of conduct, ethics
tabled until August
Town seeks anger control
at youth sports events
Ordinance on codes
of conduct, ethics
tabled until August
By sue m. morgan
Staff Writer
Old Bridge officials generally agree that they would like to prevent sports rage from happening on any local athletic fields.
However, on Monday night, they could not all agree on whether to seek feedback from the leaders of the township’s various sports organizations, including Little League baseball and Pop Warner football, and the basketball, roller hockey and soccer leagues.
In a 4-3 vote, the council tabled an ordinance to establish both a code of conduct for parents of children involved in township-sponsored sports leagues and an ethics code for coaches.
Two related resolutions — one pertaining to the adoption of the parents’ code of conduct and the other establishing the coaches’ code of ethics — were also tabled pending anticipated feedback from presidents of the various youth sports leagues.
Proposed collectively by Ward 2 Councilman William A. Baker, Ward 4 Councilman G. Kevin Calogera and Ward 5 Councilman Richard Greene, the new regulations will be placed on the agenda for first reading at the next public meeting, scheduled for Aug. 11.
Calogera, who headed a Department of Parks and Recreation subcommittee charged with crafting the ordinance, had been pushing to have the ordinance and resolutions on the township’s books prior to the start of the fall athletic season.
"The ordinance is meant to address the problem we’re all familiar with of violence at youth sports events," Calogera said. "The recreation subcommittee is very concerned about this. We’ve been dealing with it."
The Parks and Recreation subcommittee had already received input from many of the league presidents on details of the proposed ordinance and resolutions, Calogera said.
"[League presidents] have had the opportunity to [review] this," Calogera said. "The subcommittee that I headed brought it around to the various groups."
However, Baker and councilmen Dennis Maher and Edward Testino stressed that various league presidents should still be consulted once again during the coming month about the pending legislation.
Baker, the council’s liaison to the Department of Parks and Recreation, asserted that it would be unfair to deny the league presidents an opportunity to provide feedback on the ordinance and resolutions.
"I urge the council to table this," Baker said. "The time is now for inclusion, not exclusion."
"I would like to get a little more input and direction," Maher said. "I agree that this should be circulated around town."
"We’re better served by putting people on notice," Testino agreed.
Under the proposed ordinance, parents of children participating in leagues playing within township-funded facilities would be required to sign an agreement not to engage in "unsportsmanlike" behavior at athletic events, Calogera said.
Any parent or guardian found to be engaging in or encouraging their child to engage in physical confrontations — including using profanity or threatening or disrespecting players, other parents, coaches or league officials — could be subject to adverse action by the township, Calogera explained.
"They might have to go to anger remediation if they get into a fight," Calogera said.
Parents, players or game attendees found to be in violation of the ordinance could be banned from participating in, coaching, or attending athletic events for a year from the date of the first offense, he said.
The same ordinance would require any coaches involved in township-sponsored leagues to sign an agreement to abide by a code of ethics not to engage in arguments with parents or opponents, Calogera added.
The coaches would also be required to provide a safe and secure playing environment and properly train participants, the ordinance states.
The leagues are responsible for enforcing the provisions of the ordinance. Any township-sponsored organization that does not do so could lose funding or the privilege of playing on taxpayer-funded facilities, Calogera noted.
If the ordinance and resolutions are approved on a first reading next month, a public hearing and final vote might not be held until a September public meeting, the councilman noted.