Amherst Baseball and Hadley-Amherst Softball

Amherst Baseball (ABB) runs its programs for the benefit of the children it serves. Our goals are to teach the fundamentals of baseball, provide a fun and safe environment for our children and promote good sportsmanship.   With this in mind, ABB has adopted a SPORTSMANSHIP POLICY. This Policy is found on the ABB website under the section entitled “Sportsmanship Policy”. All parents are required to read, discuss with their children playing in ABB, and agree to this Policy as part of the registration process as a condition of their children playing in ABB.

1. Goals 

Amherst Baseball (ABB) runs its programs for the benefit of the children it serves. Our goals are to teach the fundamentals of baseball, provide a fun and safe environment for our children and promote good sportsmanship.  Our Rookie League program is instructional and non-competitive. Our Minor and Major League programs, as  well as Babe Ruth, are instructional and competitive.  While some of our programs are competitive in nature, they are not all about winning. Good sportsmanship is our most important value. It is important that all of us (managers, coaches, players, parents and spectators) cheer good plays by all players and not criticize or call attention to bad plays or mistakes by anyone.   
 

2. Umpires
 

ABB uses a combination of high school students, many whom played in our program, paid adult umpires (in the upper divisions) and adult volunteers. All student umpires attend a training clinic and receive written materials prior to the start of the season. We will be working with our younger, newer umpires during the early part of the season. The quality of our umpires may be inconsistent over the course of the season and possibly over the course of a game. ABB has a policy of zero tolerance related to criticism of umpires. Managers, coaches, players and spectators should not complain, make comments, or in any way criticize our umpires.  In many cases, the umpires are our kids - treat them as you want your children treated by others. If you have a complaint about an umpire, please contact your league coordinator.  

No one is to address the umpire during the game with the following exceptions:  

1. Managers or players responding to the umpire,
2. Managers making substitutions,
3. Managers, coaches, players or spectators pointing out emergencies or safety issues.
4. Managers asking for a rule interpretation. 

A manager may ask an umpire in a polite and constructive way to explain a rule. Polite and friendly feedback can be given to the umpire after the game. Absolutely no demonstrative behavior, sarcasm, harassment or intimidation by managers, coaches, players, parents or spectators will be tolerated. Any such behavior should be reported to the League President.

Umpires are empowered to take any appropriate action to enforce these policies, including ejecting the offender from the game or, in the case of a spectator, asking the offender to leave the area.  

3.  Players
 

There shall be no criticizing, belittling or taunting any players preceding, during or following a game. Managers are responsible for enforcing this rule, making sure the coaches, players, parents or spectators are not directing negative comments to either team.  Examples of such behavior can include things such as saying, loud enough to be heard, “he can’t hit,” “pitcher can’t pitch”, calling attention to miscue by player,  sarcasm,  etc. This is unacceptable by anyone- managers, coaches, players, parents or spectators. If the other team is doing this to a manager’s team, the manager should bring it to the attention of the other team’s manager immediately at the end of that half inning.  

Players should remain in the bench area at all times unless they have permission from the team's coaches to be elsewhere. No one may be on the bench besides the players on the roster. 

Any parent or spectator who observes a player violating this policy should bring the behavior to the attention of the manager at the end of that half inning. If the behavior is of no immediate consequence, they can bring it to the attention of the manager privately after the game. If the inappropriate behavior continues or if it involves a manager or coach, the parent or spectator should contact the League President. 

4.  Volunteers and Spectators
 

Volunteers and spectators are essential to the goals of Amherst Baseball. We hope and expect that all adult volunteers and spectators will act in accordance with the Goals stated above. To be clear, no volunteer or spectator shall, at any time:
◆ Lay a hand upon, push, shove, strike, or threaten to strike an umpire, volunteer, player or other person.
◆ Direct verbal abuse at an umpire, volunteer, player or other person.
◆ Make an objectionable demonstration of dissent at an official’s decision by throwing of gloves, helmets, hats, bats, balls, or any other unsportsmanlike action.
◆ Use profane, obscene or vulgar language in any time.
◆ Appear on the field of play, stands, or anywhere in the vicinity of the baseball complex while in an intoxicated state or with an odor of alcohol.
◆ Gamble upon any play or outcome of any game with anyone at any time.
◆ Smoke while in the stands or on the playing field or in any dugout.
◆ Speak disrespectfully to any manager, coach, official or representative of the league in a public setting.