Adapted, by permission, from Directing Youth Sports Programs (Paperback Book), © 2001 by Rainer Martens, (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics), 75, www.asep.com 800-747-5698.

I understand that my responsibilities as a youth coach are of great importance and that my actions have the potential to significantly influence the young athletes I coach. Therefore, I promise to uphold the following rights of young athletes to the best of my ability.

1. Right to participate in sports.
2. Right to participate at a level commensurate with each child's maturity and ability.
3. Right to have qualified adult leadership.
4. Right to play as a child and not as an adult.
5. Right to share in the leadership and decision making of sport participation.
6. Right to participate in safe and healthy environments.
7. Right to proper preparation for participating in sports.
8. Right to an equal opportunity to strive for success.
9. Right to be treated with dignity.
10. Right to have fun in sports.

I also promise to conduct myself in accordance with the Code of Ethics for Coaches as outlined here.

1. I will treat each athlete, opposing coach, official, parent, and administrator with respect and dignity.
2. I will do my best to learn the fundamental skills, teaching and evaluation techniques, andstrategies of my sport.
3. I will become thoroughly familiar with the rules of my sport.
4. I will become familiar with the objectives of the youth sport program with which I am affiliated. I will strive to achieve these objectives and communicate them to my athletes and their parents.
5. I will uphold the authority of officials who are assigned to the contests in which I coach, and I will assist them in every way to conduct a fair and impartial competitive contest.
6. I will learn the strengths and weaknesses of my athletes so that I might place them in situations where they have a maximum opportunity to achieve success.
7. I will conduct my practices and contests so that all athletes have an opportunity to improve their skills through active participation.
8. I will communicate to my athletes and their parents the rights and responsibilities of individuals on our team.
9. I will cooperate with the administrator of our organization in the enforcement of rules and regulations, and I will report any irregularities that violate sound competitive practices.
10. I will protect the health and safety of my athletes by insisting that all of the activities under my control are conducted for their psychological and physiological welfare, rather than for the vicarious interests of adults.

With my signature, which I voluntarily affix to this contract, I acknowledge that I have read, understood, and will do my best to fulfill the promises made herein.

Sport:

Signature of coach:

Date:

Athletic Director: