Guidelines and Policies

CCYS functions day-to-day under the management of its board, directors, and volunteers. To ensure the Club’s function, we have established a few rules and policies to help guide those involved in making decisions. 

Below are all the topics on which you may need help or information. If you prefer to speak with someone, use the CCYS Leadership page to find the appropriate person to reach.

Bad Weather

Here’s How We Handle the Weather

Living in New England, we have to manage difficult weather. As a parent or a coach this is an equal concern. Here is our existing Bad Weather Cancellation Procedure.

When not to play

We value our fields! Please do not practice or play on them when there is standing water, as using the field will cause significant damage to the turf. Field preservation is a priority over completing games.

How games or clinics are canceled

During questionable weather, CCYS will post a Field Status on the website. Field status is updated as needed or by 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Please check the website before heading to your game or clinic. Coaches are notified via blast email if games or clinics are canceled. Individual field closures can be found on the Field Status page of the website. Travel Home game status should be communicated to the Away team coach. For Travel away games, coaches should call the opposing coach to determine the game status and then promptly communicate it to your team. For grades 2 and higher, if for some reason your team cancels a game, be sure to cancel the referee by contacting the Referee Coordinator, Steve Robinson, at ccysreferee@yahoo.com.

Behavior Expectations

CCYS adheres to a Zero-tolerance policy for bad or disruptive behavior by anyone participating in our program. Please review the guidelines below for how to handle such behavior in players, parents, or coaches. Should you see behavior that is disruptive to the Club and you would like to discuss it, please contact one of the program directors as noted on the CCYS Leadership page of our website.

Player Behavior

Suppose a player becomes disruptive to team activities, engages in unsportsmanlike behavior, swears or name-calls, or endangers themselves and other children. In that case, the Club’s policy is to address such behavior immediately using firm but calm tones of voice and following the steps outlined below.

Feedback: 

When a misbehavior occurs, we expect the coach to explain his or her expectations and why those expectations are important, using a firm but pleasant voice. When a misbehavior occurs, the coach is expected to:

1. Pull the player out of the group to speak to him or her one-on-one. 

2. Position himself or herself at eye-level with the player and give feedback.

3. Give his or her observation: “When you are on the sideline, I saw you do...”

   • Describe the impact of the “When you do that, it disrupts the team... and causes...”

   • Set his or her expectation: “In the future, if you want to express ..., please use words like .....”

   • Confirmation: “Will you “please repeat for me: What have I asked you to do?”

   • As appropriate, allow the player time to briefly express their opinions and feelings to you.

4. If the player is upset and unable to control himself or herself, we expect the coach to ask the player to sit apart from the group and allow him or her time to regain control before returning to the group. Indicate that he or she may return when he or she can behave appropriately.

5. When appropriate, invite the player to rejoin the group. 

6. If appropriate, ask the misbehaving player to apologize to other players who were affected by the misbehavior.

Warnings: 

If a player repeats misbehavior, the coach considers the misbehavior serious, and the feedback approach outlined above does not change the player’s behavior after a reasonable number of attempts by the coach, the coach may issue a “Warning” to the player, indicating that, if he or she repeats the behavior, the coach will suspend him or her from the team until he or she can correct the behavior problem. When the coach issues a “Warning” to a player, the coach will notify the player’s parents at the end of the practice or game to explain the circumstances and the consequences of continued misbehavior (i.e., suspension). The coach will also notify the Age Group Director of the “Warning.”

Suspension: 

Suppose the misbehavior occurs again, and the coach determines that suspension is the appropriate next step. In that case, the coach will tell the player and the parents at the end of the practice or game that the player is suspended for at least one week. The coach and the Age Group Director will work with the parents to outline mutually agreeable conditions for the player to return to the team. Once a player has returned to the team, an additional misbehavior may, at the discretion of the Age Group Director or Club President, result in suspension of the player from the team for the remainder of the season.

Parent Behavior

We do not accept unruly behavior by any parent for any reason on any occasion. This behavior can include yelling at a player, speaking harshly to a player, and questioning the motives of a coach, referee, or other game officials. There is no tolerance for verbal or written abuse for any reason. Such conduct is inappropriate and will be handled in the following manner:

1. If the parent exhibits this behavior, the receiving adult will ask the parent to take a moment to become composed. The issue at hand will be talked out in a responsible, calm, and coherent manner. If the parent does not adhere to these guidelines, then,

2. The parent will be asked to leave the field, meeting, etc. The receiving party will make an attempt to contact that parent to discuss the negative situation and to try to find a rational solution. If the parent still does not adhere to the guidelines set forth,

3. A verbal and written warning will be presented to the adult, asking for the negative behavior to end. If the negative behavior continues to exist,

4. The parent will not be allowed to participate in any CCYS function, and the Board of Directors will be notified.

Field Use Policy (Non-CCYS)

Concord Carlisle Field Use

Concord fields are for the exclusive use of Concord residents or students in Concord and Carlisle schools. All Concord playing fields are managed by either the Concord Recreation Department or the Concord Carlisle School District, as described below. CCYS is not permitted to allow outside groups to use the fields that CCYS holds permits for. Below is a list of Concord Fields and the organization that manages each field.

Zero Tolerance Policy and Good Sportsmanship

The primary purposes of this policy are to (1) ensure that players, referees, coaches, and parents who are participating in or observing CCYS soccer games are safe from physical harm or verbal abuse and (2) encourage and teach principles of good sportsmanship.

1. Any Concord Carlisle parent, coach, or player who speaks or behaves disrespectfully or aggressively with a referee, a player, or a coach will be asked by the Concord Carlisle coach whose team is playing or a CCYS representative to stop the offending behavior or language. If a friendly request is not sufficient, the coach or a CCYS Field Marshal will ask the parent, coach, or player to leave the field.

2. Before each home game, CCYS coaches will inform coaches of visiting teams of our policy and ask the visiting team coaches to take the lead with their team’s parents. Suppose the team’s spectators, coaches, or players are behaving disrespectfully. In that case, the CCYS coach or a CCYS representative will inform the visiting coach and request that the visiting coach request that the disrespectful behavior stop.

3. If CCYS coaches or representatives see that aggressive or disrespectful behavior continues after a friendly request to stop, they may ask the Concord Police to visit the field.

Examples of verbal harassment include name-calling and audible statements that question another person’s capabilities or suggest that their decisions or play may be the result of physical or mental limitations. For example, shouting at a referee, “Are you crazy?” or” “Ref, you need” your” glasses fixed,” would qualify, un” er the terms of this policy, as verbal harassment, as would “That’s a terrible “That’sShouting suggests” ns that players or coaches engage in unsportsmanlike behavior or commit fouls would qualify as verbal harassment. Post-game critical comments directed aggressively at referees, players, or coaches would also qualify as verbal harassment. Coaching of players by spectators is not considered “harassment;” however, the soccer Club strongly discourages this practice.

Any verbal or physical harassment of children or adults on or near our soccer fields should be reported to your program’s director as soon as possible after the incident via telephone or email. Please give a full report of the incident (time, place, people involved, specifics about language or behavior). Please consult the list of program directors from the Board of Directors listing on the CCYS Leadership page.

Under NO circumstances does this policy authorize or encourage parents, players, or coaches to argue with, physically restrain, or in other ways assume the role of local police or authorities. If friendly, measured requests to stop offending behavior are ignored, we depend on the Concord Police for assistance. Call them from the field and say you are calling for assistance with a disorderly fan at a soccer game. The CPD will send a cruiser.