Lakes Region United Code of Conduct
Please review LRU's Code of Conduct. As a club, we expect our coaches and fans to respect the game, the referees, and the competition.
Referees
Refs at the younger age group are typically newly certified and learning the game.
They will make mistakes. It is not a fan’s job to critique their performance publicly. Imagine your own child in that position and how you would want them to be treated, regardless of their performance. Many of the refs in the area are, in fact, LRU players.
Let players play and coaches coach
The number one complaint we hear from players is that their coach is telling them one thing and a fan is telling them something else. A player on the ball is often making two decisions per second. Please refrain from adding confusion and let them play. Please let the coaches be the voice to the players.
Sideline Behavior Issues
The referee’s code is to Ask, Tell, Dismiss when it comes to behavior issues either by coaches or fans. As a club, we expect our fans to represent the club and community well.
Escalation
If a fan’s sideline behavior is deemed unacceptable based on this code of conduct;
1. The offending fan will be Asked to stop.
2. If the behavior continues, the fan will beTold to stop.
3. In extreme cases, if unable to restrain themselves after being told, a fan will be Dismissed and told to leave the field of play. The referee has the authority to stop the game until he or she is satisfied.
While we don’t expect any of our fans will ever need to be dismissed, we want all fans to understand the expectation and escalation policy.
Code of Conduct
A. Just as you've earned your child’s respect through your personal discipline and sense of responsibility at home, teach your child to respect the officials of the game and his or her teammates. You can best do this by not openly criticizing the decisions of officials, accepting them as part of the give-and-take of life. A child soon loses admiration for a coach or an official if his/her parents feel they discriminate against him/her.
B. Remember the coaches are volunteers. They give significant amounts of time so your child can develop and play. Treat them with respect even when you don’t agree.
C. Respect the Referees. Even the best referees will make mistakes. Accept it as part of the game. At the younger age groups, just as the players are learning to play, the refs are learning to ref.
D. Come to the games with your athlete and encourage him/her and their teammates. It means a lot to a youngster when Mom and Dad are “out there” watching.
E. Applaud good effort by the players and let the coach point out the mistakes.
F. Since you do not condone loud or abusive language and gestures at home, do not tolerate such things during a game. Remember, a child imitates, sometimes without thinking. If you tolerate abusive language toward soccer officials, you may well form a child who abuses others later.
G. Never tolerate or laugh at an intentional bad play. If you do, you disrupt the discipline that coaches try to instill in the players.
H. Don’t forget that a soccer game is a form of recreation and not a life and death struggle. Keep a rein on your emotions regardless of who wins or loses.
I. Do not criticize a player while on the field. No one likes to hear disparaging remarks about their child.
J. Your vote of confidence in the character and abilities of our coaches is also a vote of confidence in your athlete.
K. Provide transportation to and from all practices and games ensuring that the player is prompt not only in arriving but in his/her departure.
L. Allow your child to be a child.
M. Let the coaches coach, the players play, and the referees ref.