How to Implement a Code of Conduct

Professional and college athletes are celebrated by fans for their abilities and achievements. The presence of adoring fans and attentive media, along with being paid huge amounts of money, has made some athletes feel they are above the law and that society will condone any behavior. That is not true. Athletes have been involved in many embarrassing situations and teams are taking steps to implement a code of conduct to help keep athletes on track.

Instructions

    • 1

      Call a team meeting and let players know that as head coach or manager you have expectations about players' behavior. You want players to behave in a law-abiding and respectful manner. You don't want to see your players involved in any event that requires police intervention. You are interested in their safety and welfare and you also don't want your team or sport embarrassed. As a result you will put together a code of conduct that all players, coaches and those associated with the team must adhere to.

    • 2

      Draft a committee of two players and two team management officials to draft the code of conduct. You want individuals who are interested in putting together a code that is thoughtful and forceful, so you need reasoned people of intelligence. Use your judgment to make sure you have patient people who will listen to all sides before coming up with their final recommendations.

    • 3

      Give the committee your opinion on vital issues that need to be covered. Perhaps you feel the number one priority is domestic violence. Maybe it's driving while intoxicated. Ask the committee to address these issues forcefully.

    • 4

      Go over the final recommendations and make sure the code is written in clear and decisive language. You may be the coach or the manager of the team, but in this case you are the editor. You don't want anything written that can be misconstrued or is confusing.

    • 5

      Hand out the code of conduct to your players and other team employees at a meeting. Go over all the salient points. Ask for questions. Then tell the players to sign the document and thereby promise to abide by it before they leave the meeting. You are not trying to be dictatorial, but you are trying to save the organization from finding itself in the center of regretful situations and force players to think twice before they act.