PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT
OVERVIEW
At Asante Soccer Academy our goal is to prepare our players for the future. We do not only teach them how to be better soccer players but also how to be a better person. Education, respect, and accountability are central to our philosophy and these values must be upheld by all players and parents at Asante Soccer Academy. The following code of conduct provides a detailed outline of the academy’s expectations for all parents of players at any level.
COACHING
The coaches at Asante Soccer Academy are highly qualified. It is their responsibility to give players personalized instruction to help them reach their full potential. As such, it is critical that the coach be the only individual providing feedback and support to the players on the field. This includes motivating and encouraging players as well as providing them with your technical and tactical advice. As a member of the Asante Soccer Academy, you have entrusted the care of your child to the coaches, so to best support the team, the coaches must be free to do their job. Additionally, if a player receives input from too many different places, it can be distracting and overwhelming, which ultimately leads to a decline in their performance.
COMMUNICATION
At Asante Soccer Academy, the primary means of communication between coaches, managers, players, and parents will be through TeamSnap and emails. It is the responsibility of the player and parents to have a functioning email address and active TeamSnap account that is checked regularly. The location, uniform, arrival time, and other necessary details for practices and games will be posted on TeamSnap, so it is essential that the player be familiar with the platform. Any changes or updates to the schedule will also be provided through TeamSnap no later than one week in advance where possible. Players and parents are responsible for checking regularly with the team manager for any updates.
For every program, at the start of every season, the team coach will have a team meeting outlining the team’s plans for the upcoming season. Practices, games, tournaments and fundraising events will be discussed. The coach will also discuss their expectations and review the player code of conduct.
ACADEMICS
At Asante Soccer Academy, we train student-athletes. Your child’s academic success is critical to their success on the field. In the Player Code of Conduct it is made clear that if the players have not completed their homework prior to the practice, they will not be permitted to train. We ask that you help the academy enforce this rule and help your child maintain a focus on schoolwork, as well as other aspects of their life apart from soccer.
INCENTIVES
While your child is on the field, it is not your job, but the coach’s job to motivate them. Offering incentives will distract your child from properly concentrating in practice and game situations. If your child is experiencing difficulties at practice or in games, encourage them to discuss this directly with their coach. By taking responsibility for themselves and their experience on the field, your child takes a big step towards being a successful player. The objective for your child is to claim ownership and responsibility of all aspects of their game – preparation as well as playing the game.
POSITIVE ROLE-MODELING
It is essential that you, as parents, understand and display appropriate game behaviour. Be supportive, cheer, and show respectful behaviour towards players, coaches, referees, and other parents. To perform to the best of their abilities, a player needs to focus on the parts of the game that they can control (fitness, positioning, decision making, assertiveness, skill…). If a player’s focus shifts to what they cannot control (condition of the field, referees, weather, opponents…), they will not play to their full potential. As such, we ask of you as parents to remember that your child’s self-esteem and game performance is at stake. If they hear a lot of people telling them what to do, or yelling at the referee, it will divert their attention away from the game.
MEET WITH THE COACH
Please do not discuss issues with the coach immediately before training or come onto the fields during training sessions. If you have concerns that you wish to discuss regarding your child or the program, let the coaches know beforehand to set up an appropriate time to discuss. The coaches welcome these discussions but it is difficult for coaches to have meaningful discussions while they are preparing or conducting a training session or game.
