The players and coaches met before training Tuesday. Together we are announcing a couple of changes to our Green Mountain Soccer program policies.
Players still need to be on time/early and ready to play for all team events, including training sessions and games, in order to participate. That has not changed. However, if players arrive without some of their gear, we will work together as a team to help those players. For example, if a player wears the wrong socks or forgets his ball, we will help that player solve the problem by finding a loaner pair of socks. The consequence for forgetting gear will be running, but the player will be able to participate. Coach Matt wants to thank the players who initiated these discussions for being assertive, as well as other members of our Rams Soccer family who shared their opinions and suggestions. Coach Matt wants to encourage any participants in our Green Mountain Soccer family (including parents and other supporters) to voice any concerns or suggestions about our policies (click to contact Coach Matt).
The second change to program policies is in regard to sportsmanship and respect for other players, officials, coaches, parents, fans and other people at our events (training, games and any other team activities). Players who say disrespectful things, or make disrespectful gestures, will be suspended from game play. Suspension length can vary from the rest of a half or the rest of a game that is currently occuring, to a further half or full game suspension, to a multiple game suspension, all the way up to dismissal from the team. Suspension length will be at the discretion of the coaching staff with consultation with the athletic director when appropriate. We have always emphasized that our team represents Green Mountain Soccer, and we are, therefore, held to a high standard of sportsmanship and behavior. We just want to be clear about enforcement of that standard going forward. The players and coaches enthusiastically embrace this clarity.
The last topic of our team meeting today was racism. We talked about the difference between being passively not a racist, and being proactively anti-racist. Again, the players and coaches are enthusiastic about being part of the solution to eliminate racism in all forms from our broader society.
Parents, we encourage you to talk with your players about the topics of our team meeting today, and the ways the topics further bonded the team together to achieve our goals.