BERKS EAST GYMNASTICS COMPETITIVE TEAM CODE OF CONDUCT

The Berks East Gymnastics competitive team is comprised of male and female athletes, ages 5 an up, that choose to train and compete in gymnastics disciplines as defined by USA Gymnastics. We currently have competitive athletes in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (Dev Prog. and Xcel) and Gymnastics for All (TeamGym and Acro and Tumbling.)
Athletes are invited by the coaches of BERKS EAST to be members of BERKS EAST’s competitive team by demonstrating a love and appreciation of gymnastics/tumbling and a commitment to uphold the training regimen, competition schedule and the rules of conduct for behavior associated with team membership.
This Code of Conduct is set forth to clearly outline the requirements of the training regimen, the expectations of the competition schedule, personal electronic device usage and the rules of expected behavior. Consequences of not following the Code of Conduct are defined below.

Training
BERKS EAST Competitive team members are expected to attend all scheduled practices. Exceptions: illness, religious commitments, educational school commitments (not school athletics), and previously scheduled family commitments.

Although we cannot demand attendance, BERKS EAST coaches retain the right to withhold any competitive gymnast from competition if practice attendance has not been consistent and safety becomes a concern. Any vacations scheduled within two weeks of a competition may disqualify competitive team members from the current competition. No guarantees on entrance fee refunds can be made in the event of a gymnast being withheld from a competition.
BERKS EAST is supportive of our athletes playing other sports. However, membership on another team does not excuse the athlete from BERKS EAST practices.

Please note that missing practice will delay progress in gymnastics and may result in unsatisfactory performance at competitions. If the athlete chooses to miss practice, he/she chooses to do so at his/her own risk.

Competitions
BERKS EAST Competitive team members are expected to attend ALL scheduled competitions. Gymnastics is both an individual sport AND a team sport and all team members are expected to work hard to contribute to the team score.
BERKS EAST will primarily attend competitions held within our competitive region. Our current USAGym Region 7 consists of the following states:
Women’s Artistic Gymnastics – Region 7 (PA, NJ, MD, DE, WV, VA)
We will travel outside our Region to attend large invitational meets for the girls artistic optional levels (Level 6 and up). In Level 6, Level 7, Xcel Platinum and Diamond, attendance at meets outside of our region is voluntary. In Level 8-10, attendance at meets outside our region is expected.
TeamGym athletes don’t have a Region and are expected to attend all competitions as this discipline is a team sport where each member is counted on for a specific purpose.
(Please note: Attendance is not expected if an athlete is injured and unable to compete at any level for any competition.)
Athletes are required to be on the floor and ready to go for competition by the time for Open Stretch.

Personal Electronic Devices
Personal electronic devices are not to be used during practice, either in the team room or in the gym, except in emergencies to call parents/guardians or to video their gymnastics for training and recruiting purposes. In both instances, permission must be given by a coach to use the device and the athlete must use the device with supervision.
No BERKS EAST athletes may post any video or picture taken in the gym to any social media accounts without permission from their coach and the other coaches and athletes in the picture/video.
If any athlete is caught breaking these rules, they will be required to either leave their personal electronic device at home or leave it in a secured area with the coaches at the beginning of each practice. They will be allowed to access their electronic device while in the gym with supervision only.
BERKS EAST assumes no responsibility for the damage to, destruction of or loss of any personal electronic device brought into the gym or on the premises of the gym. If an athlete or parent is worried about the safety of any personal electronic device at the gym, please leave it at home.

