Pursuing Victory With Honor∗
Code of Conduct for Parents/Guardians
Athletic competition of interscholastic age children should be fun and should also be a significant part of a
sound educational program. Everyone involved in sports programs has a duty to assure that their programs
impart important life skills and promote the development of good character. Essential elements of character
building are embodied in the concept of sportsmanship and six core ethical values: trustworthiness,
respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship (the “Six Pillars of Character”SM). The highest
potential of sports is achieved when all involved consciously Teach, Enforce, Advocate and Model
(T.E.A.M.) these values and are committed to the ideal of pursuing victory with honor. Parents/guardians of
student-athletes can and should play an important role and their good-faith efforts to honor the words and
spirit of this Code can dramatically improve the quality of a child’s sports experience.
TRUSTWORTHINESS field. Consistently exhibit good character and
• Trustworthiness- Be worthy of trust in all you do. conduct yourself as a positive role model.
• Integrity- Live up to high ideals of ethics and • Self-Control — Exercise self-control. Don’t fight
sportsmanship and encourage players to pursue or show excessive displays of anger or frustration.
victory with honor. Do what’s right even when it’s • Healthy Lifestyle — Promote to your child the
unpopular or personally costly. avoidance of all illegal or unhealthy substances
• Honesty- Live honorably. Don’t lie, cheat, steal including alcohol, tobacco, drugs and some over-
or engage in any other dishonest conduct. the-counter nutritional supplements, as well as of
• Reliability - Fulfill commitments. Do what you unhealthy techniques to gain, lose or maintain
say you will do. weight.
• Loyalty - Be loyal to the school and team; Put • Integrity of the Game — Protect the integrity of
the interests of the team above your child’s the game. Don’t gamble or associate with
personal glory. gamblers.
• Sexual Conduct — Sexual or romantic contact of
RESPECT any sort between students and adults involved
• Respect - Treat all people with respect at all with interscholastic athletics is improper and
times and require the same of your student- strictly forbidden. Report misconduct to the proper
athletes. authorities.
• Class - Teach your child to live and play with
class and be a good sport. He/she should be FAIRNESS
gracious in victory and accept defeat with dignity, • Fairness and Openness — Live up to high
compliment extraordinary performance, and show standards of fair play. Be open-minded, always
sincere respect in pre- and post-game rituals. willing to listen and learn.
• Disrespectful Conduct - Don’t engage in
disrespectful conduct of any sort including CARING
profanity, obscene gestures, offensive remarks of • Caring Environment — Consistently
a sexual nature, trash-talking, taunting, boastful demonstrate concern for student-athletes as
celebrations, or other actions that demean individuals and encourage them to look out for
individuals or the sport. one another and think and act as a team.
• Respect for Officials - Treat game officials with
respect. Don’t complain or argue about calls or CITIZENSHIP
decisions during or after an athletic event. • Spirit of the Rules — Honor the spirit and the
letter of rules. Teach your children to avoid
RESPONSIBILITY temptations to gain competitive advantage
• Importance of Education - Support the concept through improper gamesmanship techniques that
of “being a student first.” Commit your child to violate the highest traditions of sportsmanship.
earning a diploma and getting the best possible
education. Be honest with your child about the I have read and understand the requirements of
likelihood of getting an athletic scholarship or this Code of Conduct and acknowledge that I may
playing on a professional level. Reinforce the be disciplined if I violate
notion that many universities will not recruit any of its provisions.
student-athletes who do not have a serious
commitment to their education. Be the lead
contact for college and university coaches in the ____________________________ _________
recruiting process. Parent/Guardian Signature Date
• Role Modeling — Remember, participation in
sports is a privilege, not a right. Parents/
guardians too should represent the school, coach _______________________________________
and teammates with honor, on and off the court/ Student-Athlete Name
