It's Bigger than the Game

BPALL expectations of our coaches are necessarily high. As parents and guardians, we entrust the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our children to you for at least a few hours each week. But a coach’s actions and example can influence a child’s development and trajectory—as an athlete, but more importantly, as a person—far beyond the field.

As such, we look for specific qualities in our coaches and ask that they embody the virtues of the BPALL program.

Coaching Qualities

• Prioritize the emotional and physical well-being of players above the desire to win.

• Promote fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate practices for all players.

• Emphasize fairness, effort, and sportsmanship over game outcomes.

• Foster a positive, inclusive, and team-oriented environment.

• Encourage all players to show respect toward teammates, coaches, umpires, opponents, and families.

• Lead by example by demonstrating integrity, fair play, and composure in all situations.

• Maintain professionalism at all times—including refraining from the use of profanity—when interacting with players, coaches, umpires, parents, and league officials, whether at BPALL or when representing the league elsewhere.

Virtues of BPALL – what we teach our players

• Respect – for oneself, others, the community, and the environment

• Teamwork – working together toward a common goal

• Sportsmanship – competing, winning, and losing with grace

• Trust – belief that everyone has a role and responsibility

• Hard Work – essential for overcoming adversity and succeeding in life

• Competition – a driver for growth and excellence

• Loyalty – commitment to teammates, team, and shared purpose

Discipline Committee Policy

To ensure proper review of misconduct, a Discipline Committee will be convened as needed. The committee will consist of at least three (preferably five) members from the Board of Directors. The preferred members include:

• Vice President of Baseball or Softball

• Player Agent

• Umpire-in-Chief

• Majors Coordinator (optional)

• Safety Officer (optional)

If any of the preferred members are unavailable or have a conflict of interest, another board member may serve in their place. Priority will be given to individuals with strong knowledge of Little League rules and policies. The Discipline Committee is responsible for:

• Clearly identifying which part(s) of the Code of Conduct were violated.

• Communicating the potential consequences of the misconduct to the individual involved.

• Collecting statements from all relevant parties, including coaches, umpires, players, and parents.

• Presenting findings and recommended disciplinary action to the full Board of Directors.

• Requesting a Board vote if the proposed discipline involves suspension or removal beyond standard Little League policy.

Potential Disciplinary Actions

Discipline may be issued to parents/guardians, guests, managers/coaches, or players, and can include (but is not limited to):

• Verbal warning

• Written warning

• Suspension from games

• Season-long suspension, including postseason play (All-Stars & TOC)

• Removal from all league activities

• Permanent expulsion from the league