Eastside Timbers Parent Code of Conduct

Eastside Timbers considers conduct by parents and spectators to be supportive and positive at all times. The following Code of Conduct for parents emphasizes the key areas that all parents and spectators are expected to abide by during all Eastside games and events.

• I hereby pledge to provide positive support, care, and encouragement for my child participating in Recreational Soccer by following this Parents’ Code of Conduct:

• I will encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches, and officials at every game, practice or other youth sports event.

• I will place the emotional and physical well being of my child ahead of my personal desire to win.

• I will insist that my child play in a safe and healthy environment, and I will immediately remove my child from any situation that I find to be unsafe or unhealthy.

• I will support coaches and officials working with my child, in order to encourage a positive and enjoyable experience for all (no coaching from the sidelines).

• I will demand a sports environment for my child that is free from drugs, tobacco and alcohol and will refrain from their use at all youth sports events.

• I will do my very best to make youth sports fun for my child.

• I will ask my child to treat other players, coaches, fans and officials with respect regardless of race, sex, creed or ability.

• I will help my child enjoy the youth sports experience by doing whatever I can, such as being a respectful fan, assisting with coaching, or providing transportation.

• I understand the Eastside Two Adult Rule (abuse protection for both players and coaches) and at no time should a coach, parent, and other participating adult (board member) be completely alone with a player, outside of his or her own child, without the presence of another adult.

• I will make all non club members I invite to Eastside games aware of these codes of conduct and assume responsibility for their behavior.

• I hereby agree to abide by this Code of Conduct and further agree to accept the Eastside Board of Directors decision regarding any disciplinary action they deem necessary if I should fail to abide by this Code.

• I further understand that possible disciplinary action could include temporary suspension or permanent expulsion from Eastside.

Concussion Info

As more research into concussion diagnosis and treatment is done, it is becoming increasingly obvious that there are potentially harmful long-term repercussions related to this injury. Washington state was the first state to pass concussion legislation but more and more legislatures are turning their attention to the health and safety of our children and recognizing that this is a serious issue that must be addressed before it is too late. The club is of the opinion that concussions must be taken extremely seriously to safe guard the long term welfare of our Players. We have compiled some information to help bring our parents up to speed on the effects of this new legislation, and the proactive steps the club is taking to ensure this serious issue is addressed with appropriate diligence and care.

Legislation

The Oregon Senate Bill 721 went into effect January 1, 2014; the law dictates that all youth sports coaches and officials must be trained to identify signs of possible concussion and are mandated to remove children from play if the child displays any of these signs. There are training requirements for coaches and officials and legally mandated suspensions for anyone found in violation of the statute.

What the Law Means for Eastside Players

Players suspected of having a concussion or head injury must be removed from play and must not resume play in the match or training that same day; players suspected of having concussion must be assessed by a medical professional and receive a written clearance before returning to training or games. This means that any time a player displays ANY sign of concussion they will not return to play that day - no exceptions. Any player removed from play should seek an evaluation by a medical professional and must receive a written return to play clearance before resuming any Eastside Timbers activities.

Your Roll as Parents

As a parent your primary concern should be the health and safety of your child. No practice or game is worth risking a child's long-term health. Unfortunately coaches don't always see every incident during a practice or game, so if you see something involving your child happen, please speak up.

Educate yourself on what to watch for; the documents below outline symptoms of concussion. Should you observe these symptoms in your child you have every right to speak with the coach and remove your child from play.

Be patient and understanding. Symptoms of concussion can vary in onset and intensity, taking hours to occur in some cases. Your child may not feel comfortable discussing some of their symptoms, so the responsibility falls to parents to ensure symptoms are noted and their condition is dealt with appropriately.

Medical Examinations and Clearances

Any child who is suspected of having a concussion should seek an evaluation by a medical professional and be cleared to play before returning to practices or games. Be patient as your child recovers - no two brains are alike and individual recovery times will vary. Current medical research tells us that it is not until approximately two weeks after symptoms conclude that the brain has started to fully heal. Patience is crucial, as rushing back to play puts the athlete at increased risk of further injury and long-term damage.

Return to Play

Eastside has worled with The Portland Clinic to develop a standardized "Return To Play" (RtP) protocol that children will have to pass before returning to full participation in the club. The process for returning from concussion will potentially be time consuming, but we will require full medical clearance and symptom-free completion of the RtP steps before reintroducing a child to play.

Coaches Training

All Eastside coaches for players at the U11 level and above are required to have completed concussion awareness training before they are permitted to coach in any club activity. You can go through the same training if you wish, the CDC hosts this training program on their website. This is the minimum legal requirement, but Eastside coaches will be going through additional training later in the year from The Portland Clinic that will address the latest medical research and our strict RtP protocols.