GENERAL PROVISIONS
- Sports can and should be a setting in which personal
character including integrity, respect, responsibility and fairness are built. (NAIA)
- Sports can and should be a significant part of a sound
educational program. (NAIA)
- Sports can and should be a constructive force in the lives
of millions of sports followers throughout our nation. (NAIA)
- To assure that sports is a constructive social force,
principles of sportsmanship and fair play ought to be held high above all other values to
be gained through sports participation. (NAIA)
- Proper ethics in sports implies a standard of character
which affords confidence and trust. (NAIA)
- The essential elements of ethics in sports are honesty and
integrity. It is only through such conduct that sports can earn and maintain a rightful
place in our educational program and make a positive contribution to society. (NAIA)
- The administration of sports athletics should be carried
out in such a manner that the educational aims of the institution will be fulfilled.
(NAIA)
- The administrator of sports is responsible for both the
principles and practices of the sports program being consistent with the broad educational
purposes of the institution and highest ethical and moral standards of sports. (NAIA)
- Winning is a consideration, but not the only one, nor the
most important one. Remember, players are involved in hockey for fun and enjoyment. (USH)
- Coaches should enthusiastically support and practice the
“Good Sportsmanship” and “Positive Coaching” philosophies of the
league (AYSO)
TRUSTWORTHINESS
(Public Statements and Advertising)
- Refrain from false, misleading or deceptive statements re:
qualifications, fees, services or products. (USOC)
- Do not make any false, misleading or deceptive public
statement concerning any matter related to coaching activities or credential including:
training and experience; academic degrees, affiliations, services, the success of services
and fees. (USOC)
- Assure that all public statements relating to professional
services, products, or publications, including those made by others engaged to create or
place such statements are accurate and not misleading. (USOC)
- Make reasonable efforts to prevent others outside the
coach’s control (such as employers, sponsors and media) from making deceptive
statements concerning the coach. (USOC)
- Make reasonable efforts to correct untrue, misleading or
deceptive statements made by others concerning the coach. (USOC)
- Do not seek testimonials from current athletes or others
who are vulnerable to undue influence. (USOC)
- Do not compensate members of the communication media in
return for publicity. (USOC)
- Assure that paid advertisements for coaches services are
clearly labeled. (USOC)
RESPECT
(Sportsmanship)
- Instruct participants and spectators in proper
sportsmanship responsibilities and demand that they make sportsmanship the No. 1 priority.
(PIAA)
- Display modesty in victory and graciousness in defeat in
public and in meeting and talking with the media. (PIAA)
- Strive to teach each student to be humble in victory and
gracious in defeat, to be above bragging or using alibis, and help develop inner strength
and poise. (NAIA)
RESPECT (for Athletes)
- Respect the integrity and personality of the individual
athlete. (PIAA)
- Treat each athlete as an individual (NYSCA)
- Respect fundamental rights, dignity and worth of athletes
and their family members, other coaches, officials, volunteers, administrators and
spectators. (USOC)
- Do not exploit athletes or others over whom one has
supervisory, evaluative or other authority. (USOC)
- Establish appropriate process for providing feedback to
athletes. 4.04(a)
- Develop fair, unprejudiced relationships with all team
members (MHSAA)
- Strongly discourage booing and other discourteous conduct.
(NAIA)
- Not criticize players publicly. (USH)
- Never yell at or ridicule athletes for making mistakes or
losing a game (AYSO)
- Never verbally abuse a player . (USH)
- Never physically abuse a player . (USH)
- Make reasonable efforts to avoid conduct that is personally
demeaning to athletes or others. (USOC)
RESPECT (Sexual
Conduct)
- Refrain from sexual solicitation, physical advances, and
verbal or nonverbal conduct that is unwelcome, offensive, or creates a hostile environment
or is sufficiently severe to be considered abusive to a reasonable person in the context.
(USOC)
- Treat sexual harassment complainants and respondents with
dignity and respect. (USOC)
- Do not engage in sexual/romantic relationships with any
person over whom the coach has evaluative or direct or indirect authority. (USOC)
- Do not engage in sexual intimacies with current athletes.
(USOC)
- Do not coach athletes with whom they have engaged in sexual
intimacies. (USOC)
- Do not engage in sexual intimacies with former athletes for
at least two years after cessation of professional services. (USOC)
- Do not engage in sexual intimacies with former athletes
even after the two year interval except in most unusual circumstances where coach can bear
the burden of showing the relationship is not exploitative. (USOC)
RESPONSIBILITY (General)
- Conduct their sports programs in a manner that places major
emphasis on building character, sound health, and broad educational aims, rather than
merely an economic program or publicity medium built on winning (NAIA)
- Always keep the best interests of each student-athlete as
their aim and never be guilty of enhancing their professional progress by the use of a
student's skill for personal benefit. (NAIA)
- Strive to instill in every youth great purposes and aims in
living and use the desire to play not as an end, but as a training ground for the
student’s highest development. (NAIA)
- Use every means at their command to protect the moral,
mental and physical health of those under their guidance and never be party to the use of
athletics for the financial or political gain of any office or group. (NAIA)
- Encourage all athletes to avail themselves of the best
experiences to be gained in a well-rounded education and to progress normally toward
graduation. (NAIA)
- Help each athlete under their guidance toward the
development of honest habits of work and pride in work well done and shall not practice or
allow evasion in any obligation surrounding the athletics program. (NAIA)
- Shoulder total responsibility as a leader through athletics
and not allow that responsibility to be transferred to any person or group outside the
educational institution. (NAIA)
- Shall make every effort to conduct the sports program in
such a manner as to give full and active support to the educational aims of the
institution. (NAIA)
- Never encourage participation in athletics as an end in
itself. (NAIA)
- Place the emotional and physical well-being of their
athletes ahead of a personal desires to win. (NYSCA)
- Be concerned with the overall development of all their
athletes. (USH)
RESPONSIBILITY (Safety)
- Do their best to provide a safe playing situation for their
athletes (NYSCA)
- Give the highest degree of attention to athletes’
physical well-being (MHSAA)
- Review and practice the basic first aid principles needed
to treat injuries of their athletes (NYSCA)
- Follow the advice of a physician when determining when and
injured athlete is ready to play again (AYSO)
RESPONSIBILITY
(Leading by Example,
Role Modeling, Protection of Reputation and Image)
- Be sensitive to their position as a role model for athletes
even in personal behavior and private activities. (USOC)
- Exemplify the highest moral character, behavior and
leadership, adhering to strong ethical and integrity standards. (PIAA)
- Set a good example for players and spectators to follow.
