to the EAFC Referee Coordinator - referee@eastshorealliancefc.org.
Communications and Conflict Management
Coaches are responsible for managing their environment and communicating with parents regarding player development concerns. Coaches should be responsive to parent (or players in 11v11 model) questions/concerns; the general guideline is to respond within 24-48 hours after the initial communication. An exception to this guideline is an emergency situation where player safety is involved. In this instance, the coach should be available for immediate communication with the parents to ensure the player is safe. If needed, the coach can reach out to the appropriate age-group Director of Coaching for additional advice or guidance regarding communication with parents. Should conflict arise between EAFC coaches, players, or parents, it is required that such confrontations be addressed in the appropriate manner (with respect), and at the appropriate time (privately).
Multiple instances of not meeting coach expectations may result in disciplinary action.
Environmental Context
The following code of conduct enforces Eastshore Alliance Fútbol Club's mission to provide the optimum environment to elevate the player experience while fostering growth, development, and positive change within our community.
This code of conduct is centered on the promotion of diversity and of good relations between persons belonging to all the different groups in society, as part of a club-wide equality mandate.
Grounds covered by the Eastshore Alliance Fútbol Club code of conduct are race, color, language, religion, citizenship, nationality or ethnic origin, sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as intersectional discrimination while also integrating a gender perspective. Under definition of this code of conduct, equality may also cover additional grounds such as sex, gender, age and disability.
Eastshore Alliance Fútbol Club staff members, as well as membership (players and families), are expected to obey the following code of conduct that has been set in place. This policy holds each of these groups personally responsible for their conduct when affiliated with Eastshore Alliance Fútbol Club. Any violations of this conduct will be reviewed by a committee, thoroughly investigated and subject to ruling that is consistent with the grounds of the offense.
For an explanation of the grounds covered within the environmental context of this document, please see ‘DISCRIMINATION EXPLAINED’ section as an educational resource to help all parties recognize and react when presented with bias-related incidents of discrimination and harassment. For a glossary of social justice terms pertinent to this document, please see the ‘GLOSSARY’ section as a resource to aid in facilitating dialogue.
DISCRIMINATION EXPLAINED
RACE:
Racial discrimination may be defined as the hatred and bias of one individual by another individual — or the belief that someone is less than human — because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person.
COLOR:
Discrimination based on skin color, also known as colorism or shadeism, is a form of prejudice or discrimination in which people are treated differently based on the social implications from cultural meanings attached to skin color. Colorism highlights biases that proliferate between persons of either different or even identical ethnicity. It is the belief that someone with any degree of lighter complexion is more valuable than someone with darker skin.
LANGUAGE:
Language discrimination occurs when an individual is treated differently because of their native language or other characteristics of their language skills. An individual may experience language discrimination if they are treated worse than other individuals because they speak English with an accent, or if they are told they do not qualify for something due to their English being deemed not good enough.
RELIGION :
Religious discrimination occurs when an individual treats another individual or group differently because of the beliefs which they hold about a religion. This includes instances when adherents of different religions, denominations or non-religions are treated unequally due to their beliefs in a community-based setting.
GLOSSARY
CITIZENSHIP:
Discrimination based on immigration or citizenship status occurs when an individual is treated differently in their employment because of their citizenship or immigration status. It is different from national origin discrimination because the characteristic the discrimination is based on is the individual's immigration status, rather than whether an individual or his or her ancestors came from another country.
NATIONALITY + ETHNIC ORIGIN:
National origin discrimination involves treating individuals unfavorably because they are from a certain country or part of the world, because of ethnicity or accent, or because they appear to be of a certain ethnic background even if they are not. This type of discrimination also can involve treating people unfavorably because they are married to, or associated with, a person of a certain national origin.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION + GENDER IDENTITY:
Sexual orientation discrimination occurs if an individual is treated less favorably than another individual because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, heterosexual or transgender. Gender identity discrimination occurs if an individual is treated less favorably than someone else because they are transgender or are transitioning.
INTERSECTIONAL:
Intersectional discrimination takes place on the basis of several personal grounds or characteristics and identities, which operate and interact with each other at the same time in such a way as to be inseparable. For example, racism and sexism cannot be solved simply by including more minority women within an existing analytical framework or structure that is broken; but rather, the whole framework needs to be rethought.
STAFF PROCEDURE FOR VIOLATIONS
The following information constitutes the Eastshore Alliance Fútbol Club Staff Procedure for Violations of the Code of Conduct. These procedures were set in place to ensure that Eastshore Alliance Fútbol Club, our staff member, and membership, have a clear and concise understanding and plan of action if an incident that violates the Code of Conduct occurs.
Our Staff Procedure for Violations of the Code of Conduct apply to incidents that occur during club or team training, home or away matches and exhibitions, or any club event and social gathering.
