Peters Township Soccer Association Responds to Disorderly Conduct at Recent Match

The Peters Township Soccer Association has responded to an incident n which three people were cited for disorderly conduct following a fight on a soccer field in Peterswood Park in late July—and it has asked all volunteers to continue to ensure that children remain safe while participating in the sport.

Those cited were not from the Peters Township area. For more information on the incident click here.

"The incident was handled quickly and appropriately," a PTSA spokesman wrote in a statement. "Last spring the PTSA took steps to perpetuate our desire to create a 'maximum safe' environment for the children of our township."

Just as a reminder: In conjunction with a new risk management procedure implemented in March, the PTSA had issued "risk badges" to volunteers.

"On the badge (is) each individual volunteer’s PA West and Peters Township Parks and Recreation Clearance expiration dates," the association indicated in a statement. "Information for renewing the clearance to avoid expiration was also included."

Additionally, the badge has PTSA Volunteer Pledge printed on the back, which states, "It’s ALL of our DUTY to keep our kids safe!”

"We asked our volunteers that were involved with the program to wear these badges on red lanyards any time they were performing their duties with our organization," the association indicated. "The response from our volunteers was amazingly positive and usage of the lanyards was widespread and immediate."  

The badges were mailed to the homes of volunteers—along with a letter that summarized how the organization feels "about the type of behavior we expect to see from volunteers/parents/kids and refs, etc."

The association continued: 

"We at the PTSA are committed to being leaders in the systems and processes that we deploy to ensure that our children remain safe while participating in soccer. We encourage other organizations to take similar measures to instill cultures of excellence in child welfare and athletic excellence. To us at PTSA 
good sportsmanship and good citizenship are just as important as the game. The game is a metaphor for life; dignity and honor are sometimes more important than winning."