Arrows Baseball
Code of Conduct - revised April 2022
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.
Psalm 127 4-5
Parent’s Responsibilities
Parent Code of Conduct
YOU are the warrior
These policies are created in conjunction with the Player Code of Conduct that will be reviewed by our coaches with every potential player prior to joining Arrows Baseball. Please review the policies and discuss them with your player. They must be adhered to in order to maintain the integrity of the program. We understand this may require a change in how families participate in our program when compared to prior baseball programs and we are happy to provide further clarification if needed. Please understand that each area of these expectations are designed to create a more responsible and independent young athlete. We are glad you are considering joining Arrows and hope that this baseball environment will help your family enjoy the game of baseball and allow you to get to know Jesus better.
Communication (the biggest section)
This is the biggest factor in the success of your player and in turn the Arrows program. We encourage proper communication and have little tolerance for addressing concerns without respect for the situation or individual you’re in communication with. This is a competitive program and with competition comes concentrated emotions that can be challenging to manage. We have some very long days in tough conditions at times and emotions can be challenging to manage when tired, hungry, etc. Keep this in mind and you’ll be fine…
Be positive. People love to challenge individuals that associate themselves with religious organizations. We are a Christian Baseball Program. As we grow in fellowship and practice good sportsmanship, you will recognize more poor sportsmanship in others. Although sometimes our first response is to bring their actions to the attention of all, we’ve found it best to let others recognize their own behavior or approach them at a later date. We are not fearful of confrontation, but must keep in mind that escalating the situation can make a poor example to the players and others. As a member of Arrows, positive communications on social media is also a requirement. You are an Arrow just like your player, please be mindful of how you represent us in all areas. This is the only warning that you may get so please keep in mind, you represent all of us and some actions are cause for dismissal.
In-person communications with others in the program are welcomed and all have a time and place. It is our commitment to players, coaches, and other Arrows, that communications will be respectful and direct to the person they pertain to. Asking another parent why a coach made a particular choice in position or playing time almost never gets you the correct answer.
Be mindful of timing and content. If you have a question about strategy or would like clarification on how your player can get more time on the field, do not approach the coaching staff after a game. Email them your concerns on the next day and let them set a time to talk with you.
The program leadership doesn’t tolerate vulgar language directed at anyone and you and your player could be immediately dismissed for your actions.
Coach and Player - Direct communication and player corrections happen quickly. We will yell directions to the players as needed if they are not close by. It is not our coaching philosophy to belittle, insult, or embarrass, our players, the umpire, or the opponent. However, different players respond to different types of communication and as a coach and player develop a relationship, a coach can choose to challenge players to get the most out of them. The language of the coaching staff will avoid profanity and show players how to maintain self control in all situations. The coaching staff will avoid sarcasm, as much as possible, because of the confusion it can cause young players. Accountability is important and will be direct and timely.
All practices and games will be concluded with a team meeting including prayer. Failure to stay until the meeting concludes can be mistaken for exiting the program, so please communicate to the coaching staff if you need to leave any event early.
Parent and Coach - Arrows is here to help all players develop as baseball players and young athletes. The Parent and Coach relationship is a great factor in how much a player will do what the coach asks. “Buying in” by the parent shows that what the coach says is correct and should be what the player does. On the flip side, if either parent doesn’t agree with a technique or decision, the natural response by the player is to stop listening to direction by the coach. Players will always side with the parent so if you don’t understand why the coaching staff is doing something, just ask the coach. We want to explain not just the “how” but the “why” to the players and parents, sometimes we don’t have time to do so immediately.
Coaches tend to get caught up with the communication with the players and when the parents ask “why do you do that?” The player can’t properly explain the concept and the parent says “well that doesn’t makes sense” then the player loses belief that what they were learning was correct. We can’t stress this enough, if you don’t understand, encourage your player to keep learning and ask the coach for more clear explanations directly.
Parent and Player - Be your player’s biggest fan. Cheer for them (and all the players on the field) knowing that your opinion means the world to them, whether they admit it or not. Don’t be a coach during the game. Bombarding the on-deck hitter with reminders will keep them from being relaxed and able to focus on the pitch. The time for instruction and reps is at practice. Allow the coaches to provide the technical reminders at the plate and in the on-deck circle.
Learning new techniques and advanced rules of Baseball can be challenging. The leadership of Arrows has so much experience in developing players and that has had several examples of players that get caught up in the statistical analysis of themselves and of teammates. The focus on stats creates caparison and division within the team every time. As an Arrow parent, don’t encourage the comparison to others with your player. Keep things positive and understand that success on the field will come from repeated attempts, both wins and losses are both great learning opportunities. When you communicate with any player, don’t focus on the areas they need to improve immediately following a game/practice. Players know what they have done is wrong, so do the coaches and those areas will become a focus for the next practice. The best thing a player can hear during a failure is “Yeah, I know it didn’t go your way, but I love watching you play.”
