Ajax Spartans Minor Baseball Association acknowledges the value that team websites hold with respect to sharing team information with players, family and friends. 

With many of the clubs Rep teams managing their own websites, it is important that the following guidelines are followed. These guidelines are set out to ensure that safety and privacy concerns are addressed when teams choose to operate and maintain their own website.

Why do we want to provide this guidance? 
The prevalence of the Internet and other electronic communication devices (including cell phones) has led to an ever increasing concern with individual privacy, harassment and cyber-bullying particularly related to the younger audience. 

ASMBA is concerned with the safety of all our members and these guidelines have been established to provide a framework for acceptable conduct on the Internet. 

This policy is also guidance for the individual’s use of public services such as YouTube, Facebook, etc., which may lead to harassment or Cyber-bullying.

Use of any form of electronic communication in a negative manner by any ASMBA player, coach, volunteer or staff member will not be tolerated. Evidence of such communications should be provided to the ASMBA Vice President. 

The National Crime Prevention Council (USA) defines cyber-bullying as:

"when the Internet, cell phones, or other devices are used to send or post text or messages intended to hurt or embarrass another person" 

• No unlawful copies of copyrighted or proprietary material (documents, music, photographs, graphics, etc.) are to be used on the team’s website
• No offensive content is to be published on the team’s website. Offensive content is defined as text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person, whether that person is associated with ASMBA or not. See Cyber-Bullying Defined (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber-bullying#Cyber-bullying_defined).
• The team’s website must not contain links to websites that promote products and services that are incompatible with the image of our sport (e.g. alcohol, gambling, tobacco).
• Any request to display advertising on a team website for the purposes of fundraising must first be approved by the ASMBA Vice President.
• All guardians of players must sign a consent form indicating that they give the team/club webmaster permission to release the names, practice and game locations, photos and any other information related to the team’s activities. The team manager or head coach must keep the signed consent forms. Consent forms are available on the club website.
• Public-facing web pages (those visible to the anonymous visitor) may only contain a player’s first name and initial of their last name (e.g. Steven G.) and must not contain any contact information for the players or their families or friends.
• Group pictures may be published in the public area of the team’s website if the group consists of five or more people. Publication of individual players pictures is not recommended.