Roaring Fork United

STATEMENT OF INTENT

Roaring Fork United is committed to providing a caring, friendly, and safe environment for all our members so they can participate in soccer in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our club. If bullying does occur, all children and parents should be able to openly communicate the situation and know that all incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. We are an open club. This means that anyone who knows that bullying is suspected or happening is expected to notify the club immediately.

OBJECTIVES OF THIS POLICY

Bullying will not be tolerated.
All players, coaches, managers, and parents of the Roaring Fork United should understand what bullying is.
All managers and coaching staff should know what the club policy is on bullying and follow it when bullying is reported.
All players should know what the club policy is on bullying and what they should do if bullying occurs or is suspected.
As a club we take bullying seriously. Players and parents should be assured that they will be supported when bullying is reported.

WHAT IS BULLYING?

Bullying is the use of aggression with the intention of hurting another person. Bullying results in pain and distress to the victim. Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical.

Bullying can be and does include:

Verbal bullying including derogatory comments, lies, false rumors, teasing, ridicule, and bad names. Emotional bullying includes being unfriendly, sending hurtful or tormenting messages via social media forms.
Bullying through social exclusion or isolation, being ignored and or left out
Physical bullying includes pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any other use of violence.
Being attacked because of their religion, race or color, gender or sexuality including but not limited to taunts, graffiti, gestures etc...
Sexually unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
Misuse of associated technology such as unwanted camera and video usage and social networking exposure

SIGNS AND INDICATORS

A player may indicate he or she is being bullied by signs or behavior, adults should be aware of these possible signs and should investigate if a player:

Says he or she is being bullied
Is afraid or unwilling to go to training, practice or games
Becomes withdrawn anxious, or lacking in confidence
Feels ill before training sessions
Is nervous and /or jumpy when a message is received (e.g. text, social network)
Comes home with clothes torn or training equipment damaged
Asks for money or starts stealing money (to pay the bully)
Has unexplained cuts or bruises
Is frightened to say what’s wrong
Gives improbable excuses for any of the above
Cry them‐selves to sleep at night or has nightmares
Becomes aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable
Is bullying other children or siblings
Stops eating
Attempts suicide, runs away or hurts themselves deliberately (self-harm)

These signs and behaviors may indicate other problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and should be investigated.

WHY DO PLAYERS SOMETIMES BULLY OTHER PLAYERS?

Players might bully because:
They may not have been taught that any form of bullying is unacceptable behavior and will not be condoned by the Roaring Fork United.
They think it is fun or funny
They are lacking in their own self confidence
They are copying older siblings, friends, parents or even club staff
They are encouraged to bully by friends
They themselves have been a victim of bullying

AS A COACH OR MANAGER WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU THINK YOUR PLAYER IS BEING BULLIED?

Ask the player directly
Take any incidents of bullying that they tell you about seriously
Talk calmly with the player about their experiences
Make note of what the player says
Reassure the player that they have done the right thing by telling you
Understand that your player may need to change aspects of their behavior
Never approach another parent directly
Do not encourage your player to retaliate
Contact Roaring Fork United staff immediately

PROCEDURES

1. Immediately report the bullying incidents/behavior to the Roaring Fork United Staff.
2. The club will take every concern seriously, investigate the issue and report back to you in a timely manner.
3. In serious cases, parents may be asked to come in to discuss the problem.
4. If necessary and appropriate, the police will be consulted.
5. If bullying is found, it will be stopped immediately by removal of the player(s) who is bullying from the Club until a suitable process has been met
through club policy.
6. A record will be kept on the incident(s), investigation and any action(s) taken
7. The bully (bullies) will be placed on probationary period with the club of no less than six (6) month

Each team coach is the directly responsible person for the safety of the group of players they have care over and must act accordingly in adverse weather conditions to protect every player from harm.

Should there be any lightning within a 10 mile radius of a training/game facility, all activities are suspended. Coaches will instruct all players to seek shelter in covered facilities or in cars as appropriate and available. Activities may resume once 30 minutes have passed from the final lightning strike within the 10 mile radius.

Always use common sense when it comes to weather risk. Though the technology solutions available to all coaches are very good tools, they are not 100% foolproof. If you see lightning and/or hear thunder, and your weather app does not match what you are observing, again, err on the side of caution and seek shelter.

AUTOMATIC WEATHER DETECTION TECHNOLOGY

Depending on the site of the practice/game, a lightning detection technology may be on-site, at which time, coaches and teams should defer to its technology as the primary for that facility and act accordingly. If there is no one designated on-site, that responsibility falls to the coach (volunteer or contract) to make a call and communicate with their team.