Parent to Parent - We never completely know what each other are going through. Both opponents and teammates are not always transparent with personal issues that could surface at a bad time. Do not engage a parent from another team in an offensive manner, it embarrasses everyone associated with you and can be cause for dismissal. It is our goal to provide an environment where parents and players can share in fellowship and the best way to maintain that environment, is to build real relationships with people with common interests (like youth sports).
Technology and Stats
We use the Game Changer Manager App (GC) as our primary organization communication tool. GC shows practice and game schedules, as well as, broadcasting communications for team correspondence and the video of games. You’ll need to download this app for your mobile device. Be mindful of how you comment on GC communication threads.
We do not typically share statistical information during the season. We use the stats to maximize batting lineups and share how different techniques have improved production. Stats can be very harmful to a team if openly accessible.
Timeliness
Our program’s leadership has used decades of combined experiences to determine how efficiently we can help players improve. The simple fact is the more time we practice, in an efficient manner, the more repetitions players can perform with the proper techniques. This starts by communicating to players when the next baseball event will take place and allowing them time to prepare for it. Encourage your player to locate and set out the uniform a day in advance. We will teach them how to wear their uniform and get their gear into their bags.
It is our expectation that all players will wear the following: cleats, socks (of team color), baseball pants, protective cup for boys, sliding shorts, belt, team practice jersey (tucked in) or game jersey (tucked in), and team hat. Looking sharp is respectful to the program, it creates organization and shows the players that an Arrows event is a special event.
Practices will start on time. Players have little control over when they arrive even if they are prepared. We do not punish players for being late to practice, so please don’t feel like you have to drive in an unsafe manner to avoid your player getting punished. However, if they arrive not properly dressed and walk to the practice area (typically dugout) then they aren’t doing all they can, and may have consequences. Typically, we simply remind the players they can do more to get ready.
There’s a timeliness to communication as well. Being competitive has moments of heightened emotions, do not approach the coaching staff with questions of strategy or a players playing time immediately following a game. The best way to relay concerns is the next day in an email with what the call will be about and set up a time to discuss.
Commitment
Baseball is a series of individual events and at times your player and the team may be in a slump. If you do not look at the trajectory of the player and team, your commitment will waiver. If you join the Arrows your commitment is for the season. Other families are counting on you and the organization is invested in you. If we have a problem in our program, our commitment to you is we will make every effort to improve the situation. Baseball is challenging in the sense that we all recognize that every piece of the team is equally important, but may not get equal portions of at-bats, defensive innings, or recognition. This is competitive baseball and just because your player may not play every inning doesn’t not mean they aren’t vital to the team. Many things happen to get the team an out or a run. Only one player touches home or holds the ball at the end of the play. In the MLB when there’s a walkout win the team celebrates the hitter not the runner that scored.
Other Conduct Areas
Music - No vulgar or sexually suggestive lyrics. No music at excessive volume. No music while the opposing pitcher is on the rubber. It is “walk-up” music not “dig-in” music. Start it early and keep it for the batter not everyone at the park.
Alcohol Consumption - Alcohol consumption at any team event will not be tolerated. This includes before and after games, practices, or other activities.
We do not support guest playing outside the organization. If you are asked to guest play during the season, it must be considered after after the requesting teams coach has spoken with your players head coach. We understand that very rarely exceptions can be made but very frequently our players are approached to join other teams for short or long terms. It does not go well for your current team (now they question your commitment to their player and the team, nor does it go well for the other team)
Parent Commitment Form
By allowing my/our son/daughter to participate in Arrows Baseball, I agree to abide by the Arrows Athletics team Parent Code of Conduct. I will display the values and character encouraged by this document and understand the consequences for violating these rules could be removal from the program with no refund on dues paid.
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Parent or Guardian Signature Date
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Parent or Guardian Signature Date
Player’s Responsibilities
Player Code of Conduct
Be nice to your former, new, and current teammates, we are all Arrows no matter what shirt or hat we have on. We are proud of the Arrows program and you are an Arrow whether you’re on the team on not. Do not use bad language. You can’t keep yourself from hearing bad words, but you don’t have to use them and you know the difference. Mind your tongue, it’s yours and you are responsible for it. Be respectful. The umpire, coaches, and parents are older than you and you will always want older people to like you. Being a bully is not cool. If you pick on a teammate for making a mistake or something they can’t control like a physical attribute or emotion, it will not be tolerated and you’ll be asked to leave the program if a conversation with your parent doesn’t solve the issue. We want you to cheer for your team almost all the time. Don’t squeal or scream to distract our opponent unless you are a little girl. Clean-up after your team, we will leave areas we occupy clean, all the time. Ask questions. We are here to teach and it’s not cool to act like you know something and cost the team outs, runs, or create an unsafe situation. Make sure you know. If you get to practice late it’s probably not your fault. If you don’t arrive dressed to play and run to where the team is, it is your fault. Even if you’re early, run to the dugout or warm-up area. Get excited to play. Look like a ballplayer all the time and be ready to learn new things.
I understand this and will do all the above to the best of my ability,
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Player Date
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