TEAM TRAINING OR SOCIAL EVENT (INTERNAL EAFC)
The player that has committed the violation must be immediately removed from the environment in which they are training and must separated from their team to avoid further escalation of the situation or continued provocation against the targeted individual.
The player that was targeted or treated unjustly, is to also be immediately removed from the environment in which they are training and separated away from the provocateur. A staff member will then notify the player’s parent or guardian, as they will be instructed to come to the field. It is up to the player’s parent or guardian if the player is comfortable to continue with training.
The player that has committed the violation must have their parent or guardian contacted immediately, as they will also be instructed to come to the field to be briefed on the situation and understand the repercussions of such reprehensible actions. This player will be removed from the facility by the parent or guardian and will not be allowed back until directed, if directed.
The coach involved with the team that has a violation committed is responsible for recording all contact information of both the offending party, and the targeted party. It is the coach’s obligation to ensure that all recorded contact information is accurate and up-to-date. This is imperative in making sure contact methods are streamlined.
The coach involved with the team that has a violation committed must also contact the Eastshore Alliance Fútbol Club’s age-appropriate Director of Coaching and the Executive Directors immediately to address that an incident has occurred.
It is the coach’s obligation to provide a written account of the incident as it occurred, how it was handled, and the chronological sequence in which it occurred in order to ensure accuracy. This written account must be provided to the age-appropriate Director of Coaching and the Executive Directors for administrative purposes and to aid in an investigative effort.
Aside from the player that has committed the violation being removed from the facility and a team environment, the offending player will be suspended immediately and indefinitely. This status will remain in place until otherwise determined.
Any change in a player’s eligibility status, or upholding of such a status, will be determined by a thorough and unbiased investigation that will be conducted by EAFC’s Protest, Appeals, and Discipline (PAD) Committee. In no other way will a player’ eligibility status be unchanged unless it is through this committee.
MATCH SETTING OR EVENT (EXTERNAL AGAINST EAFC)
Coach must immediately address the center referee and opposing coach as the incident occurs or is communicated to the coach. It is the coach’s obligation to best provide the center referee and opposing coach with an account of what has transpired.
If in the event a referee and opposing coach do not remove the player in question that has committed a violation against an Eastshore Alliance Fútbol Club player, the coach must remove their team from the field and communicate to the center referee that their team will not return to playing unless action is taken to address this violation.
The coach or team manager will be required to contact the player’s parent or guardian immediately in order to let them know what has transpired with their player on the field. It is the coach’s obligation to make sure that the targeted player is the priority in that moment and that they are protecting their players.
If a player’s parent does not feel comfortable having their player compete in any matches throughout the duration of the day, or throughout the duration of the remaining event, the coach will respect the parent or guardian's decision.
Under no circumstance is a coach allowed to leave for an impending match or warmup without contacting the targeted player’s parents or guardian and speaking with them about the situation (if the parent/ guardian is unavailable, leave a detailed message and callback number). If possible, the coach or team manager can contact a member of internal staff to cover for their other team while this situation is addressed.
The coach involved with the team that has a violation committed must also contact the age-appropriate Director of Coaching and the Executive Directors immediately to address that an incident has occurred.
The coach is required to contact the player’s parent or guardian a second time within 24 hours of the incident to provide any updates on the situation and to check on the well-being of the player. A consistent line of communication will be established and enforced until the situation is resolved, remaining committed to the justice and protection of our players.
If the violation of the Code of Conduct occurs within a NorCal Premier match or environment, the Executive Director of Finance and Administration is required to file a NorCal Premier Protest, Appeals, and Discipline complaint with NorCal Premier and US Club Soccer.
If the violation occurs within a tournament setting, the Executive Director of Finance and Administration is required to file a complaint with US Club Soccer.
MANAGER GUIDANCE
LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS - SIDELINE + ON FIELD
Team managers will be the first point of contact if there is an incident that needs to be brought to the coach’s attention. Managers are required to be the eyes and ears of the coach involving incidents that occur on the sidelines of matches, holding an expanded role in ensuring the safety, protection, and well-being of players.
Coaches are required to be cognizant of issues that take place on the field and are expected to react in a timely and protective manner. Any issues brought forth to coaches by team managers involving a sideline incident are required to be addressed using the procedure outline provided.
After reporting the incident to the coach, managers will be required to write an incident report that details the situation. This document will be sent to the Executive Director of Finance and Administration and be kept for administrative purposes and may aid as a piece of affirmation in a disciplinary context. This report will be written objectively and remain unbiased, providing crucial information pertinent to the offense.
The Eastshore Alliance Fútbol Club age-appropriate Director of Coaching is required to send any incidents regarding discrimination to the Executive Director of Finance and Administration, who will update the club’s Board of Directors in order to keep leadership and higher authorities in the loop. Next steps will be coordinated and communicated to the affected parties to ensure transparent communication.