ABSENCE OF AUTOMATIC WEATHER DETECTION TECHNOLOGY AT FACILITY

RFU coaches should be equipped with a Weatherbug phone application, a fee-for-service adverse weather detection phone application that provides lightning and adverse weather condition detection.

This policy is primarily written to address lighting, as that is the most prevalent safety risk that occurs in Colorado. However, if extreme wind, hail, tornadoes, blizzards, or any other weather event that may endanger players occurs, you must clear fields to assure the safety of all players.

CANCELLING PRACTICES

If lightning is still in the area halfway through practice, you must call off your practice, or the storm does not appear to be passing quickly, RFU ask that the coach end practice/games instead of a delay.

PLAYMETRICS

Please make sure that you have a team communication contact list for parents. This will be the easiest form of team communication.

PARENT REQUEST

If there looks like lightning nearby at the beginning of practice, please ask parents to stick around to keep players in their car.

LIGHTNING

Lightning 10-12 miles away: Warning Zone
Lightning 6-10 miles away: Clear the fields and seek shelter
Lightning 0-6 miles away: Immediate Danger, seek shelter
Returning to play: Players can return to the fields 25 minutes after the last lightning strike that is 10 or more miles away.

WHERE TO SEEK SHELTER:

Park Pavilions
Cars of coaches and/or parents (must be in groups)
Restrooms

WHERE NOT TO SEEK SHELTER

Under a tree
Under or by any tall objects
Under an umbrella
Near water
Under or near a soccer goal

Roaring Fork United Concussion Policy

At Roaring Fork United (RF United), we want to ensure our players are provided the safest environment possible. As such, RF United is incorporating a Concussion Policy to educate members about concussions, help prevent concussions from occurring, and identify when a concussion may have taken place.

Concussion Policy

Parent Concussion Policy: RF United recognizes the potential danger and long-term health consequences of this often difficult to diagnose form of traumatic brain injury. The policy is intended to provide easy-to-understand guidelines related to players who have been diagnosed with or are suspected of having a concussion. The policy is for coaches, parents, and players, but is to be shared with any other adults or participants in Roaring Fork United.

Per Colorado Senate Law 11-040 passed on March 14, 2011, and put into effect January 1, 2012, youth coaches need to be educated about concussions. It is MANDATORY for all recreational, intermediate, and competitive coaches to have completed a concussion training module and have a certificate of completion on file to be updated annually.

Parents: When a parent registers their player, they agree to the following:

If my child is diagnosed with a concussion during a Roaring Fork United activity or during any other activity, including those outside of Roaring Fork United or if my player has a prior head injury, I will inform my child’s coach of such diagnosis prior to the start of the season or before my child return to play. If a RF United staff, coach, or referee deems a player as having a potential concussion, they are within their right to remove the player from the game. Parents may not override the decision until they have their player evaluated by a physician and released to play.

All players, parents and coaches should review signs and symptoms of concussions on the CDC website. (https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/index.html)

If a player does have a head injury, that player must notify parents and coaches immediately.

Parents and Players: Learn about concussions!

Colorado Soccer Association Concussion Policy and Procedures

The athlete and family should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of a concussion. Identify the signs and symptoms of a concussion – As a member of the sports community; we must recognize the signs of a concussion and check to see if the player is experiencing symptoms of a concussion. When in doubt, take the player out. – It is best practice to remove the player from competition if there are signs and/or symptoms a concussion has occurred. Do not let the player return – The player should not return to competition until he or she is evaluated by a medical physician and cleared to play. Monitor recovery – Players who have experienced a concussion should be allowed to return to participate on a gradual basis. Players should continue to be monitored with the goal that the player will eventually return to full participation at an individual pace. Not all concussions are the same.

Roaring Fork United does not offer refunds, credits, or fee transfers for the program with the strict exception of the following situations:

If Roaring Fork United is unable to place your child on a team a full refund will be offered however, we do not guarantee the program, or the team requested.
Family relocation. Roaring Fork United may offer a refund if the relocation takes place prior to any team practice for the season. Should the relocation occur during the season, Roaring Fork United has the right to pro-rate the players registration based on the amount of time the team played or practiced.
Player injury. Roaring Fork United may offer a refund if the injury occurs prior to any team practice for the season. Should the injury occur during the season, Roaring Fork United has the right to pro-rate the players registration based on the amount of time the team played or practiced. Registration can also be credited to the following season.
Player drops from the program. Roaring Fork United may offer a refund PRIOR to the start of season and with an approved reason. Should the player drop occur during the season, Roaring Fork United has the right to pro-rate the players registration based on the amount of time the team played or practiced.
Force Majeure: Roaring Fork United shall not be liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its duties or return of fees under this agreement to extent that such a failure or delay is caused by an event or circumstance beyond its reasonable control including, but not limited to weather, inability to conduct soccer activities at an appropriate soccer facility, forfeit from the opposition, acts of God, acts of war, government action, act of terrorism, epidemic, pandemic, natural disaster, or lock outs, civil disorder or other major upheaval. In such event, Roaring Fork United's duties and obligations under this agreement may be suspended and fees retained. In addition, Roaring Fork United may alter its season or calendar or provide alternative means of coaching or other soccer related services in its sole discretion.

