COACH CODE OF CONDUCT

Coaches set the example for athletes and families. These standards apply to practices, games, tournaments, team events, and team-related communication, including texts, group messages, and social media. Recruiters representing an Impact Gold team are held to the same standards.

Coach Conduct

Conduct yourself respectfully and appropriately while representing Impact Gold Fastpitch. Treat athletes, families, fellow coaches, opponents, officials, and event staff with respect.

Do not use profanity, vulgar language, discriminatory remarks, threats, or inappropriate gestures. Model the sportsmanship and self-control expected of your athletes.

Address disagreements with officials calmly and through the appropriate event procedures. Follow facility rules and directions from event staff.

Do not coach or supervise athletes while impaired by alcohol or other substances.

 

Athlete Treatment and Development

Provide constructive, age-appropriate instruction. Hold athletes accountable without bullying, humiliation, harassment, threats, or physical intimidation.

Set clear expectations for effort, attendance, preparation, behavior, and team responsibilities. Apply those expectations consistently while considering individual needs.

Base decisions about playing time, positions, lineups, and team roles on relevant athletic, developmental, safety, and team considerations. Give athletes honest feedback and opportunities to improve.

Respect athletes' health and communicated medical restrictions. Do not pressure an athlete to play through an injury or disregard those restrictions.

Maintain professional boundaries with minor athletes. Keep individual messages team-related and include a parent, guardian, or another authorized adult.

 

Communication and Concerns

Discuss concerns privately and respectfully. Communicate significant disciplinary or roster decisions directly to the athlete and, for minor athletes, their parent or guardian, with an appropriate explanation of the concerns and expectations.

For nonurgent disagreements with a parent or family member during a team function, both parties should follow a 24-hour cooling-off period before a follow-up discussion. This does not prevent immediate action to stop inappropriate conduct or the prompt handling and reporting of urgent safety concerns.

Bring unresolved concerns and issues involving another Impact Gold team to your area coordinator or organization leadership. Respect families' ability to contact organization leadership directly.

Provide specific information and distinguish what you personally witnessed from what you were told. Cooperate honestly with reviews and respond to reasonable requests for follow-up.

 

Mandatory Reporting of Abuse

All Impact Gold coaches are mandatory reporters under this code of conduct. Any report, allegation, disclosure, or reasonable suspicion of abuse must be reported to organization leadership immediately. Coaches must not delay reporting to investigate or confirm an allegation.

Reporting to Impact Gold does not replace or delay any report required by applicable law to child protection authorities, law enforcement, or another designated authority. Coaches must make required external reports without waiting for organizational approval. The 24-hour cooling-off rule does not apply to abuse reports.

 

Seasonal Coaching Requirements

All coaches must complete the following requirements each season and submit documentation of completion through the coaches' portal:

• U.S. National Background Check
• Continuous Sex Offender Search
• CDC HEADS UP Concussion Training
• The Trusted Coach: Safe Coaching, Strong Teams Training

 

Social Media and Privacy

Apply these same conduct standards to social media, texts, and group messages. Do not threaten, ridicule, harass, or publicly shame athletes, families, coaches, or officials.

Use appropriate communication channels to seek resolution of team concerns. Do not spread knowingly false accusations or present unverified claims as established facts.

Protect athletes' personal, medical, and disciplinary information. Share it only with appropriate people for athlete care, team responsibilities, or to report and review a concern.

Honor parents' or guardians' permissions when sharing athletes' photos, videos, or identifying information.

 

Recruiter and Staff Accountability

Recruiters acting on behalf of a team are held to these same standards, whether they are parents or coaches. Communicate these expectations to your staff and recruiters and bring reported violations to the organization leadership.

Represent team opportunities, expectations, costs, and commitments honestly. Do not make promises you are not authorized to make.

 

Reported Incidents and Consequences

Impact Gold leadership will review reported incidents and determine an appropriate response based on available information, the seriousness of the conduct, prior incidents, and the effect on athletes and the team. The person involved will have a reasonable opportunity to respond before a final decision.

Consequences may include a documented warning, required meeting, written conduct agreement, restrictions on coaching or recruiting duties, suspension, or removal from the coaching or recruiting role or the organization. Consequences do not have to follow a fixed sequence. Serious misconduct may warrant immediate restrictions without a prior warning, including while a review is underway.

Respectful disagreement and good faith reporting are permitted. No athlete, parent, coach, or recruiter may be retaliated against for raising a concern in good faith or participating honestly in a review. Do not use playing time, roster status, or team opportunities to punish good-faith reporting.

Acknowledgment & Agreement

I have read and understand the Impact Gold Fastpitch Coaches Code of Conduct and agree to follow these standards while serving as a coach or recruiter. I understand that violations may result in corrective or disciplinary action.

By participating as a coach or recruiter with Impact Gold Fastpitch, I agree to abide by this code throughout my involvement with the organization.