(PIAA)
- Lead by example in demonstrating fair play and
sportsmanship (NYSCA)
- Present a clean and professional image in terms of personal
appearance and provide a positive role model in terms of personal habits, language and
conduct (MHSAA)
- Model policies for athletes’ conduct and language in
the locker room, at practice, during travel, during competition, and at other appropriate
times (MHSAA)
- Adhere at all times to standards of personal and
professional behavior which reflect credit on the sports and teams they coach, their
institutions, themselves, and the whole process and practice of coaching (CSCA)
- Avoid private activities that can influence the coaching
environment if perceived as immoral or illegal. (USOC)
- Avoid improper and potentially harmful relationships.
(USOC)
- Refrain from private conduct that may compromise
professional responsibility or reduce the public’s trust in the coaching profession.
- Not commit a crime or other improper act that reflects
adversely on the sport, the coaching profession or the coach’s institution (CSCA)
- Discourage gambling in conjunction with athletic events, at
playing sites and during road trips. (USH)
- Discourage use of pornographic material and refrain from
the use of pornography while coaching and make every effort to avoid pornography while in
the presence of athletes. (USH)
RESPONSIBILITY
(Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco)
- Provide a sports environment that is free of drugs,
tobacco, and alcohol (NYSCA)
- Refrain from using of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol at all
youth sports events (NYSCA)
- Refrain from use of tobacco within sight of players and
spectators (MHSAA)
- Refrain from use of alcohol on the day of and before an
event or game they are coaching (MHSAA)
- Refrain from tobacco and alcohol use while coaching and
make every effort to avoid use in the presence of athletes. (USOC)
- Do not tolerate the use of performance-enhancing drugs and
support athlete’s efforts to be drug-free. (USOC)
- Discourage the use of alcohol and tobacco in conjunction
with athletic events or victory celebrations at playing sites. (USOC)
- Forbid use of alcohol by minors. (USOC)
FAIRNESS (General)
- Be consistent, fair and just. (USH)
- Insist upon adherence to both the letter and the spirit of
high sportsmanship and playing rules. (NAIA)
- Never evade or violate playing rules to gain an advantage.
(NAIA)
- Use only fair and honest means in their desire for personal
achievement and shall count the goodwill of their peers far above any achievement unfairly
gained. (NAIA)
- Do not deny an athlete a right to participate based on the
athlete’s having made sexual harassment charges. (USOC)
- Allow athletes to prove themselves anew each season and do
not base team selections on previous seasons or out-of-season activities (MHSAA)
- Evaluate athletes on the basis of actual performance on
relevant and established program requirements. (USOC)
- Perform evaluations or team selections within the context
of a defined professional relationship. (USOC)
- Assessments, recommendations, reports, and evaluative
statements used to select team members must be based on information and techniques
sufficient to provide appropriate substantiation for findings. (USOC)
- Confine scouting of competitors to regularly scheduled
games and never seek to intrude upon practice sessions. (NAIA)
- Seek to trade game films in lieu of personal scouting
whenever practicable. (NAIA)
- Enthusiastically support and practice the “Everyone
Plays,” philosophy of the league (AYSO)
CARING (General)
- Be good listeners and adjust to the problems and needs of
their players. (USH)
- Care more about the development and overall well-being of
their athletes than winning. (USH)
- Be generous with praise when it is deserved. (USH)
CITIZENSHIP (General)
- Work with the admissions office of the institution and
should be permitted to recommend qualified athletes for admission, but should in no way
permit the records or transcripts of prospective student-athletes to pass through their
office, nor ever attempt to bring pressure upon the admissions officer or committee to
admit an applicant merely because he/she possesses exceptional athletic ability. (NAIA)
- Cooperate fully in support of the faculty on eligibility
requirements and insist that all athletes fulfill the same academic requirements as all
other students at the institution. (NAIA)
- Abide by the rules of the game in letter and in spirit.
(PIAA)
- Teach the rules of the game in letter and in spirit. (PIAA)
- Make available knowledge to contribute to human welfare.
(USOC)
- Comply with the law. (USOC)
- Encourage the development of law and policy that serve the
interest of sport. (USOC)
- Contribute time for public interest. (USOC)
©2006 / Josephson Institute
