Effective: April 17th, 2026
What This Document Covers
This document describes the standards of behavior, safety practices, and values that every person in the Cupertino FC community — players, parents, guardians, coaches, volunteers, and staff — is expected to uphold. These are not suggestions. They are the conditions under which we operate as a club, and they apply at all Cupertino FC activities, including practices, games, tournaments, camps, recreational sessions, Adaptive Soccer sessions, team events, and any communication related to the club (including digital communication, group chats, and social media).
Our Commitment
Cupertino FC exists to develop young athletes and young people. Everything we do — every practice plan, every coaching decision, every policy — starts with the question: is this good for the kids?
We are a community built on mutual respect, inclusion, and shared responsibility. The adults in this community set the tone. When parents and coaches model respect, patience, and sportsmanship, kids follow. When they don’t, kids notice that too.
Non-Discrimination
Cupertino FC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, immigration status, primary language, family structure, or socioeconomic status.
This applies to all aspects of our programs: player selection, team placement, coaching assignments, volunteer opportunities, access to facilities, and participation in any Cupertino FC activity. Every child who wants to play soccer — and every family that wants to be part of this community — is welcome here.
Cupertino FC is proud to serve one of the most diverse communities in the country. Our families come from dozens of cultural backgrounds, speak many languages, and bring a richness to this club that we consider a strength, not something to manage. We ask every member of this community to treat that diversity with the respect it deserves.
Inclusion and Adaptive Soccer
Our commitment to inclusion is not a tagline. We operate a free Adaptive Soccer program for players of all abilities, including those with autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, cerebral palsy, sensory processing differences, and other developmental differences. We believe the best parts of soccer — teamwork, confidence, joy, belonging — should be available to every child.
We expect every member of the Cupertino FC community to treat Adaptive Soccer players, families, and volunteers with the same respect given to any other part of the club. Mocking, excluding, or demeaning any player based on ability or disability will not be tolerated.
Anti-Harassment
Harassment of any kind — verbal, physical, visual, or digital — is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to: slurs, insults, or derogatory comments based on any protected characteristic listed above; unwelcome physical contact; intimidation, threats, or hostile behavior; sexual harassment of any kind, including inappropriate comments, gestures, or contact; and cyberbullying, including harassment through text messages, group chats, social media, or any digital platform.
This applies to interactions between players, between parents, between coaches and families, and between any members of the Cupertino FC community. It applies on the field, on the sidelines, in parking lots, in team group chats, and online.
Anti-Bullying
Bullying is repeated, intentional behavior that targets another person in a way meant to harm, humiliate, or exclude them. At Cupertino FC, we take bullying seriously — both among players and among adults.
For players: bullying another player (on your team or an opposing team), deliberately excluding a teammate, spreading rumors, or engaging in cyberbullying will result in a conversation with the player and their parents, and may result in suspension from activities or removal from the program depending on severity and pattern.
For adults: parents and guardians are expected to model the behavior they want their children to learn. Bullying, intimidating, or publicly demeaning a coach, referee, another parent, or any child — including on social media or in team group chats — is a violation of these Community Standards.
Sideline Conduct
Youth soccer is about the kids. The sideline is not a coaching box, a referee review booth, or a stage.
Parents and spectators are expected to: cheer positively for all players (not just their own child); refrain from coaching, directing, or instructing players during games or practices (this is the coach’s role); treat referees with respect, even when calls are missed or incorrect; never yell at, berate, or confront a referee, coach, opposing player, or opposing parent; and leave the field area promptly if asked by a coach, referee, or club official.
Abuse Prevention and Child Safety (AB 506 Compliance)
Cupertino FC complies with California Assembly Bill 506, which establishes child safety requirements for youth service organizations. In accordance with AB 506:
- All coaches, staff, and regular volunteers (those with more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year of direct contact with children) are required to complete a Live Scan fingerprint background check through the California Department of Justice and, where applicable, the FBI.
- All coaches, staff, and regular volunteers are required to complete mandated reporter training in child abuse and neglect recognition and reporting, as required by California law.
- Cupertino FC maintains written child abuse prevention policies that are available upon request.
- Any person associated with Cupertino FC who suspects child abuse or neglect is required to report it to the appropriate authorities. This is not optional — it is a legal obligation under California Penal Code § 11165.7.
We take these requirements seriously not because a law says we have to, but because the children in our care deserve an environment where their safety is never in question.
Safe Sport Principles
Cupertino FC adheres to the principles of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, including: one-on-one interactions between adults and minors are limited and must be observable and interruptible; locker room and changing areas are supervised appropriately; electronic communications between coaches and individual players should include a parent/guardian (coaches should not privately message individual minors without a parent copied); travel and lodging policies for tournaments require appropriate adult supervision and rooming arrangements; and any conduct of a sexual nature involving a minor is strictly prohibited and will be reported to law enforcement immediately.
How to Report a Concern
If you witness or experience harassment, bullying, discrimination, abuse, or any behavior that violates these Community Standards, please report it. You have several options:
- Contact the Club Director (Lauv Aeron) directly at laeron@cupertinofc.org or 408-673-8414.
- Speak to your child’s head coach or team manager, who will escalate to club leadership.
- For suspected child abuse or neglect, you may also contact the Santa Clara County Child Abuse Hotline at (833) 722-5437 or local law enforcement directly.
We take every report seriously. Reports will be handled with discretion, and we will not tolerate retaliation against anyone who reports a concern in good faith.
Consequences
Violations of these Community Standards may result in: a verbal or written warning; suspension from one or more activities (practices, games, events); removal from the program for the remainder of the season or permanently; and in cases involving suspected criminal conduct, referral to law enforcement.
The nature and severity of consequences will depend on the circumstances, including whether the behavior is a first occurrence or part of a pattern. Cupertino FC reserves the right to remove any individual — player, parent, volunteer, or coach — from any activity or from the club entirely if their behavior threatens the safety, well-being, or experience of others.
For players, any disciplinary action will involve a conversation with the player and their parent or guardian.
For parents or guardians, Cupertino FC may restrict a parent’s access to practices, games, or club communications if their behavior warrants it, even if the player remains in good standing.
A Note to Our Community
We write these standards down not because we expect the worst from our families — we don’t. The vast majority of Cupertino FC parents and players are exactly the kind of people who make youth sports worth doing. We write them down so that everyone knows what we stand for, and so that when difficult situations arise (and they do, in every youth sports organization), there is a clear, fair framework to address them.
Thank you for being part of this community and for helping us build something worth being proud of.
Cupertino Sports and Education Inc. d.b.a Cupertino FC
P.O. Box 2030, Cupertino, CA 95015