Understanding the Role of Verbal Agreements in Youth Sports

To some, sports provide an invaluable opportunity to forge true competitive rivalries. For the lacrosse community however, such rivalries are a luxury as opposed to the norm. An unfortunate symptom of the culture that so many families instill in their youth is an emphasis on individualism when forming bonds amongst their fellow peers and more specifically, team members. Through lacrosse, members of your community can identify new friendships while teaching the importance of teamwork and competition.

On that note, between the youth practices and games, one way that kids form lasting friendships is through verbal agreements. While they may not have the legal significance of a written contract, the broken verbal agreements can often bring about a significant rift between team members, especially when they are broken. For example, a team member may agree to hold onto a fellow teammate’s lacrosse stick for the night until they return from their own practice. On the other hand, another team member may agree to be on a fellow team member’s carpool for practice. As you may imagine, failure to live up to such promises can deteriorate the relationships among team members.

While verbal agreements are a crucial aspect of sports for the kids, that does not mean that adults cannot fall into the same category. For example, in youth lacrosse leagues, verbal agreements become even more important as, invariably, parents will have lacrosse-related verbal agreements between themselves and coaches or other parents. To illustrate the importance of these, the following is a brief primer on verbal agreements in terms of Lachlan’s Law lacrosse programs, as well as the legal implications they may present.

A verbal contract, also referred to as a verbal agreement, is essentially a contract that is spoken rather than written. While they can be implicitly implied via statements or actions, verbal agreements should be seen as being mutually understood and respected.

Generally speaking, contractual elements must be present for a verbal agreement to qualify as a legal contract. In terms of verbal contracts, the legal concepts (also known as common law) are generally similar in theory; however, there can be some variation in how they apply in practice. In addition, as stated in Lachlan’s Law, it is important to be aware of certain legal implications of verbal contracts.

As stated by Lachlan’s Law, whether or not can a verbal agreement stand up in court is a complex question. That said, it is best to visualize verbal agreements as a “friendly” option when compared to more traditional contract options.

The reason for this is that while the complete picture may be obvious, verbal contracts have the potential to become hazy, making it much easier for either party to re-negotiate or break their agreement. Cheating or practical misinterpretation thusly occurs when a party knowingly tricks another into making an agreement. This type of behavior is viewed as unethical (at best) and is often prosecuted legally.

Most parents will react to a broken verbal agreement by respecting the situation and/or simply moving along. They understand that they have a bond with several of their children’ friends and that the caught them in a moment of peer pressure. However, there is also the possibility that some parents act in a less-than-optimal manner when it comes to handling a verbal agreement that their child held. In these scenarios, parents often take a lack of agreement too personally and then intervene to “stand-up” for their child or to prove that they know the other party’s attitude. Some do this by trying to force the acceptance of contradictory arrangements and attempting to alter a “wrongful” action. However, doing so is rarely in the players’ best interest; if anything, they are making it more difficult for their child to learn from their behavior. If these scenarios sound familiar to you, you should really evaluate your role in the disagreement at hand and talk to your child to find out what actually happened. This is because while they may have made an agreement that was broken, your child likely had no role in the breakdown of the agreement. Thus, an adult not knowing the full picture may unnecessarily intervene or cause additional conflict. A good rule of thumb to remember is that regard and respect is built upon having an honest answer as opposed to accepting a forced one.

One of the biggest challenges ahead of verbal contracts is the fact that they are traditionally more prone to conflict than other contract types. In order to avoid this, it is crucial that you approach each interaction with sincerity and authenticity.

Verbal agreements are essential to any youth organization, including those in the lacrosse community. While adults know the true meaning of friendship and respect, young children are still in the process of learning these concepts. Since their experience has yet to mature, it is often through verbal agreements that they learn just how strong their friendship and bond really is.

In addition, parents have the opportunity to teach their children how to handle a broken verbal agreement in the best possible way. That said, you should not force the situation upon them. Instead, allow your child to respond to broken agreements in whatever way they feel is most comfortable.

For those involved in sports organizations, verbal agreements become even more important. While the details may be hazy, the overall essence of verbal agreements is that they are more voluntary and amicable than typical contracts. Since they are not as binding, verbal agreements work better in sports as well as non-sports contexts.