While we will make an attempt, when possible, to place your child on another team to accommodate your schedule, refunds are not available due to scheduling conflicts.

*Late payments and payment plan fees are non-refundable.

Roaring Fork United has the right to amend the Refund Policy at any time.

Travel Policy (Safesport)

This policy shall apply to:

1 – Adults at any facility under the jurisdiction of Roaring Fork United.

2 – Adult members who have regular contact with amateur athletes who are minors.

3 – An adult authorized by Roaring Fork United to have regular contact with or authority over an amateur athlete who is a minor.

4 – Staff and board members of Roaring Fork United.

Team/Competition Travel

When only one participating adult and one minor athlete travel to a competition, the minor athlete must have his/her legal guardian’s written permission in advance and for each competition to travel alone with the participating adult.

Hotel Rooms

Participating adults shall not share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with a minor athlete (unless the participating adult is the legal guardian, sibling, or is otherwise related to the minor athlete).

Meetings

Meetings shall be conducted consistent with SafeSport's guidelines for one-on-one interactions – i.e., any such meeting shall be observable and interruptible.

Meetings shall not be conducted in a hotel room.

Roaring Fork United (RFU) is committed to providing players a fun, positive, and secure environment to learn and enjoy the game of soccer. The club’s Transgender / Nonbinary Policy is split between RFU sanctioned activities and Colorado Soccer Association (CSA) sanctioned activities.

RFU Sanctioned Activities

RFU sanctioned activities include any camps, clinics, leagues, and programming that are run solely by the club. This includes summer, winter, and in-season camps, as well as our internal recreational leagues.

Families are able to register their player for the gender team/program with which the player identifies via the club’s sports registration system. We ask that families also reach out to the Director of the program to make them aware to assist with the placement of the player and create the best and safest playing environment.

CSA Sanctioned Activities

RFU will follow the guidelines from USYS/US Soccer for state league and CSA sanctioned activities which include, but are not limited to, 11U-19U Advanced League programming, and any recreational programming that participates against other clubs through CSA sanctioned events.

Per U.S. Soccer and United States Youth Soccer:

For the purposes of registration on gender-based amateur teams, a player may register with the gender team with which the player identifies, and confirmation sufficient for guaranteeing access shall be satisfied by documentation or evidence that shows the stated gender is sincerely held, and part of a person’s core identity. Documentation satisfying the herein stated standard includes, but is not limited to, government-issued documentation or documentation prepared by a healthcare provider, counselor, or other qualified professional not related to the player.

The medical documentation should be shared with your program director and uploaded into the player’s GotSport profile (this information and file upload is encrypted) or sent to Colorado Soccer Association directly.

To understand our Player Placement Process, you first must understand its objective. The objective of Roaring Fork United’s player placement process is to place players on teams that provide the most developmentally appropriate level of play. Long-term player development starts by building a structure that requires coaches and club staff to observe, monitor and identify player progress throughout a season or year. Traditional tryouts create undue stress for players and parents alike. A year-long evaluation process provides a more accurate and in-depth look of each individual player. Based on coach and club staff evaluations, Roaring Fork United is able to gain a strong sense of the developmentally appropriate level of play for those players already participating in the Club, and on what team individual players should compete to maximize player development. This system provides a more accurate placement of most players and has distinct advantages over tryout events.

Here are some reasons why:

Not all players display their abilities in a tryout situation. Some player qualities are also less tangible than the more obvious individual skills of some players.
The tryout situation often groups players together who do not know each other, this can prevent meaningful team play.
Coaches can be overwhelmed by having to focus on too many players at one time at a tryout event and having to make choices based on observing players for just a few minutes.
Players should be evaluated on what they have done all year, including non-physical qualities like commitment, perseverance, dedication, and leadership. A tryout situation, on its own, does not allow for as meaningful an evaluation of those qualities. For these reasons, Roaring Fork United has determined that the traditional team tryout process is not appropriate for our club.

Which RF United Teams use the Player Placement Process?

Player Placement is utilized in selecting teams for the Advanced League Teams only. Placement on MRL, All-Valley, or Academy teams is done based on preferences for practice location, schedule, coach, and/or teammates; placement on Advanced League teams does

not consider preferences indicated during registration.

What does a player need to do to be evaluated for player placement on an Advanced League Team?

