Parents Code of Conduct

• Do not force your children to participate in sports, but support their desire to play their chosen sport. Children are involved in organized sports for their enjoyment - keep it fun.
• Encourage your child to play by the rules - remember, children learn best by example, so applaud the good plays of both teams.
• Do not embarrass your child by yelling at players, coaches or officials. By showing a positive attitude toward the game and all of it's participants, your child will benefit.
• Emphasize skill development and practices and how they benefit your young athlete. Deemphasize games and competition at the younger age levels.
• Know and study the rules of hockey, and support the officials on and off the ice. This approach will help in the deveolpment and support of the game. Any criticism of the officials only hurts the game.
• Applaud a good effort in both victory and defeat and enforce the positive points of the game. Never yell or physically abuse your child after the game or practice. It is distasteful. Work towards removing physical and verbal abuse in youth sports.
• Recognize the importance of volunteer coaches. They are important to the development of your child and the sport. Communicate with them and support them.
• If you enjoy the game, learn all you can and dedicate time as a volunteer.

Spectators' Code of Conduct

• Display good sportsmanship. Always respect players, coaches and officials.
• Act appropriately, do not taunt or disturb other fans. Enjoy the game together.
• Cheer good plays for all participants, avoid booing opponents.
• Cheer in a positive manner and encourage fair play; profanity and objectionable cheers or gestures and offensive.
• Help provide a safe and fun environment; throwing objects on tghe ice surface is part of the player area.
• Support the referees and coaches by trusting their judgment and integrity.
• Be responsible for your own safety and remain alert to help prevent accidents.
• Respect locker rooms as private areas for players, coaches and officials.

From USA Hockey

Are you a Good Hockey Parent?

We realize that watching little loved ones scurry around the rink can occasionally be frustrating. But there should be limits on the manifestations of that frustration. If you take a look at the following questions and notice a bit of yourself in there, or if you answer yes to all of them, we ask that you kindly remove your name from running for hockey parent of the year.

• Are you more fond of your child's first skate than his or her first steps?  
• Was the child's first stuffed animal neither stuffed nor an animal, but a puck?  
• When your kids clean their plates, do you make Zamboni references?  
• Do you have a spreadsheet on your fridge with your child's statistics?  
• Do you cheer during warmups?  
• Do you keep your son or daughter's stats during warmups?  
• Do you keep your son or daughter's stats during practice?  
• Unless your child needs a ride, do you go to practice?  
• Have you ever found yourself at center ice, without skates on, in street clothes, during a game, as the only non-official adult on the ice, uninvited, cursing at an official?  
• Have you ever dreamt of the above scenario?  
• Is your mugshot on a bulletin board at your local rink above the words, "barred from entry"?  
• Did you bribe the rink manager to take it down?  
• Have you ever refused to remove your foot from a coach's neck until he threatens legal action?  
• Have you ever threatened someone else at a game with legal action?  
• Have you ever threatened someone else at a game with your kid's Synergy?  
• Do you think of sneaking through the ventilation system and into your son or daughter's opponent's locker room, where you can take sandpaper to a few strategically chosen skates?  
• Have you tried to return your son or daughter's stick to the pro shop because it had "no goals in it"?  
• Have you tried to return your son or daughter's skates to the pro shop because "everyone seems faster"?  
• Did you contact NCAA scouts before your kid's 10th birthday?  
• Do you demand of your kid that a goal and an assist be scored before you'll let him or her eat?  
• Do you demand of your kid that a goal and an assist be scored before you'll let anyone in the family eat?  
• Do you call your son or daughter by a different name -- like, say, Stone Hands -- depending on how well he or she plays?  
• Do you not call your son or daughter at all depending on how well he or she plays?  
• Do you believe your kid shouldn't pass the puck ... ever?  
• Did you christen your child in a makeshift Stanley Cup?  
• On the day your child was born, did you work out the math on his draft-eligible year?  
• Do the candles on his cake correspond to the birth date or the years remaining "as an amateur"?  
• Was your child's first word was the name of your favorite hockey team?  
• Do you wish your child's first word was the name of your favorite hockey team?  
• Have you yelled at your kid for not picking up on your telepathic message to shoot low to the stick side?  
• Have you ever made your kid run home, with his gear on his or her back, beside the car, for missing an open net?  
• Have you ever led a "S-I-E-V-E!" chant against a 10-year-old?  
• Do you include in your local youth hockey newsletter a section called "coaches on the hot seat"?  
• Do you refer to school days as "off days"?  
• Do you refer to game days as "what it's all about"?  
• Do you speak often in sports cliches?  
• Do you forget the last compliment you've given to your kid's teammates?  
• Do you forget the last compliment you've given to your own kid?