Character Counts

Code Of Conduct Promotes Good Sportsmanship

By Selena Chavis

Bad behavior at sports events can involve teammates, coaches and even parents. Public displays of poor behavior and conduct can seriously mar the image of a sports association or team. It can also affect team morale. So, it’s these types of situations that make it essential for a group to have implemented a code of conduct, according to Jon Butler, executive director of Pennsylvania-based Pop Warner Little Scholars Inc.

“We have a code of conduct in our national rulebook that covers typical areas, such as profanity, tobacco use and other behavior areas,” he said. “Specifically, when we get to events like our regional and national championships, we have additional articles of understanding.”

Having a code of conduct in place doesn’t mean you won’t have any problems, but Butler said it does provide the necessary recourse to take action. “The thing we hear over and over is ‘Show it to us in writing.’”

Pop Warner has had a code of conduct for more than a decade, and all coaches are required to sign the code of conduct for each event. “[The code of conduct] gives us the tools to go back and say, ‘We are having a tribunal hearing based on you or your team,” Butler said.

In fact, in a couple of instances that made newspaper headlines, Butler said Pop Warner enacted a tribunal against two teams within the organization for violation of policy. One team with prior, cited instances was banned from postseason participation for three years, and the team’s coaches were suspended for a year. “We hold the head coach responsible for behavior of not only his or her team but also of the assistant coaches, parents and players.”

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has taken the concept a step further with the Champions of Character program. Rob Haworth, vice president of NAIA’s Champions of Character, said the program is about creating a new culture of values in sports. Launched in 2000, the Champions of Character program addresses character issues more comprehensively than any other national program for youth, Haworth said, and it currently reaches hundreds of thousands of students on nearly 300 NAIA-member college and university campuses across the country. “We were challenged by our leadership to help establish some standards in competition,” Haworth said. “The program tries to teach character traits. It’s not just a rules document; it’s something to strive for.”

The Champions of Character program is designed to instill an understanding of character values in sports and provide practical tools for student-athletes, coaches and parents to use in modeling exemplary character traits. Haworth said that the goal is to have spectators see something inherently different from teams in this program. “It should be reflected inside our play.”

The program features five core character traits—respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship—and each trait is defined by measurable goals and expectations. Alongside campus-based program centers at NAIA colleges and universities across North America, a community outreach education effort is also provided to local schools and sports programs.

Haworth said that the idea is to educate and promote meaningful change in the culture of sport in local communities. “It works as a pledge but also as a guiding document to help change a culture of sports,” he said, adding that a measure is being brought before the NAIA Council in April that will enact the requirement for groups to sign the code of conduct for events, if approved.

The education component of Champions of Character focuses on the importance of modeling behavior at every level of sports play and how the “trickle-down effect” builds values from youth sports up to collegiate and professional levels, Haworth said. “If we could all take responsibility to understand that our behavior is going to be modeled, that’s when change will start to occur,” he said. “We’re coming together as an athletic community to understand that there are great lessons to be learned at every level of play.”

Haworth suggested that groups be careful not to focus only on “thou shalt nots” when developing a code of conduct, but also on the core values and positive nature of the code of conduct’s overriding goal. “Don’t make a few negative issues the highlight of your code,” he said, adding that in some cases it’s best to address issues one-on-one.

Consider the integrity of a team’s approach, Haworth added, pointing to factors that will lead to being a “gracious host,” such as hospitality toward opposing teams, officials and spectators. “What is going to be our response to them in positive and negative situations?” he asked, suggesting that teams go out of their way to accommodate an opposing team’s needs and try to proactively avoid disputes.

Butler suggested that organizations deal with negative situations immediately, because “people’s memories get fuzzy and very narrow.” When Pop Warner finds it necessary to hold a tribunal hearing, it’s usually within 24 hours of an incident, he said.

Having realistic expectations is another important factor to establishing an effective code of conduct, Haworth said, noting that what works on the collegiate level will not likely work for youth sports.

Haworth is optimistic that the Champions of Character program will enact long-termed change in the sport industry, because organizations that have pledged to the program are willing to put themselves under a microscope. “When you go and step out in the light…and then you have instances where players don’t reflect the values, you open yourself up to criticism. We would prefer to take that information, learn from those instances and keep striving.”