To show interest in being evaluated for an Advanced League team, players MUST complete the Intent to Play Advanced League Registration on PlayMetrics. While all 10U -19U coaches are asked to evaluate all of their players, the intent to play step during registration identifies the pool of players who have interest in playing in Advanced League regardless of their current team placement.

Advanced League registrations use a two-step process to allow for appropriate player placement before families make a financial commitment.

Step 1 – Register to show interest ($25 fee). This will indicate to RF United that the player wants to be considered for an Advanced League Team for each player’s year of birth. There is a $50 late fee for any Intent to Play submitted after the deadline.
RF United will use Coach and Staff evaluations to inform roster placement for each player who has completed Intent to Play Advanced

League registration by the initial deadline, 6/1 (initial deadline for HS boys is 11/15).

If an Advanced League Team is developmentally appropriate for the player, RF United will place the player on a roster and send a PlayMetrics message asking them to accept or decline their spot on the roster.
Step 2 – Accept or decline a roster spot and complete player registration, including making a payment or setting up a payment plan.
Roster spots must be accepted in 72 hours. No response within 72 hours will be deemed a declined offer and the roster spot will offered to the next ranked player.

Procedures for Advanced League Player Placements

No player’s spot is guaranteed for multiple years on a roster. Most teams change.
Coaches, assistant coaches, and club staff will complete an evaluation for all players that have shown interest. Notes are taken to differentiate players within specific areas of play. Players will be ranked in their evaluation.
Players will be notified as soon as possible after the end of each season regarding their recommended placement for the subsequent season.
Advanced League teams are not town based, they are based on year of birth regardless of where in the Valley a player lives.

The goal is to create teams of similar ability from the same year of birth playing together. Only if it is developmentally necessary will a player be invited to play with an older age group or if players are requested to fill spots needed for team rosters.

Advanced League Registration Deadlines 2025-2026

Players must indicate interest by June 1 (step 1) and will be notified prior to June 7th on their player placement.

Players will have 72 hours to accept or decline their nomination (step 2).

Roster spots that are not accepted within 72 hours may be offered to another player and are no longer guaranteed to the original player offered the spot.

A $50 late fee will be assessed to Intent to Play registrations completed after June 1st. There is no guarantee that Intent to Play will be open for

registration after 6/1.

For Spring only teams (HS Boys), players will need to indicate interest by November 15, 2025, and will be notified before December 31st.

Players will have 72 hours to accept or decline their nomination.

Roster spots not accepted by the deadline may be offered to another player and are no longer guaranteed to the original player.

A $50 late fee will be assessed to registrations completed after November 15.

There will be a wait list option for players wishing to join an Advanced League team for Spring only. Registration for the wait list closes on Dec 31st. Wait list players will be assigned teams if roster spots become available on current teams. It is not guaranteed that they will. If teams are full, Mountain Region teams are the only option for Spring only teams.

What is the commitment to play in the Advanced League?

Once a player accepts their roster spot on an Advanced League team, it is a yearlong commitment.
This includes summer tournaments, fall and spring league season, fall or winter tournaments, futsal training or league, and spring tournaments.
High School aged teams (who only play club during one season) are only exception to this. HS players are only committed to the club for their single season (August – November for girls and February – May for boys).

While the Club understands some players play multiple sports or have limited availability during certain seasons, we will work to build a player pool to support year-round play. This plan will be determined once teams are set.

If a player shows exceptional progress during a season, coaches and their Director of Coaching may discuss moving a player to a more competitive roster.

All communications for any player movement will be done by Club Staff.
Coaches will not contact players or parents prior to communication by club staff.
Any recommended move will be discussed with the player and parents before the move is finalized.
If a player does not show the level of commitment or skill expected for their placement, coaches and club staff may recommend a transfer to a less competitive roster. This communication will be done by club staff.
Winter training, summer leagues, camps, game video, and tournament play may be used as additional evaluation opportunities for new players to the Club interested in Advanced League selection or movement within.
Unless a player is highly skilled compared to age group peers, and physically and mentally mature, the Club will keep players within their age bracket.

What are the options if a player is not selected for the team that they desire?

Colorado Soccer Association (CSA) allows for players, within the same club, to guest play on any team within a two-year age group. Players may guest play up in age group but may not play below their chronological birth year. With the Club Pass Rule, players on any RF United roster may be invited to play on another RF United team when players are needed, as determined by game day roster needs or player potential. Coaches adding Club Pass

players to their roster must inform the Club registrar the Wednesday of that week. This is called a Club Pass.

POLICIES

SPORTSMANSHIP CODE & ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

FUNDAMENTALS OF SPORTSMANSHIP

SPORTSMANSHIP CODE GUIDELINES AND BEHAVIOR EXPECTATION

THE PENALTIES FOR DISSENT OR UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT