Grievance Procedure
All participants in the NFYL program, including players, parents, coaches, spectators, and referees, are expected to behave according to the New Fairfield Youth Lacrosse’s Code of Conduct (available on www.newfairfieldlacrosse.com ). Along the same lines, it is expected that any conflicts that arise between participants will be resolved by applying both the letter and the spirit of the Code of Conduct, keeping in mind that the adult members of the program are viewed by the younger members as leaders, role models, and problem solvers.
New Fairfield Youth Lacrosse recognizes, however, that there may be rare instances when these conflicts cannot be satisfactorily resolved directly by the parties to the dispute or through the informal intervention of another program member. For those situations (and it is anticipated that they will very rarely occur), the NFYL has instituted a formal Grievance Procedure. All members should be aware that the Grievance Procedure IS NOT a substitute for direct conflict resolution between the parties; it is a secondary procedure to be employed only in the unlikely event that the parties cannot amicably and responsibly resolve their dispute through direct communication.
1. A grievance may be lodged by any member of the NFYL program for any suspected violation of the NFYL Code of Conduct or for any suspected violation of local, state or federal law.
2. A valid grievance must be in writing, using the New Fairfield Youth Lacrosse Association’s Grievance Form (attached), and must explain the nature of the grievance, the circumstances surrounding the alleged violation, and the specific provision(s) of the Code of Conduct alleged to have been violated. The person filing the grievance must also identify all witnesses or other persons with knowledge of the alleged violation.
3. A valid grievance must be signed by a parent, coach or player and submitted to a NFYL Board Member.
4. No grievance will be accepted from any person who fails to file the written grievance within two weeks of the incident in question.
5. No grievance will be accepted from any person who himself or herself has not complied with the Code of Conduct.
6. No grievance will be accepted that seeks to challenge a coaching decision. For purposes of this provision, a coaching decision includes, but is not limited to, playing time, position assignments, starting assignments and lacrosse strategy. Playing time is at the discretion of the coach. The coach will assess the level of play of each member of the team and play them accordingly. For the safety of the player and his/her teammates playing time may be diminished if the coach deems the level of play may cause injury to a player or teammate. Details of the grievance are not to be discussed with anyone other than the party(ies) directly involved with resolving the grievance.
7. Before a grievance is filed the following steps must be taken:
1. Wait 24 hours “cooling off period”
2. Speak to or email one-on-one with your child’s coach (never during a game).
3. If the issue is still not resolved, speak to appropriate NFYL commissioner (girl’s or boy’s) see contact list on website.
4. If the issue is still not resolved, file a formal grievance using the grievance procedure form found on the documents page.
8. When the grievance is received, the NFYL Board will thoroughly investigate the incident and attempt to resolve the grievance with the parties amicably.
