The Union Township Sportsmanship Pledge ( The Pledge) summarizes important elements of the youth sports experience and sets out your commitment and responsibility to sportsmanship and fair play. Acceptance is a condition of your participation in the Union Township Recreation Program.
Mission Goal:
The Union Townships Recreation programs first and foremost goal is to provide a fun, positive learning experience in a safe manner and environment for our children.
Definition:
Sportsmanship: conduct (such as fairness, respect for one’s opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing) becoming to one participating in a sport. – Merriam -Webster
BE COOPERATIVE: Join teammates, opponents, coaches and officials in the mutual quest for excellence.
BE FAIR: Compete skillfully, guided by the letter and spirit of the rules.
BE GRACIOUS: Savor the challenge of a tough competitor and meet it with your finest performance, win or lose.
BE HONORABLE: Respect the game and everyone’s contributions.
BE HUMBLE: Take success in stride – share the credit.
Application:
Coaches, players, parents, participants, officials, and any other attendees are expected to honor the Pledge and keep in mind the definition and five (5) aspects noted above regarding sportsmanship. Coaches will attend the mandatory preseason rules meetings that will be used, in part, to present and reinforce the Pledge and the aspects within it. Coaches will be expected to pass the Pledge information to their team players and parents and lead by example.
We encourage all adults who hear negative comments and/or observe inappropriate actions to NOT react in kind at the time of the occurrence. Coaches, players, parents, participants, officials, and any other attendee should report disrespectful, negative, and inappropriate behavior to a team coach and/or to the subject sports Commissioner(s) as circumstance would dictate. Follow-up as is appropriate will be completed. Confrontation, verbal and/or physical, is not acceptable.