• OARS (Outer Annapolis Recreation & Sports) is a new ministry of Riva Trace Baptist Church looking to connect people of all ages in the Annapolis area with God and one another through a wide variety of traditional and nontraditional sports and recreation.

• We are an outreach focused ministry seeking to connect people of all ages in the Annapolis area with God and one another through a wide variety of traditional and nontradional sports and recreation.
• * quality programs and coaching
• * safe and fun activities
• * emphasis on teamwork, character and sportsmanship

Philosophy

1)      Values

• We are a league of encouragement. Coaches, referees and parents play an important role encouraging all league participants, including one another.
• We are a recreational/instructional league. We teach fundamental skills development in a loving, safe and encouraging environment.
• We believe, as coaches and administrators of this league, that the dreams and aspirations of our players are of premium importance.
• We believe that the ?battles? relating to athletic competition are more meaningful and the lessons learned are longer lasting, when skill levels of opposing players are matched as closely as possible.
• We play games knowing there is usually a winner and a loser. Our players will be taught to play the game to win and to have fun while using their God-given talents to the best of their ability. The lessons of winning and losing will be kept in proper perspective and will be paramount in our coaching methods.
• We believe in the important elements of good sportsmanship and will teach these values to our players. Good sportsmanship is defined as being a person who is fair, generous, a good loser and a gracious winner. This is someone who accepts the rules, plays by them, and wins or loses by them.
• We are committed far more to developing character in our players than to winning games. Character counts far more than the scoreboard.
• We are committed to offering the safest and most secure environment possible. 

2)       Guidelines

• The most important role of the coach is that of building relationships with the participants.
• Teach initiative will be led by a team of qualified individuals.
• Coaches will strive to be a living representation of the life of Christ to the players.
• The league will strive to involve parents and families as much as possible.
• The focus of the game will not be on the score, but rather on developing a winning attitude among all who participate.
• Coaches and parents need to be encouraging to the participants.
• Coaches/Counselors must always look out for the safety and security of the kids. 

3)       Rules

• Coaches must be trained in doing relational outreach before they can coach
• The leadership team will provide regular equipping and evaluation for coaches 
• We will not field a team with more than 66% Christians 
• We will not field a team with less than 25% Christians 
• All players will get equal playing time 
• We don't encourage running up of scores when one team plays another who is less competitive, but at the same time we don't want to impose a rule that restricts play and imposes burdensome requirements on coaches 
• We will always have someone around who knows first aid and CPR
• We will perform background checks on coaches to ensure safety