Sporting Brookside

CODE OF CONDUCT & RULES

SOCCER FOR THE CITY™

As a parent, you play a special role in contributing to the needs and development of your children.

Through your encouragement and good example, you can help assure that all the boys and girls learn good sportsmanship and self-discipline. In Sporting Brookside, young people learn to work together, to sacrifice for the good of the team, to enjoy winning and deal appropriately with defeat – all while becoming physically fit and healthy. Best of all, they have fun.

Support Your Child
Supporting your child by giving encouragement and showing interest in their team is very important.
Help your child work toward skill improvement and good sportsmanship in every game. Teach your child that hard work and an honest effort are often more important than victory – that way your child will always be a winner despite the outcome of the game!

Always Be Positive
Parents serve as role models for their children. Become aware of this and work to be a positive role model. Applaud good plays by your child’s team as well as good plays by the opposing team.
Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from youth sports activities.

Remember: Your Child Wants To Have Fun
Remember that your child is the one playing soccer, not you. It’s very important to let children establish their own goals – to play the game for themselves. Take care not to impose your own standards and goals on them.
Don’t put too heavy a burden on your child to win games. Surveys reveal that 72% of children would rather play for a losing team than ride the bench for a winning team.

CHILDREN PLAY FOR THE FUN OF PLAYING.

Reinforce Positive Behavior
Positive reinforcement is the best way to help your child achieve their goals and their natural fear of failure. Nobody likes to make mistakes. If your child does make one, remember it’s all part of learning, so encourage your child’s efforts and point out the good things your child accomplished.

Don’t Be a Sideline Coach or Referee
Coaches and referees are usually parents just like you. They volunteer their time to help make your child’s youth soccer experience a positive one. They need your support, too. That means refraining from coaching or refereeing from the sidelines. As a volunteer organization, there’s usually always an opportunity for you to take your interest in coaching or refereeing to the next level and become one yourself!

Sporting Brookside Recreational League HEADER RULES for ALL 4th grade and younger players
Because of concerns for the safety of younger players, beyond the limitations of the laws of the game, Sporting Brookside Soccer Club Recreational League Players, Coaches, and Referees will abide by the following.

-HEADERS ARE NOT ALLOWED for 4th grade and younger while playing in Sporting Brookside Recreational Leagues. Headers for 4th grade and younger are a violation of Sporting Brookside's Recreational League safety requirements.

– No goal will be allowed if scored with the head – even if accidental.

– Any header during the course of play will result in an indirect kick for the opposing team.

– Any potential head injury will require immediate play stoppage, regardless of the goal or advantage situation. Referees will stop play in this circumstance to evaluate potential injury. Should the player show any of the signs that might indicate a serious injury, per the laws of the game, that restart would be a dropped ball.

-Heading the ball for this age group is a Sporting Brookside safety violation, NOT a laws of the game violation, so no criteria associated with fouls or infractions of the laws should be applied.

-Coaches must instruct players not to head the ball.

-Players who are guilty of heading the ball should never be issued a caution or sending off. The referee should rather focus on helping the players understand the rule and explain that the Sporting Brookside Recreational League does not allow heading. Referees are asked to abide by these rules and use common sense to handle situations accordingly.

• 6th grade and under: NO slide tackling allowed
• 7th/8th grades: Proper slide tackling allowed
• High School: NO slide tackling allowed
  

The Goal Kick Rule is valid for 3rd grade through 6th grade divisions Sporting Brookside Recreational League play.

For all goal kicks or any free kick inside the defensive penalty box, opposing players must back up to the half-way line during the kick. Players may cross it once the ball is kicked.

Please remind players of this rule before and during the game. If you have questions, contact Referee@BrooksideSoccer.org

Checklist for coaches, parents & players:

• Temperatures — Please plan accordingly by wearing appropriate attire.  We recommend wearing layers in cooler weather. Coaches: Water breaks are necessary in both warm and cooler conditions.

• Sunscreen, water, and an umbrella are highly recommended in all conditions.

• Please pick up any trash after the game — we want to respect our space and keep the new facility looking new.

• Uniforms — Some teams have not received uniforms. We are doing everything we can to resolve this issue. Coaches will receive any updates regarding uniforms; please be patient, will all of us. All teams in 1st Grade and older will receive new uniforms (jersey, socks, shorts). Most teams have had at least one practice; if your team has not practiced, players still should arrive for their scheduled game. Pre-K and Kindergarten division players receive a jersey and size 3 soccer ball. ONLY coaches may retrieve equipment at Swope.

• Players MUST wear shin guards under their socks in order to play. Soccer cleats are recommended, but not mandatory.

• Rain outs — Information will be posted on our rain out line when games are cancelled or delayed due to weather. Also check our Facebook/Twitter pages for updates. Teams will play in rain and when the field is wet. Play will be halted when lightning is within close proximity to Swope Park. Rain out games will not be rescheduled.

• Schedules — Most schedules have been updated since they were originally posted to alleviate some scheduling conflicts. Please double-check the schedule. Coaches — please send a reminder message to players with the Time, Date and Field assignment prior to that weekend’s games. Click here for SCHEDULES.

• Game Start Times — Games will begin on time; please arrive early in order to warm up.

• Time Management — Please allow extra time to get to your scheduled field (especially these first few weeks) while everyone adjusts to the parking situation, field locations and congestion.

• Concessions will be open at the two concession areas (one adjacent to Field 1 and the second on the west of Lewis Road near the Sporting KC training offices). There are also two drink vending machines.

• First Aid is located in two areas: Children’s Mercy Center for Sports Medicine staff will be on site during league play at the white tent at the northeast end of Field 2. Staff can be seen driving around the village in Brookside Soccer’s golf cart.

• Goal Posts & Nets. Please keep players and other children from climbing or otherwise playing on the goals, as this is very expensive equipment.

• Lost & Found — A lost & found bin is kept in our storage area.  Please turn in lost & found items to our field monitors.  Please contact Brian McDonald at uniforms@brooksidesoccer.org for retrieval of lost items.    

• NO FOOD ON FIELDS — No exceptions. Snacks are to be served on the concrete or natural grass areas surrounding the fields. Picnic tables are set up outside the concession stand for your convenience. 

• No GUM or SUNFLOWER SEEDS.

• No PETS inside the Swope Soccer Park facility gates (unless they are registered service animals. Please leave pets at home (not locked inside parked cars). 

• No Alcohol is allowed in KCMO city parks. Anyone caught with alcohol will be asked to leave the premises and is subject to fines.

• Orange Cones in Parking Lots. If an orange cone is blocking a parking spot in one of the parking lots at Swope Soccer Village, it is there for a reason. Please find another place to park and do not remove the cone in order to park. Your car will be towed.

Please note that in order to more closely align Sporting Brookside Soccer Club with the United States Soccer Federation guidelines and to allow each player more time on the ball, some playing formats were adjusted within the last year. In order to ensure all divisions follow Sporting Brookside’s core values, division coordinators will create balanced and fair teams. As per the club’s mission and within the registration system, 1st – 8th grades are single-sex divisions and Pre-K, K and High School divisions are coed. There are no exceptions to this rule.