Rules of Behavior
Members of the Berks East Gymnastics competitive team will be held to the highest expectations of behavior and conduct toward ALL others.
Team members are expected to treat all team members, recreational athletes, BERKS EAST coaches and staff, fellow athletes and coaches from other teams, judges, officials, family members and those around them with kindness and consideration with both their actions and
their words. All team members don’t have to be best friends, but they need to respect each other in and out of the gym.
Please carefully note:
-any threats, real or perceived to be real, will not be tolerated and will be reprimanded with steps outlined below: This is in-person/text or on any social media.
-any orientation (sexual or gender), racial, ethnic, religious or other slurs will not be tolerated and will be reprimanded with steps outlined below,
-any abuse of any form - physical, mental, emotional or any type of threat - will not be tolerated and will be reprimanded with steps outlined below,
-any illegal substance (including prescription medications not prescribed to the athlete), tobacco or nicotine products, alcohol or alcoholic products, firearms or weapons being brought into gym or on premises and/or being SOLD, SHARED OR USED by any underage or non-permitted person will result in all personal effects being immediately searched, the substance being removed from the underage persons, parents will be immediately brought in and suspension per the steps outlined below.
The steps here outline the action/s Berks East Gymnastics will take if any BERKS EAST team member breaks the Rules of Behavior. The owner/owner designee and primary coach of the gymnast will participate in all meetings with parents.
All suspension weeks will be 7 full days long and will be defined as the gymnast not being welcomed to participate in practice, competitions or team events during the suspension. All offenses will be clearly noted and signed by the gymnast, parents and coach/owner/owner designee.
If after any suspension, the gymnast returns to practice within the week of a competition, the coach reserves the right to determine if the gymnast is safe enough to compete in that meet.
Rules of Behavior, continued for children ages 6 to 9:
-the first offense will result in a meeting with coaches and parents.
-the second offense will result in suspension for one week.
-the third offense will result in suspension for two weeks.
-after the third offense, the parents will be asked to seek professional behavioral help for the child before being cleared to return to the gym after a minimum suspension of three weeks.
For children ages 10 – 13:
-the first offense will result in a meeting with coaches and parents and suspension for one week. -the second offense will result in suspension for two weeks.
- after the second suspension, the third offense will result in parents being asked to seek professional help for the child and suspension for a minimum of one month. After a minimum of a one-month suspension, upon written recommendation of a certified professional, the child may be allowed to return to the gym. The child will not be permitted to return to BERKS EAST without written recommendation from a professional therapist or medical behavioral provider.
For children ages 14+:
-the first offense will result in a meeting with coaches and parents and suspension for one week. -the second offense will result in suspension for one month.
- after the second suspension, the third offense will result in parents being asked to seek professional help for the child and suspension for a minimum of one month. After a minimum of a one-month suspension, upon written recommendation of a certified professional, the child may be allowed to return to the gym. The child will not be permitted to return to BERKS EAST without written recommendation from a professional therapist or medical behavioral provider.
In no situations defined above will tuition, meet fees or coaches’ fees be refunded.
All BERKS EAST team athletes are required to report any suspected violations of this Code of Conduct IMMEDIATELY (within the hour) to either their primary coach or directly to the owner. In a case where a coach or the owner of BERKS EAST is not available, a report MUST be made to an adult IMMEDIATELY and that adult must then report the offense via any means possible (phone call, text message, email) to BERKS EAST owner or head coach. Any team athlete that is discovered to know about violations and not reported it will be considered to have violated the Code of Conduct and will also be subject to the above-listed steps of suspension.
False reporting of Code of Conduct violations will be considered a violation of the Code of Conduct and offenders will be subjected to the steps of suspension listed above.

BERKS EAST Competitive Team Code of Conduct Agreement
We, _______________________________________________________________ (parents/guardians) of BERKS EAST Competitive Team athlete _________________________________________________, have read and discussed the BERKS EAST Competitive Team Code of Conduct with our athlete. We all fully understand and agree to the Rules of Behavior and the actions to be taken upon violations of the BERKS EAST Competitive Team Code of Conduct.
The BERKS EAST Competitive Team Code of Conduct may be updated prior to each competition season. We understand we will be required to review and sign all BERKS EAST Competitive Team Codes of Conduct with our athlete when they are distributed each year and, also, if they are updated within the competitive season/year.