Gold Medal Standards for Youth Sports
Action Steps for Implementing the Provisions

These "action steps" will help you implement the provisions of the Pursuing Victory With Honor: Gold Medal Standards for Youth Sports.

1. Background Checks. Develop model legislation concerning background checks for not-for-profit youth serving sports organizations or government agencies offering youth sports. Make a sustained and concerted effort to induce state and federal legislators to provide easily accessible, comprehensive and inexpensive (preferably free) background info to the organization on volunteers who work with youth 14 and under.
   
   

2. Conditions of Use Regarding Sports Facilities. Call on public and private entities that make facilities available for youth sports activities to include the following requirements in agreements on conditions of use:

1. require the sports program to implement procedures to assure that the program is conducted by qualified coaches,
2. that the program adopts specified standards of safety,
3. that the program monitors and enforces high standards of sportsmanship,
4. that the program has arranged for proper emergency action plan and adequate security to protect officials, participants and spectators.

3. Resolution. Request high school, collegiate and professional teams to set the highest possible example, and to rigorously advocate and enforce high standards of sportsmanship, including consistent and firm prohibitions against fighting, spectator violence, taunting, verbal abuse by coaches or spectators, running up the score, teaching or tolerating illegal tactics that violate spirit of rules and tradition of sport.

4. Security. Develop a strategy and forms for involving local law enforcement and emergency service providers as support.
   
   
5. Parent* Materials. Develop short, easy-to-read parent education materials dealing with:

1. nature and potential benefits of youth sports,
2. basic stages of physiological and emotional development,
3. ways to increase the benefits of the sports experience,
4. traps and pitfalls that impede benefits or cause negative reactions,
5. developing realistic expectations re: scholarships and professional career.

6. Codes. Develop and adopt universal codes of conduct that identify specific behavior expectations for youth coaches, athletes, parents, spectators, officials, administrators and volunteers.
   
   
7. FAQs for Parents. Develop a list of frequently asked questions for sports parents including:

1. recreational vs. competitive sports,
2. club vs school or recreational sports,
3. addressing a coach who:
   a) doesn't understand game,
   b) uses negative coaching techniques,
   c) doesn't follow league rules re: playing time,
   d) is unappreciative of youngster's skill,
   e) treats kid unfairly,
   f) makes bad tactical decisions;

4. pros and cons of everyone plays,
5. pros and cons of rotating positions,
6. pros and cons of all-star teams,
7. pros and cons of traveling teams,
8. when to push and when to let go,
9. pros and cons of private coaching.

8. Pre-Season Kit. Develop a pre-season kit including audio tape, instructions to coaches and officials, banners and hand-outs, and codes of conduct.  Include pre-game decorum for coaches, officials and players.

9. Provide Internet quizzes on sportsmanship issues.

10. PVWH Patches and screened logos - Patches or approved logos are available to all organizations which adopt Pursuing Victory With Honor. Special award patches, certificates or pins can be used to reward good sportsmanship demonstrated by teams and/or individuals.

11. More Constructive Media - Organizations can gather and supply Josephson Institute with positive stories, and JI can issue press releases commending those organizations.