Code of Conduct
- This Code of Conduct applies to players, coaches, parents, and spectators participating in or attending athletic events sponsored by Mountain Brook Athletics, except as may be expressly modified by the written rules applicable to a particular sport sponsored by Mountain Brook Athletics.
- Players, coaches, parents, and spectators must at all times display a manner that exhibits a high degree of sportsmanship.
- Profanity, hostile or abusive language, and threats of any kind directed to players, coaches, parents, spectators or game officials are at all times strictly prohibited.
- Any player, coach, parent, or spectator using profanity, or hostile, abusive or threatening language is subject to immediate expulsion by the game officials and/or the league commissioner and, in extreme circumstances, may be reported to the proper authorities. Any repeated or extreme violation of this rule will be reviewed by the board of MBA, and the board may in its discretion impose additional sanctions up to and including banning an individual from participating in or attending any future MBA sponsored event.
Any player, coach, parent, or spectator engaging in any act of violence or other physical abuse against another player, coach, parent, spectator, or game official will be immediately ejected from the premises and may be reported to the proper authorities. Any use of violence will be reviewed by the board of MBA, and the board may in its discretion impose additional sanctions up to and including banning an individual from participating in or attending any future MBA sponsored event.
- Absolutely no alcoholic beverages are allowed at any event sponsored by Mountain Brook Athletics. Any person appearing to be under the influence of alcohol or any illegal substances will be requested to leave the premises immediately.
- Players, coaches, parents, and spectators should refrain from criticizing game officials. Coaches are responsible for the conduct of his/her players, parents, and spectators.
- Although coaches are permitted to converse with game officials to obtain clarification regarding calls, obtain answers to rules questions, and other similar purposes, they should do so in a professional and courteous manner. Coaches should refrain from arguing with, yelling at, or otherwise criticizing game officials. Any criticism of game officials should be directed to the league commissioner in a professional manner after the conclusion of the game.
- Parents and spectators are strictly prohibited from entering or coming onto the field of play for the purpose of arguing with or criticizing any player, coach, or game official. Parents are permitted to come onto the field of play once play has stopped in order to attend to an injured player. Any violation of this rule will result in immediate expulsion from the premises.
- Coaches must strictly adhere to all MBA rules, policies, and regulations regarding player participation. Coaches found to have intentionally violated such rules, policies, or regulations are subject to a one game suspension at the discretion of the league commissioner. Subsequent intentional violations of such rules, policies, or regulations will be grounds for the board of MBA at its discretion to impose additional sanctions up to and including prohibiting further participation in MBA by the individual as a head coach or assistant coach. It is the head coach's responsibility to know and understand the rules applicable to player participation for the sport they are coaching.
- Coaches must strictly adhere to all MBA rules, policies, and regulations regarding the number and length of practices. Coaches found to have violated such rules, policies, or regulations shall have their team's next game forfeited.
- Coaches should instruct players to play within the written rules of the game and within the spirit of the game at all times. Coaches should not seek unfair advantage by teaching deliberate unsportsmanlike behavior to players.
- Any player or coach ejected from a game for any reason will automatically be suspended from his/her team's next game. In the event the ejection occurs during the final game played by his/her team in a particular season, the suspension will carry over to the next game in any MBA sport in which the player or coach is involved.
- MBA reserves the absolute right to deny participation in its sponsored programs to any individual found to be in violation of any of the provisions of this Code of Conduct, or to impose such lesser penalties as it may determine in its sole discretion are warranted
Residency Requirement
**Effective September 1, 1994** Programs sponsored by MBA will be offered to only Mountain Brook residents whose children are eligible to attend Mountain Brook schools.
Participation In Outside Leagues
Mountain Brook Athletics, Inc. is a youth sports organization run primarily by parent volunteers that provides league play in various sports. Several of the sports sponsored by Mountain Brook Athletics, most notably basketball and baseball, also are sponsored by other leagues in the metro area.
Examples of those leagues include the Over the Mountain League in both basketball and baseball, and the Birmingham Southeastern Basketball League. Mountain Brook Athletics is not affiliated in any way with any of these outside leagues, and is not involved in selecting teams or coaches for these outside leagues.
Mountain Brook Athletics enforces the following policy regarding participation by children and coaches in outside leagues that are not affiliated with Mountain Brook Athletics. For purposes of this policy, an outside league is defined as any league or sporting event not sponsored by or affiliated with Mountain Brook Athletics.
- A child may participate simultaneously in both Mountain Brook Athletics and an outside league as long as the child gives priority to his/her Mountain Brook Athletics team in the event of scheduling conflicts with the outside league. This means that a child participating on a Mountain Brook Athletics team must not miss practices or games of that team in order to attend practices or games involving the outside league.
- A parent or other individual may coach simultaneously in both Mountain Brook Athletics and an outside league as long as all Mountain Brook players on the team participating in the outside league also are participating in Mountain Brook Athletics, and as long as the coach gives priority to his/her Mountain Brook Athletics team in the event of scheduling conflicts with the outside league.
- Mountain Brook Athletics will have no involvement with or responsibility for the selection of coaches or teams participating in outside leagues. Subject to the provisions of this policy, parents are free to organize teams to participate in outside leagues if they wish to do so.
- Mountain Brook Athletics will not provide facilities (e.g., gym space or practice fields) for use by any teams participating in outside leagues. Teams participating in outside leagues must make their own arrangements for use of facilities, and must pay all costs, including rental costs, associated with the use of such facilities.
- Coaches of teams participating in outside leagues are encouraged to have their Mountain Brook players also participate in Mountain Brook Athletics. Participation by children in outside leagues to the exclusion of Mountain Brook Athletics is detrimental to Mountain Brook Athletics, both from a revenue standpoint and from a quality standpoint.
- Children participating in Mountain Brook Athletics who are found to be in violation of this policy are subject to being suspended or removed from their Mountain Brook Athletics team.
- Parents or other individuals coaching in Mountain Brook Athletics who are found to be in violation of this policy are subject to being suspended or removed from coaching their Mountain Brook Athletics team and from coaching other sports in Mountain Brook Athletics.