Green Hornets serves more than 5,000 area children each year. It provides the opportunity for kids to be involved in any of eleven sports at varying levels of competition. The organization consists of 300+ volunteers from the Greater Severna Park area. These volunteers help the kids learn the rules of the game, build confidence and self-esteem, develop social skills, and gain an understanding of t
eamwork, coordination and athletic skills. The primary service area of the Green Hornets is within the boundaries of the Severna Park High School Feeder System. GSPAA encourages each child who participates in a sport to devote his or her best efforts to the sport while that sport is in season, and to do so not only in games but also in practice. On occasion, a child may have both the skill and the interest in playing two sports during the same season. While GSPAA encourages players to multiple sports, doing so in the same season often leads to conflicts between the two sports and the coaches of the teams for whom the player is playing. It can also have negative fallout for the player and his or her teammates, especially when the player opts to play the “other” sport when his or her teammates feel that he or she should be playing with them. In keeping with its mission of encouraging kids to play any sport that is offered by GSPAA, there is no policy prohibiting a player from playing two select sports in the same season. The player and that player’s parent(s) are strongly encouraged to be honest with the coach of each sport, to resolve any conflicts in a manner that is least harmful to all concerned, and to provide reasonable notice to both coaches when a conflict does arise. In similar fashion, the coaches are strongly encouraged to work together so as to minimize conflict, and to avoid penalizing the player for making a decision to play the “other” sport on a given night. The goal of the GSPAA is “Putting Kids First”, and that should always be the primary goal of every coach, parent and Commissioner in the program.