Kings Youth Athletic Program

Code of Conduct

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Our Commitment

Youth sports should support the physical, social, and emotional development of young people. Everyone participating in or attending a Kings Youth Athletic Program activity is expected to promote safety, respect, sportsmanship, discipline, teamwork, and character development.

This Code applies to players, parents and guardians, coaches, volunteers, spectators, board members, and other participants at practices, games, tournaments, meetings, travel activities, fundraising events, online communications, and other KYAP-related activities.

Player Code of Conduct

Players are expected to:

  • Demonstrate good sportsmanship in victory and defeat.
  • Be honest, fair, and respectful toward teammates, coaches, opponents, officials, families, volunteers, and spectators.
  • Attend, prepare for, and participate in team activities with appropriate effort and commitment.
  • Place the team's success and well-being ahead of personal recognition.
  • Follow reasonable instructions from coaches and authorized program representatives.
  • Treat practices and competitions as opportunities to learn and improve.
  • Avoid profanity, taunting, threats, fighting, bullying, harassment, and other unsportsmanlike behavior.
  • Respect people regardless of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or another protected or distinguishing characteristic.
  • Protect facilities, equipment, uniforms, and the property of others.
  • Report safety concerns, bullying, harassment, or threatening behavior to a trusted adult or KYAP representative.
  • Have fun and contribute positively to the team.

Parent/Guardian, Volunteer, and Spectator Code of Conduct

Adults involved in youth sports must model the behavior expected from young athletes. Parents, guardians, volunteers, and spectators are expected to:

  • Encourage players with constructive, age-appropriate support.
  • Address criticism or concerns privately and respectfully, not in front of players, officials, spectators, or other families.
  • Support the coaching staff and avoid disruptive sideline coaching.
  • Refrain from profanity, threats, harassment, fighting, and abusive or discriminatory language.
  • Respect officials' decisions and remain in designated spectator areas unless directed otherwise.
  • Avoid criticizing or provoking opposing players, teams, coaches, families, or spectators through words, gestures, messages, or social media.
  • Follow health, injury, return-to-play, facility, travel, and event requirements.
  • Help teach commitment, ethical conduct, fair play, accountability, and respect.
  • Follow the KYAP mission, policies, and reasonable instructions from authorized program representatives.
  • Never encourage a child or another person to engage in unsportsmanlike, retaliatory, threatening, or disrespectful conduct.

Inappropriate behavior may result in immediate removal from an activity. Serious or repeated violations may result in restrictions, suspension, or being barred from future KYAP activities.

Coach and Program Representative Responsibilities

Coaches, board members, and program representatives are expected to:

  • Put player safety, development, and well-being first.
  • Apply team rules fairly and communicate expectations clearly.
  • Model appropriate sportsmanship and respectful communication.
  • Avoid humiliating, threatening, discriminatory, retaliatory, or abusive conduct.
  • Maintain appropriate adult-youth boundaries.
  • Address reported safety, bullying, harassment, or conduct concerns promptly.
  • Protect confidentiality to the extent reasonably possible while allowing concerns to be reviewed and addressed.
  • Follow applicable reporting obligations and KYAP policies.

Reporting and Enforcement

Conduct concerns should be reported to a coach, a Program Management representative, or a KYAP Board member. If the concern involves the person who would normally receive the report, it should be directed to another Board member or authorized KYAP representative.

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the concern, KYAP may:

  1. Take immediate steps to protect participants and maintain order.
  2. Gather relevant information in a fair, respectful, and appropriately confidential manner.
  3. Give the individuals involved a reasonable opportunity to provide information.
  4. Refer the matter to the KYAP Executive Board or its designee for a decision.
  5. Impose appropriate action, which may include guidance, a warning, removal from an activity, participation restrictions, suspension, or expulsion from the program.
  6. Notify the appropriate individuals of the decision and required next steps.

KYAP prohibits retaliation against a person who makes a good-faith report or participates in a review. Knowingly false reports or retaliation may themselves result in corrective action.

Nothing in this policy prevents KYAP or another person from contacting law enforcement, emergency services, child-protection authorities, a facility operator, or another appropriate authority when circumstances warrant or the law requires it.

Policy Against Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying

Prohibited Conduct

KYAP prohibits harassment, intimidation, bullying, and cyberbullying connected with its programs or activities.

Prohibited conduct may be a single serious incident or a pattern of written, verbal, physical, social, or electronic behavior that:

  • Is based on an actual or perceived characteristic, including race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or another distinguishing characteristic;
  • Physically or emotionally harms a participant, damages property, or creates a reasonable fear of such harm;
  • Insults, humiliates, threatens, isolates, or demeans a player or group of players;
  • Substantially interferes with a player's participation in KYAP activities; or
  • Creates an intimidating, hostile, or unsafe program environment.

This policy applies to conduct at KYAP activities and to off-site or online conduct when it materially affects a participant's safety, participation, or the KYAP environment.

Reporting a Concern

Players and families should report alleged harassment, intimidation, bullying, or retaliation to a coach, Program Management representative, or Board member. If the concern involves that person, report it to another authorized KYAP representative.

Anyone facing an immediate threat should contact emergency services first and notify KYAP as soon as practical.

Response Procedure

After receiving a report, KYAP may:

  1. Take immediate measures reasonably necessary to protect participants.
  2. Gather information from the reporting person, the accused person, witnesses, coaches, and other relevant sources.
  3. Review the information fairly, respectfully, and as confidentially as circumstances permit.
  4. Provide the accused person an appropriate opportunity to respond.
  5. Submit the matter to the KYAP Executive Board or its designee for findings and action.
  6. Apply consequences based on the seriousness, circumstances, prior conduct, and safety needs involved.
  7. Notify the appropriate parties of the outcome and any ongoing expectations.

Possible actions include education, corrective direction, a warning, separation of participants, removal from an activity, participation restrictions, suspension, expulsion, or referral to an appropriate authority.

Retaliation against anyone who makes a good-faith report, supports another participant, or cooperates with a review is prohibited.