Park Terrace Penguins Parent Code of Conduct
The Park Terrace Swim Team develops swimmer’s not only with regard to their swimming skills but their life skills as well. As a community, we will always prioritize the overall well-being of our swimmers. Park Terrace strives to ensure that our athletes have a positive swimming experience, both in and out of the water. Our team teaches our swimmers basic skills, techniques and strategies, and gives all swimmers the opportunity to improve their skills, gain confidence, appreciate the value of hard work and develop self-esteem at practice, at meets, and at other team events.
The Park Terrace Swim Team promotes good sportsmanship throughout our organization and encourages qualities of mutual respect, courtesy, and tolerance in all participants, coaches, officials, and volunteers. Always remember, the behavior of our parents, spectators, players, and coaches is a reflection of our club and serves as a guide to our swimmers. We expect everyone involved with the Park Terrace Swim Team to hold themselves to the highest standards of sportsmanship.
As a rule, our parents and spectators are phenomenally supportive of all our swimmers and are shining examples of sportsmanship and good cheer. The most common refrain heard on the pool deck is, "nice swim!" However, in rare instances, our parents, adults, and spectators should be reminded that we expect a basic level of behavior, including:
- Appreciation for good swimming performances regardless of team affiliation or relation to your swimmer
- Respect for the opposing team, without whom there would be no swim meet.
- Avoidance of obnoxious language and behavior.
- Respect for the judgment and strategy of the coaches.
- Avoidance of criticism of swimmers or coaches for results of a race.
- Respect for the authority of those who administer the competition.
- Encouragement for swimmers to abide by the rules at all times.
- Restraint from publicly questioning any official’s decision or doubting his or her honesty.
- Emphasis on enjoyment and fun.
- Praise for effort as well as improvement.
Park Terrace events enjoy widespread compliance with the above standards. For those irregular instances where parent, adult or spectator behavior becomes a concern, the Park Terrace Aquatics Committee has established the following guidelines to assess potential behavior infractions that disregard our swim culture and team philosophy. Violators will be subject to censure and/or loss of privileges with the swim team if they are display a pattern of any of the following behavior(s):
- Creation of a hostile environment for another family or swimmer;
- Infringement on the rights of another Member;
- Disruption of the training process or orderly operation of any swimming activity.
Allegations of infractions should be brought to the Aquatics Committee for formal consideration. As appropriate, members accused of infractions may provide input to the Aquatics Committee for explanation or clarification which may result in dismissal of the accusation. Any Aquatics Committee action regarding infractions will be formally documented by a full meeting by the Aquatics Committee, either in person, via conference call, or by electronic communication, as appropriate. Action will require a majority vote by members in good standing who are recognized on the formal listing of Aquatics Committee members maintained on the team website. The Aquatics Chair will cast a tie-breaking vote, if necessary.
Where members are found to be in violation of the infraction, they will be subject to an escalating scale of censure and/or loss of privileges based on recurrence or severity of the infraction, including:
- Written notice of incident, with copy to the Board, of formal censure and possibility for additional actions if behavior continues
- AC recommendation to Board for exclusion of offending adult(s) from all swimming events for one week or longer, as appropriate. No longer able to volunteer and will need to pay for volunteer hours.
- AC recommendation to Board for exclusion of offending adult(s) and all related swimmers from all swimming events for one week or longer, as appropriate
- AC recommendation to Board for permanent exclusion from participation on the swim team
Exclusion from Park Terrace and swim team events requires formal action from the Park Terrace Board of Directors.
