COACHES

ALL coaches need to be listed on the official roster submitted to CYO Athletics and included on the list submitted to your parish/school Safe Environment Program Coordinators. This ensures that all coaches are tracked for compliance and that we are maintaining safety and consistency in regards to who is coaching in CYO Athletics.

High school and college persons are eligible to coach provided that team is registered in the name of a responsible adult head coach (21 years of age or older) who will occupy a position on the team bench during each game. The adult coach must attend all practices and games during the season. If the adult coach cannot attend a practice or game then the athletic director will appoint an adult to cover the game/practice. Coaches in boys and girls high school basketball and volleyball divisions must be 25 years of age or older.

To clarify the Safe Environment requirement, refer to the following criteria for whether an individual is a coach:
• If an individual helps with more than half of the practices, they are a coach;
• If an individual devises coaching/playing strategy and/or sits with the team during competition, they are a coach;
• Placed in primary supervision for athletes on a team, they must be cleared and trained as a coach;
• Coaches are responsible for primary supervision of athletes, they do not transfer that primary supervision to a “parent helper” or underage coach (under 18 years old, who has not met SEP requirements) because that individual has not been authorized for that role in that context.

COACHES RESPONSIBILITIES
• Satisfying the Safe Environment requirements.
• Satisfying the PLACT coaches training requirements.
• Satisfying the Lystedt Law and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Act requirements.
• Attending the CYO Athletics preseason coaches meeting per sport coached. In the event that this is not possible, the head coach must make sure an assistant coach, or at the very least, a parent helper represents the team.
• Verifying the eligibility of each player on one's team through the parish or school.
• Following CYO Athletics Code of Conduct for coaches and enforcing Code of Conduct for parents and players.
• Ensure parish/school conflicts have been received from parents and communicated to Athletic Director before the Drop Deadline for each sport.
• Having first aid supplies (including ice) at each practice and game and medical emergency information for each athlete.
• Ensuring pre-game prayer and statement take place, and post-game PLACT Bands are exchanged.
• Score Reporting - For 5th-8th grade teams. Auto-coach scoring is enabled through Team Sideline for score reporting.
• Avoiding Practice Conflicts – Not scheduling practice during school hours of team members, or that will conflict with liturgies of any Holy Days.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM (SEP)
For the protection of our vulnerable population, it is required by the Archdiocese of Seattle that all parish and school volunteers (Head and Assistant Coaches) with ongoing unsupervised access to youth or vulnerable adults must:
1) Complete and pass a background check PRIOR to starting their volunteer work.
2) Read, understand, and sign the following policies within 3 days of their beginning service date.
a) Policy for Prevention of & Response to Sexual Abuse, Sexual Misconduct & Sexual Harassment.
b) Reporting Suspected Abuse or Neglect of Minors and Vulnerable Adults.
c) The Code of Professional Conduct
3) First year coaches are required to complete the year 1 training (Protecting God’s Children, 3-hour course) within 90 days of their beginning service date. They can have no contact with youth after 90 days until this is completed.
4) Coaches under the age of 18 years are not required to complete the Safe Environment program, but the Prevention of Sexual Abuse policies and the basic principles covered in the program should be reviewed with them, so they understand the context in which they are volunteering.
Volunteers under 18 years of age must be supervised at all times by an adult (21 years of age and older) who has been cleared by a background check and has completed the Safe Environment training and signed the Safe Environment Policies.

If a coach from the previous year has not completed the required SEP training, they are not allowed to coach until they have done so. It is the responsibility of the parish/school to verify that coaches have completed the necessary training. 

NOTE: these are minimum requirements, a parish or school may adopt more stringent requirements on a local level.

Non-Archdiocesan schools (non-Catholic schools, Villa Academy, and Eastside Catholic) are not required to participate in the same program but are expected to submit a signed agreement that indicates that they conduct background checks, safe environment training, and have policies in place for the prevention of sexual abuse.

For more information, visit the Safe Environment page on the Seattle Archdiocese website.

PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION TODAY ® (PLACT)
This coaches training program is research based, child centered and starts from the premise that sport is ministry, and coaches are youth ministers. 

It is designed to:
1)  Help us recognize the spiritual nature of sports;
2)  Train youth sport coaches to be effective ministers;
3)  Promote the moral and character development of our youth.

CYO Athletics believes that by participating in this training and implementing both what is learned in the session and what is contained in the associated manual, coaches will be empowered in their effectiveness beyond the technical aspects of sports, enhancing their ability to create and maintain the positive environment that will GROW their youth participants. 

While many coaches have participated in other coach presentations, we feel it is important that all coaches have the same training as they approach their role in CYO Athletics. While these other trainings, as well as those you may attend as a coach in other organizations, are excellent opportunities to grow as a coach, we see them as supplemental to the core training that we believe coaches obtain through PLACT. 

We realize that experienced coaches may not get as much out of the training as beginning coaches but at the same time are hopeful that participating in the training will reinforce and affirm values and concepts experienced coaches are already practicing and perhaps even give new insights, perspective or tools into building on what they already do as a coach.

We understand that being a volunteer coach is a commitment of time and energy for young people and those coaches juggle busy lives in order to do this ministry. That is why we give 1st year coaches more time to complete the training. Coaches have a season of grace to complete the requirement. 
•   Every coach (including assistant coaches) is required to attend the PLACT Sports as Ministry coaches training.
•   Underage coaches (those under the age of 18 years old) are not required to take the in person.
•   The training costs $30. Depending on the parish and/or school, this fee may be paid by the parish/school or the coach themselves.
•   There will be trainings prior to each season but it is recommended that coaches not wait until their season arrives to complete the requirement. There are facets of the training that should be incorporated prior to the coaching season for maximum benefit.  
•   1st year coaches will have until prior to their next season of coaching to complete the training. This may be in the same sport in the following year or in the same program year but a different sport.
• ALL returning coaches (head and assistant) must have completed the training prior to the beginning of their season to be eligible as a coach.
•   If a team has a coach who has not completed their PLACT training as its head coach or as an assistant coach, that team will forfeit all games that they have coached in.
• Register on our home page to enroll for the coaches training.

“THE LYSTEDT LAW” HB 1824
The law identifies that all coaches will have to take training (Link to Training Video) on the nature and risk of concussions and head injury including continuing to play after a concussion or head injury. On an annual basis, a concussion and head injury information sheet shall be signed and returned by the athlete and athlete’s parents/guardian prior to the youth athlete’s initiating practice or competition.

Symptoms may include one or more of the following:
• Headaches, neck pain or “Pressure in head”
• Nausea or vomiting
• Balance problems, dizziness, blurred, double, or fuzzy vision
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Feeling sluggish, slowed down, foggy or groggy
• Drowsiness, fatigue or low energy
• Change in sleep patterns
• Nervousness or anxiety
• Irritability, sadness, more emotional, or “Don’t feel right”
• Confusion, amnesia, concentration or memory problems
• Repeating the same question/comment

Signs observed by teammates, parents and coaches include:
• Appears dazed, or vacant facial expression
• Confused about assignment, forgets plays
• Slurred speech
• Can’t recall events prior to hit
• Can’t recall events after hit
• Seizures or convulsions
• Shows behavior or personality changes
• Is unsure of game, score, or opponent
• Moves clumsily or displays lack of coordination
• Answers questions slowly
• Any change in typical behavior or personality
• Loses consciousness

If you think a child has suffered a concussion?
 “A youth athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in a practice or game shall be removed from competition at that time” and “may not return to play until the athlete is evaluated by a licensed heath care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussion and received written clearance to return to play from that health care provider”.

SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST (SCA) (SSB 5083 – SCA AWARENESS ACT)
• Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the sudden onset of an abnormal and lethal heart rhythm, causing the heart to stop beating and the individual to collapse. SCA is the leading cause of death in the U.S.
• Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of sudden death in young athletes during sports.
• Each year, prior to participating in an athletic activity a sudden cardiac arrest form stating the online pamphlet was reviewed shall be signed by the youth athlete and athlete's parents and/or guardian and returned to the parish/school.
• Every three years, prior to coaching an interscholastic athletic activity coaches shall complete an online sudden cardiac arrest prevention program.
• Coaches shall provide a certificate showing completion of the online sudden cardiac arrest prevention program to the parish/school.
• Please check the Forms/Resources page to find the SCA Information Pamphlet and Parent Consent Form.

PARENTS/COACHES MEETINGS
It is recommended that coaches schedule a preseason meeting for the parents of each player on his/her team. The purpose of this meeting is to ensure that everyone thoroughly understands the responsibilities of coaches, parents, and athletes. The Play Like A Champion Today ® manual has numerous resources to assist with this.

PLAYING TIME POLICY
A key theme of Catholic Social Teaching is the sanctity of human life and the dignity of all persons. CYO Athletics is committed to the dignity and worth of each child it serves, regardless of physical talents, mental strength, or emotional health, and supports this through its playing time policies. Each sport has a playing time policy to ensure participation, enjoyment and development for all athletes.
• Infractions of the playing time policy will result in a warning for the 1st offense. If witnessed by a designated representative of CYO Athletics, warning will consist of a verbal address to the coach during the contest in question.  If the playing time issue is not addressed by the coach within this game, the representative will confer with the Sports Committee and/or CYO Athletics staff and a forfeit of the game and suspension of the coach may result.
• If the first offense is not witnessed by a designated representative of CYO Athletics, warning will consist of a verbal address to the coach via phone call. After the coach has received the warning, any subsequent verifiable offense of the playing time policy will result in a forfeit of the game for the team and suspension of the coach.
• A second verifiable offense of the playing time policy in the same sport season (including playoffs) will result in a forfeit of the game for the team, two game suspension of the coach, and the coach will be required to attend the next available PLACT Sports as Ministry coaches training, to be completed prior to their next season of coaching.
• NOTE: A coach who is suspended from coaching a team is not eligible to be present as a fan.
• If a player will not be participating in a game due to illness, injury or athletic director approved concerns and will not complete minimum playing time policy, they may sit on the bench to be with their team but should not be suited up.

PLAYOFF ELIGIBILITY POLICY
All players competing in soccer, basketball, volleyball, and baseball will need to compete in half of their team’s scheduled games (rounded down, including non-counters) to be eligible for playoffs.

Coaches must bring a new Playoff Eligibility Form (found on the website) to each playoff game, signed to verify the eligibility of each player on the team roster.

This policy will be monitored by the parish/school athletic directors. If a violation occurs, the parish/school will inform the coach of the ineligibility of the athlete. If an injury to an athlete occurs or other issues arise, the athletic director should contact CYO Athletics to clarify eligibility. As in the regular season, any athlete not playing in a playoff game may not wear their uniform on the bench or sideline.

CYO ATHLETICS CODE OF CONDUCT
Each coach, player and parent/guardian will be presented with a CYO Athletics Code of Conduct at the beginning of their athletic season. All parties are required to sign this document and return it to their Parish/School Athletic Director, who will keep it on record for the athletic year. Players, coaches and parent/guardian(s) will receive a copy of this agreement so that all parties understand what is expected of them by CYO Athletics.

CYO Athletics activities should be examples of the meaning of sportsmanship and Christian values. The guiding principle behind the enforcement of this code of conduct is that the behavior of everyone involved in CYO Athletics should contribute to the positive environment for all of the youth participants.

No artificial noisemakers shall be used and fans should remember that we cheer for kids not against kids in CYO Athletics. Additionally, please refrain from using bleachers or other aspects of a facility to make noise as we want to be good stewards of the facilities that we use.

The code of conduct serves as a behavioral guideline for all coaches, players and parents to follow. Appropriate consequences will follow violations of these codes of conduct.  Key elements of the player, parent and coach codes of conduct are below. Full copies for signature and submission to your parish/school athletics program are on the website.

