Behavior Management: 4 Strikes Rule

Consequences for Not Meeting Expectations

Step 1 (1st offense) ·        

• Remind child of expectation and assign consequence accordingly – this can be at coach’s discretion (e.g. 5 pushups,10  jumping jacks – should be something active, reasonable. We want to shy away from handing out time outs)
  

Step 2 (2nd offense) ·         

• Increase number or severity of consequences (e.g. 5 pushups becomes 10, 10 jumping jacks becomes 20)
• Remind child that this is his/her last warning and what will happen if he/she decides not to follow the expectations. 

Step 3 (3rd offense)

• At this point, the child has proven he/she is unwilling to meet expectations, despite 2 warnings. You should feel empowered to shift to a more serious tone.
  Example: “You've done pushups twice, I've reminded you twice, and since you’ve shown me that you can’t meet the expectations of being on this team, you can’t participate in what the team is doing”
• Child must miss 1st half of scrimmage, standing/sitting with a team assistant (either assistant coach or field/curriculum support)

Step 4 (4th offense)

• Child must sit out rest of night and cannot come following day.  
• When this happens, volunteer must use the Follow-Up Steps to 4th Offense behaviors. See section below. . 

Automatic 4th Offenses

1. Physical violence 
 2. Any type of major bullying

**For these situations it is not a guarantee that child will be permitted back into the program

Follow-Up Steps to 4th Offense Behaviors

Procedures when a 4th offense behavior occurs 

1. Volunteer or staff [every program must be staffed with more than one adult] takes measures to stop situation immediately. 
   a. Pull participant to the side of the program.  If possible, the rest of the program should proceed as normal.
   
   
2. Volunteer verbally reports incident to program staff in charge.
   
   
3. Volunteer and staff speak to participant. 
   a. Notes from this conversation should be put into Incident Report. 
   b. Volunteer and staff quickly make sure they have consensus and delegate the following steps, calling on help if needed. 
   
   
4. Parents of all parties are contacted. The incident, next steps, and/or consequences should be explained to parents and involved parties.
   
   
5. Participant(s) are immediately sent home, still following check-out protocol
   a. Participant(s) should have a clear understanding to why they are being asked to leave. 
   b. If  participant(s) may only be dismissed with parent pick-up, parent should be called to pick up their child. 
   c. If parent is not available for pick-up, participant(s) must remain in the program under staff supervision, but not participating. 
   d. If participant(s) is able to go home without parent pick-up, he is allowed to go home on his own after his parent has been called.
   
   
6. Participants receive a one-day suspension from the program.
   a. If volunteer or staff feels that the participant(s should receive a longer suspension from the program, this should be discussed with all program staff and a decision for a more severe consequence can be made.
   
   
7. Volunteer completes an Incident Report Form and submits to VCO staff.

What happens the next day? 
Except in cases of physical violence or bullying (please see Bullying Definitions below), a new day means a clean slate!  We encourage you to follow up with the child at the start of the evening.  Encourage him/her to display positive behavior on this new evening 

Example: “Hey! I know you had a rough day yesterday. How are you doing today?”


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