Rattler Families 

Coaching Philosophy

Our coaches are dedicated to developing Christian character through sports. 

They will hold themselves and their players to the highest standards of Christian character and will.

Proverbs 22:1 -- "A good name is to be more desired than great riches; favor is better than silver and gold."

Being a participant in the Red River Rattlers athletic program does not guarantee equal play time in regular season games. 

Play time will be up to the discretion of the coach and will be guided by skill level, work ethic, team needs, and attitude. 

As a service association, the Red River Rattlers Athletic Association is committed to developing a caring and loving relationship with all parents, student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. Knowing that cultural trends will ebb and flow and that our student-athletes will have to navigate such cultural trends, we commit to the following beliefs:

What We Believe

• We believe that the Bible alone, and the Bible in its entirety, is the Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

• We believe there is one God, the Father, the Creator, and Preserver of all things. He created people, either male or female, and all human life is sacred and cared for from conception (Genesis 1:27). 

Relative to male and female being the two created and assigned sexes, we offer sports according to that construct.

• We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, our Savior (John 1:1). In him, divine and human natures were united in one person, and He alone is our sole Redeemer. Through no other source can we receive redemption.

• We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the true God. He applies to man the work of Christ in salvation (John 14:15-16).

• We believe in salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

• We believe in righteous living and good works as evidence of salvation (James 2:17).

• We believe that at the end of the age, the bodies of the dead shall be raised. The righteous shall enter into the eternal presence of God, and those who rejected His Son shall be condemned (Revelation 20 & 21).

Therefore, our Code of Conduct is as follows:

 The Red River Rattlers seek to honor Christ in all that we do. We do not require players/players' families to have a professing faith in Jesus. Still, we do require that while a participant in the Red River Athletic Association, each player/family uphold, respect, and not detract from the Association's ethical standards that have their basis in the Bible.

Leadership Teams

The leadership team will make all final decisions concerning the Rattler's programs. If you have requests, questions, or concerns, please bring this directly to your coach in a constructive manner. The coach will then forward this to the Rattler Leadership Team.

Student-Athlete Code of Conduct

• I will give my total effort to make the most of my God-given talent.

• I will practice to the best of my ability, and I will give maximum energy and effort at every game.

• I will have a humble, Christ-like attitude that remains coachable. I will be gracious in victory and defeat, and obey the rules of the game.

• I will refrain from making demeaning and/or negative comments about teammates, coaches, and parents.

• I will extend kindness to visiting student-athletes, coaches, and fans.

• I will behave as an honored guest when visiting another school.

• I will refrain from taunting opposing players, coaches, fans, and officials (Taunting includes any actions or comments that are intended to anger, embarrass, or degrade another person.)

• I will treat officials as professionals at their job. I will accept absolutely and without quarrel the final decision of any official.

• I will respectfully follow coaches’ decisions and honor their positions of authority.

• I will not use any vulgar or hostile language during competition or training.

• I will avoid the use of tobacco (including vape products), alcohol, and illegal drugs.

•  I will not pursue romantic same-sex relationships.  Nor will I seek to claim a gender other than my biological gender of birth while participating with or representing the Red River Rattlers.

Remember that your words and actions on or off the court and in the stands reflect on you, and your personal witness.

Consequences of Poor Sportsmanship

1st offense – Meeting with Coach

2nd offense – Coach and Parent Conference

3rd offense - Suspended from any participation with the team for one week.

4th offense – Suspended from the team for the remainder of the season.

PARENT/FAMILIES Code of Conduct

• I will be supportive of my player, his/her teammates, and the coaches.  

• I will only make positive comments during training or games.  

• I will not speak disparagingly about other players or the coaches in front of my child.

• I will allow the coach to do his/her job without interference. 

• I will not coach my child (or other players) from the sidelines.  

• If I have requests, questions, or concerns, I will bring this directly to the coach in a constructive manner. I understand the coach will then forward this to the Rattler Leadership Team. 

• I will not complain to other parents nor will I approach the coach to discuss the matter immediately after a game/training session when emotions may run high.  After a cooling off period (24 hours), I will call the coach and make an appointment to discuss my concerns. 

• I will respect the referees and their decisions. I will not criticize, yell at, or approach them. 

• I will respect our opponents and their parents.  I will only make positive comments to or about opposing players. 

• I will avoid all forms of profane speech (cussing) while in a venue where the Red River Rattlers are training or competing. 

• I will interact with other parents in a positive way that reflects well on the team and the Rattlers organization.  

• I will not argue or respond to inflammatory conduct from other parents.

• I will keep youth sports in perspective.  I understand the mission of the Red River Rattlers is to honor Christ while assisting individual players and teams to further develop as athletes.  I understand that I am a representative of the Red River Rattlers; therefore, I will show good sportsmanship and will be supportive regardless of the results of a game.

• I understand that being part of the Red River Rattlers requires my compliance with this code of conduct and failure to do so may hold me subject to disciplinary measures (asked to leave practices/games, team expulsion).

 Parent/Families Consequences of Poor Sportsmanship

Any demeaning actions directed towards other student-athletes, coaches, officials, or fans will not be tolerated and could result in removal from the site of the athletic competition, followed by a meeting with the athletic director. We understand emotions run high during athletic competition. However, repeat offenses of negative behavior and non-adherence to this policy will result in revoking parent attendance privileges.

Player Eligibility

•  A player is only eligible to play in the gender division that the player was born, as recorded on their original birth certificate.

•  A player must currently be homeschooled for the duration of the season. “Homeschooling” is defined to mean that a student’s education is parent-directed and done at home.  As such, the parents shall be directly involved in their child’s education, playing role of the headmaster thereby (1) selecting curriculum, (2) selecting and/or approving course materials and study schedules, & (3) selecting tutors, coop’s, teachers, dual enrollment options, &/or resources for their child’s education. 

• Homeschooling would also include a person of legal responsibility of the student filling the role of a parent.