Guiding Principles

• Support and contribute to the coach's and organization's effort to create an environment in which children and adults have fun with sports. Encourage all players on the team and the opposition team. Engage in only positive cheering and cheer effort as much as outcome.

• Cooperate with efforts to teach the basic skills, rules and strategies of the sport. Insure that your child is able to attend the majority of practices and games. Become familiar with the basic rules and strategies of the sport and the coach's plan of instruction. Inform the coach of any ongoing scheduling conflicts in advance. Refrain from sideline coaching. Practice with your child and help them identify how they can contribute to their team as well as setting personal goals.

• Model appropriate fan behavior and good sportsmanship. Encourage through positive cheering competitiveness within the bounds of good sportsmanship. Show respect for the officials all the time, especially when you disagree. Acknowledge good plays of the opposition. Treat players of the other teams as members of our community first and as opponents secondarily. Refrain from actions or words that undercut the self-esteem of players on the other teams. Don't make negative comments about the other team as a means of encouraging or cheering for you child's team.

REMINDER!
SPECTATOR CODE OF CONDUCT
APPLIES AT ALL GAMES,
HOME AND AWAY

1 - Support and contribute to the coach's and organization's effort to create an environment in which children and adults have fun with sports. Encourage all players on the team and the opposition team. Engage in only positive cheering and cheer effort as much as outcome.

2 - Cooperate with efforts to teach the basic skills, rules and strategies of the sport. Insure that your child is able to attend the majority of practices and games. Become familiar with the basic rules and strategies of the sport and the coach's plan of instruction. Inform the coach of any ongoing scheduling conflicts in advance. Refrain from sideline coaching. Practice with your child and help them identify how they can contribute to their team as well as setting personal goals.

3 - Model appropriate fan behavior and good sportsmanship. Encourage through positive cheering competitiveness within the bounds of good sportsmanship. Show respect for the officials all the time, especially when you disagree. Acknowledge good plays of the opposition. Treat players of the other teams as members of our community first and as opponents secondarily. Refrain from actions or words that undercut the self-esteem of players on the other teams. Don't make negative comments about the other team as a means of encouraging or cheering for you child's team.

*** SPECTATOR RULES FOR MASSAPEQUA MUSTANGS FOOTBALL ***

1) All spectators (even parents with cameras) are required to stay behind the ropes at all times, home and away. Only tagged coaches, chain gang operators or league officials are permitted inside the ropes. THIS IS A SAFETY MATTER - YOUR TEAM WILL BE FINED IF YOU VIOLATE THIS RULE.

2) All spectators are expected to conduct themselves in the appropriate manner at all times and show respect for your team and its coaches, the opposing teams and coaches, and most of all the referees.

It is a new league rule instituted in 2008 that any spectator (including parents, relatives, etc) ejected from a field for inappropriate behavior by a referee or a Field Director MUST ALSO REMOVE THE PLAYER THEY ARE SUPPORTING FROM THE FIELD. That player is then punished for their parent's behavior by being suspended for the following game also. If a team does not give the player's name, the league will look into the matter and force the team to forfeit each succeeding game until the player is properly suspended for the following game. This rule may seem unfair, but the rule exists as a result of the negative trend in parent behavior at youth sports events.

Code of conduct for coaches in the Mustang organization

This organization is about the kids and the kids only. Although we do appreciate all volunteers, any coach especially one taking away from the focus of the kids and directing attention to themselves due to irrational behavior, and inability to control themselves on the sideline will not be tolerated. We must remember that we as coaches represent the Mustang organization with our behavior.

With this being said here are a few simple rules all coaches in the organization will follow. These rules will be broad in nature but harsh in punishment.

1- any coach arguing with a referee and receiving a flag for misconduct will be suspended for one game. If this same coach continues a similar pattern of behavior and results in his second flag of the year for misconduct this coach will be dismissed for the rest of the year.

2-any coach found to be drinking, smoking or under the influence of any type of drug in the presence their team will be immediately dismissed as coach.

3-any coach caught berating or cursing any of his players, will immediately receive a one-game suspension. And if pattern of behavior continues will be dismissed as coach.

4-any coach creating an unsafe environment in any way, during practice or game, will be immediately dismissed.

The Mustang organization was and always will be about the players, not the coaches. We are here to teach them the proper way to play football, and the proper way to act on the field. Control your personal emotions set an example of how to act as a man. Football has enough enemies as it is we don’t need to fulfill the stereotype of all football coaches that just scream and yell acting like lunatics on the sideline.