The Butler Dek Hockey League continues to grow in popularity.

Unlike most sports, organized dek hockey is played throughout the calender, the seasons broken into sessions.

The fall session will begin around Labor Day and an updated code of conduct for fans, parents, coaches and players will accompany it.

Bill and Erin Schollaert took over as the head of operations last January for the Butler Dek Hockey League, which involves 861 players ages 4 through adult. They have had a code of conduct policy in place for four months.

“We’re updating it to get our coaches’ input and ideas,” Bill Schollaert said. “We will have meetings and get the policy ironed out and into the hands of everybody.”

The league’s current code of conduct policy exists on its website and is posted at the dek hockey court on Duffy Road in Butler.

Mike Trego, a hockey official for 25 years, is head of officials for Butler Dek Hockey and said the league is striving to create “a friendly family environment” for kids to enjoy the game.

Trego said there used to be “issues” with the adult league, but those have been ironed out through the code of conduct rules.

“Now that process is being filtered down to the kids,” he said. “It’s all designed toward giving these kids a positive experience in sports.

“It’s the same in any sport ... baseball, soccer, hockey, whatever ... parents are getting out of control at kids’ sporting events.”

Dek hockey is different from ice hockey. There is body contact, but no checking. Kids will inadvertently slide into each other while going for the ball and such plays can be mistaken for overly aggressive play.

“We’re trying to educate kids, coaches and parents on the differences between the sports,” Trego said.

One youth coach in the dek hockey league, Dan Robinson, contacted other youth sports organizations across the country — including Texas, North Carolina and Wisconsin — to check out what codes of conduct they have in place.

“I just googled ‘sports fan behavior’ on the computer to see what’s out there,” Robinson said.

“We need to keep this league as a recreational activity for kids and stay away from confrontations and altercations.”

Kudos to that.

It’s no secret that parents can become overzealous at youth sporting events. Guidelines are needed to quell any disturbing trends that way before they get out of hand.

The Butler Dek Hockey League is being proactive in that regard. And by getting input from various coaches in updating a code of conduct policy, the league is policing itself.

“Nobody wants to be preached at, so we’re including everyone in what’s going on,” Trego said.

Other youth leagues and other sports should take such steps.

Let the kids play. Let the coaches coach. Let the parents be supportive. Let everyone have fun.

And put it in writing for all to see.