Torrance Little League CODE OF CONDUCTREVISION 042912 TORRANCE LITTLE LEAGUE PHILOSOPHY: It is the goal of Torrance Little League to provide a safe, fun and enjoyable environment for our children to play and learn the game of baseball. It should be the primary objective of every Board Member, Manager, Coach, Parent and Visitor to ensure that this goal is achieved and maintained in our League. To that end, the Torrance Little League Board of Directors has approved and mandated a Code of Conduct while at all Torrance Little League functions, whether conducted on the Torrance Little League property, a local park, a batting cage facility, etc. It is a requirement of all Managers, Coaches and those in positions of leadership at TLL to read, understand, and acknowledge in writing their commitment to abide by the Code of Conduct. Nevertheless, it is everyone’s job to ensure the Code of Conduct is being followed. It is the goal of the League that everyone feel empowered to remind those not in adherence to the “Code” that they need to be, for the sake of the kids CODE OF CONDUCT All persons participating in Torrance Little League (TLL) must abide by a Code of Conduct, which includes the provisions, that follow; 1. No one shall use tobacco products, alcohol or drugs on the Torrance Little League facility, including not only the stands and the field but also all adjacent areas to the field such as the parking lot and restroom. When present at a practice session for a TLL team whether at a park school or batting facility, no one shall use such products around or near the team or anywhere in that locale where the use of such products might be seen by the team.
2. No one shall provoke a manager, coach, player, umpire or spectator.
3. No one shall use profane or abusive language.
4. No one shall show repetitive or violent disapproval of an umpire’s decision such as, but not limited to, whether a batted ball is fair or foul, whether a pitch is a strike or a ball, or whether a runner is safe or out.
5. All decisions of the umpires or other game officials shall be accepted as being fair and called to the best of their abilities.
6. "Code of Conduct" shall also pertain to the use of online systems and resources.
Any violation of the above will be reviewed by the Torrance Little League Board of Directors for appropriate action. Notwithstanding the preceding items, no participant whether manager, coach, player, fan, guest, visitor or bystander, shall physically contact any umpire, manager, coach, player or spectator. Violation of this rule will result in the manager, coach, player, fan, guest, visitor or bystander being immediately removed from the Torrance Little League facilities and being subject to possible disqualification by the Board from future participation and/or attendance at Torrance Little League.
ENFORCEMENT OF THE CODE
Torrance Little League is concerned about the safety and well being of all the children participating in our Little League Sports Activities. This includes both the physical and mental well being of each participant. Torrance Little League is committed to making our league one where our kids play and practice in a safe, supported environment. As a result, whenever there is an alleged violation of the Code of Conduct, the Conduct Review Committee will evaluate the reported incident to determine the appropriate action to be taken.
A signed Violation of Code of Conduct Incident Reporting Form is required to report any alleged violation of Torrance Little League’s Code of Conduct; and it may be filed by any manager, coach, umpire, board member or parent. Any reporting of an alleged violation must take place within 72 hours of witnessing the incident in order for the Conduct Review Committee to take appropriate action.All Violation of Code of Conduct Incident Reporting Forms must either be emailed to
[email protected] . This method of reporting alleged infractions of the “Code” should remove the subjective nature from evaluating a Code of Conduct incident.
CONDUCT REVIEW COMMITTEE
The Conduct Review Committee will be comprised of five members from the Board of Directors, with one of the five being selected as the Committee Head. There will also be two Alternative Conduct Review Committee Members in case a conflict of interest is determined in the review of a specific incident. The Conduct Review Committee will meet when a signed Violation of Code of Conduct Incident Reporting Form has been received.
The Conduct Review Committee will meet independently from the rest of the Board and will conduct their investigations/meetings outside of the regularly planned Board meetings. The Conduct Review Committee shall report to the Board of Directors regarding any and all Code of Conduct Incident Reports submitted and the Conduct Review Committee’s resolution of the report(s) submitted.
THREE STRIKES & YOU’RE OUT POLICY
All individuals, from board members, managers, coaches, parents, players, or visitors of Torrance Little League will be subject to the “Three Strikes and You’re Out” policy. The Conduct Review Committee, after receiving a signed Violation of Code of Conduct Incident Reporting Form, and determining a Code of Conduct violation had occurred, will assign “Strikes” according to the severity of each incident. Any individual receiving their third “Strike” during a season, is “Out”, and will no longer be able to participate in or attend any of Torrance Little League games, practices or events for the remainder of that season.
The penalty for the first “Strike” against an individual ranges from a written warning to a 2 game
(maximum) suspension.
The penalty for the Second “Strike” will carry a minimum 2 game suspension. Any individual that has received their second “Strike” will also receive a written notice that they are 1 “Strike” away from expulsion from all Torrance Little League activities for the balance of the season.
Depending on the incident, for any single violation, the Conduct Review Committee can determine the violation to be a 1 “Strike”, 2 “Strike” or even a 3 “Strike” violation.
INCIDENT EVALUATION PROCEDURE
After receiving the signed Violation of Code of Conduct Incident Reporting Form, the Conduct Review Committee will investigate the alleged incident. As a part of the investigation, witnesses of the incident as well as the individual being accused will be interviewed. All information gathered during the investigation will be factored into the decision. Once the decision is made by the Conduct Review Committee, that decision is final. There is no appeal. “Strike(s)” will only be filed against an individual if a majority of the Conduct Review Committee determines that an infraction has been committed. Strikes are cumulative each season and will not carry over into the next season. Assigned Strikes will be used by the Board in evaluating and accepting Volunteer Positions for following years.
NOTICE OF INFRACTION
If the Conduct Review Committee determines that an infraction of the Code of Conduct has been committed, the Conduct Review Committee will immediately notify the offending individual of their penalty both verbally and in writing.