Vacaville recreation staff expand ‘sportsmanship rating’ program; officials describe appeals and enforcement

Recreation staff told the Park and Recreation Commission on March 5 that the City of Vacaville’s youth sports programs are using a sportsmanship rating system intended to reward positive behavior and hold coaches, players and spectators accountable.

Elizabeth (recreation staff) described the system as a 1-to-5 rating after each contest, with 5 the highest and 1 the lowest, and said teams must generally maintain a rating of 4 or 5 to qualify for playoffs. “After each contest… officials, the staff, and the opposing coaches all apply a rating between 1 and 5,” Elizabeth said. “The teams must maintain a rating of at least 4 and 5 to make the playoffs.”

Staff said the program began as a pilot in youth basketball and has expanded to other seasons. Vicky Williams Jones, the department’s sports coordinator, developed the program, staff said. The system includes checks: when incidents occur they are referred to sports staff for investigation. The sports coordinator typically investigates, interviews involved parties and assesses whether penalties—ranging from warnings to suspension—are warranted.

Elizabeth described examples for ratings: a “5” reflects consistent positive behavior by coaches, players and spectators; a “3” may reflect repeated minor issues such as sideline coaching or a technical foul; a “2” could follow repeated poor behavior or a forfeit; and a “1” would relate to ejection(s) for an egregious incident. “If someone receives 2 technical fouls in a game… it does happen,” she said, referring to what can trigger lower ratings.

Commissioners asked how the system treats conduct that occurs off the field, such as negative social-media campaigns. Elizabeth said the ratings are focused on what happens at games and that staff do not routinely factor social media into game-day ratings. “We just don't… have a lot of control over what's happening outside,” she said in response to a question from Commissioner Shea.

Staff also acknowledged that investigations are time-consuming and that officials are under increased scrutiny because video and recordings are commonly available. The department is considering procedural changes, including discussing whether review should be conducted by committee rather than by a single staff investigator to balance thoroughness with staff resources.

Staff emphasized the program’s goals: “We want people to learn from their mistakes and not make those same ones again,” Elizabeth said, and commissioners heard both positives—improved culture at games, increased accountability—and operational challenges such as resource demand for investigations.

The commission did not take formal legislative action on the rating system at this meeting.