COACH CODE OF CONDUCT
• I will conduct myself in a Christian manner that will reflect credit on my parish, school and CYO Athletics and ensure that team members and team followers do likewise – this includes facilitating the pre-event prayer and statement, being good stewards of the facilities where we compete and intervening when behavior is not appropriate.
• I will teach and guide youth in a manner of sportsmanship that will increase their respect for authority, their sense of fair play, and their ability to adapt to the wins and losses of everyday life.
• I will respect the judgment of officials.
• I will be knowledgeable of all aspects in the current CYO Athletics manual and make sure that all rules and policies are faithfully observed.

PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT
As an individual:
• I will develop my skills to the best of my ability and give my best effort in practice and competition.
• I will compete within the spirit and the letter of the rules of my sport, showing good sportsmanship and respect for the game officials.
• I will respect the dignity of every human being and will not be abusive or dehumanizing of another individual.
As a member of a team:
• I will place team goals ahead of personal goals.
• I will be a positive influence on the relationships on the team.
• I will follow the team rules established by the coach.
As a member of society:
• I will display caring and honorable behavior off the field and be a positive influence in my community and world.

PARENT/SPECTATOR CODE OF CONDUCT
Remember (all spectators):
• That the players are youth and are playing for their enjoyment, not yours.
• To remain seated in the spectator area during all contests.
• To respect decisions made by contest officials.
• Be a role model by positively supporting both teams and not by shouting instructions or criticism to the players, coaches, or officials. Please do not coach from the stands!
• Make no derogatory comments or gestures (including making noise to distract) to players, coaches, or fans of your own or the other team. 
• Remember that adults set the example for the behavior of their team. If you see negative behavior from fans of your own team, please try to appeal to their conscience at the appropriate time.

Penalties:
• Participating teams and their coaches are responsible for the conduct of their spectators.
• Any spectator who displays poor sportsmanship may be removed from the event by an official/referee, their team coach, a host-site gym supervisor, a CYO Athletics Sports Commissioner or a CYO Athletics Administrative Official.
• Any spectator who interferes with the conduct of a CYO Athletics event may, at discretion of the spectator’s parish/school or the AAC, be barred from attendance at subsequent CYO Athletics events.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT
Definition: Unsportsmanlike conduct at a game site is any antagonistic action(s), including vociferous and/or persistent complaints directed toward an official, another coach, opposing players, and spectators. This may include any types of verbal or physical abuse.
• Any coach or spectator may be cited for unsportsmanlike conduct by a game official, a commissioner, or the staff of CYO Athletics. At the time of the alleged infraction, the above named are empowered to remove the accused offender(s) from the playing facility. If the accused offender(s) refuse to leave, the game will be forfeited in favor of the team not involved in the citation.
• Each citation is reviewed, and its justification is discussed by the Sports Committee involved. No citation is official or formal until the committee votes on it.
• Someone other than a game official, a commissioner, or CYO Athletics staff may file a complaint, by using the official incident report form, for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• This form must be submitted by the parish/school athletic director to CYO Athletics. Emails or incident reports not submitted by the parish/school athletic director will not be considered for action. 
• These complaints will be investigated, and a citation could result. No one other than the above named are empowered to take any action regarding forfeiture. Once a decision has been rendered, it will be communicated to the parish/school athletic director(s) involved so that they can share with involved parties what the resulting action is.
• In most instances, the person(s) cited will be placed on probation and/or receive a one game suspension. A second citation will result in a three (3) year expulsion from participation in CYO Athletics. If the first infraction is flagrant (i.e. physically contacting someone in anger) a person(s) may be expelled from CYO Athletics on the first infraction. Expulsions may be appealed.
• In most instances where a coach is ejected, the coach will be required to attend a Play Like A Champion Today ® Sports as Ministry coaches training, to be completed prior to their next season of coaching.
• In the case of athletes, penalties attached to citations will be handled on a case-by-case basis – generally, adults (coaches, fans, game officials) will be held to a higher standard of conduct than the athletes befitting their role as examples for our youth.

NOTE: EACH TEAM, SPECIFICALLY ITS COACH, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT OF ITS FANS!

INCIDENT REPORTS
• Incident Reports can be submitted online using the online form found on the CYO Athletics website.
• Please be advised that the Incident Report Form should go directly to your parish/school athletic director (AD).
• He or she will review your submission and determine whether or not action or response from CYO Athletics is necessary. Unless requiring action due to facility issues, incident reports regarding injuries will be utilized by the individual parish/school and will not be forwarded on to CYO Athletics.
• If forwarding on to CYO Athletics is warranted, as per policy, your AD will do so. Examples of this would be concerns around a referee, coach, spectator, or even player conduct.
• Depending on the nature of the incident, you (and the witnesses listed) may or may not be contacted by a CYO Athletics representative in the process.
• Representatives of CYO Athletics may contact any and all parties to the issue to determine the appropriate course of action.
• This may include but is not limited to incident report writer and witnesses, individual or team who are the focus of the incident report, coaches and AD’s of parishes/schools involved, game officials, unbiased observers.
• A decision will be made in consultation with the appropriate Sports Committee, taking into account current policy and practice as well as historical precedent. Once a decision has been reached, CYO Athletics will communicate that decision to the AD’s of the parishes/schools involved.
• It is the responsibility of the AD’s of parishes/schools involved to follow up with the parties from their parish/school community that are involved, except in the case of citations against an individual which will be directly communicated by CYO Athletics and cc’ed to AD’s of parishes/schools involved.  

GAME FORFEITURE
• Given that the CYO Athletics regular season is only 7 or 8 games long, it is incumbent upon registered teams to show up for their regularly scheduled games. Parish or school conflicts should be submitted with team registrations at the deadline so that they can be incorporated into the schedule. Even if you know you will be short the minimum number of players for a game, work with the opponent to share players to provide a “game” experience for the committed players.
• When a coach determines in advance, they do not have the required number of players to compete as scheduled, they should reach-out to the coach of the team they are scheduled to play.
• First effort should be made to work with the other team to share players to provide a “game” experience for the committed players for both teams.  The team unable to provide enough players to compete will forfeit to the other team.
• If this is not possible, the coach of the forfeiting team needs to notify the coach for the team they are scheduled to play by phone and/or email and ask for confirmation of the notification of forfeiture.
• The coach of the forfeiting team must notify CYO Athletics at cyoscores@seattlearch.org via email and carbon copy their athletic director (and sport coordinator, if applicable) and coach of the team they are scheduled to play. CYO will notify the paid officials.
• Each team scheduled for a contest shall be dressed and ready for play at the appointed hour. Should any team not be ready with the required number of players at the appointed hour (game time), the contest shall be forfeited.
• Should both teams not be ready with the required number of players at the appointed hour (game time), the game shall be declared a no contest, and both teams will be charged with a loss on their season's record.
• Teams forfeiting a game or match will be fined $40.00/$80.00 unless CYO Athletics and the opposing team have been notified of the impending "no show" at least 72 hours in advance. 

CITATION APPEALS
Only those citations resulting in expulsion will be subject to appeal. The process for appeal is as follows:
• State the reason(s) for your appeal in writing to the AAC.
• The AAC will attempt to schedule a hearing within 45 days.
• During the appeal process the person charged with the citation will be ineligible to participate in CYO Athletics.
• The parish/school athletic director and the person involved in the citation will be the only people attending the citation hearing. In case of a hearing involving a parish/school athletic director, the pastor or another staff person as designated by the pastor may be present at the hearing.

ELIGIBILITY APPEALS
• If a parish/school athletic director is dissatisfied with an eligibility decision of a Sports Committee, that athletic director may ask the Director of CYO Athletics to review the decision with the committee.
• If the Director of CYO Athletics agrees with the committee decision, the parish/school may appeal to the AAC.
• The process for appeal is as follows: The parish/school is to be represented by the parish/school athletic director. The AAC will attempt to schedule a hearing within 10 days after the appeal is received at CYO Athletics. During the appeal process, the involved player(s) will not be allowed to play.