Code of behaviour for coaches

Coaches should have as their first priority the children’s safety and enjoyment of the sport they are participating in. It is important that Coaches should follow the code of conduct to ensure the children’s and their own safety.

Southside Playball coaches should:

• Act as a role model (disciplined / committed / time keeping). Remember children learn by example.

• Encourage and be positive during sessions so that the children leave with a sense of achievement.

• Set challenging, realistic but achievable goals.

• Plan and prepare each session appropriately and ensure proper levels of supervision.

• Ensure that all activities are inclusive and allow all children to participate in an enjoyable way.

• Put the welfare and enjoyment of children first and strike a balance between this and winning or achieving results.

• Treat each player equally, with dignity and respect and ensure that all children play within the rules of the game.

• Be aware of the developmental stages and needs of players.

• Actively encourage all children not to discriminate on the grounds of religious belief, race, gender, social classes or lack of ability.

• Encourage children to respect and accept the judgement of match officials.

• Challenge bullying in any form.

• Report accidents or incidents of alleged abuse to the Administrator in line with the Child Protection policy.

• Administer first aid in the presence of others.

• Maintain confidentiality about sensitive information.

• Refrain from smoking and consumption of alcohol before and during coaching sessions.

• Never ask anyone to keep secrets of any kind.M

• Protect yourself from false accusations by:

  • Not spending excessive amounts of time alone with children away from others.

  • Not taking children alone in a car journeys, however short.

  • Never taking children to their home.

  • Not administering first aid involving removing of children’s clothing unless in the presence of others.

Coaches should not:

• Encourage or threaten a player by deed or gesture to act in any unacceptable way towards an opponent or official.

• Allow rough or dangerous play, bullying, or the use of bad language or inappropriate behaviour.

• Let any allegations of abuse of any kind go unchallenged or unrecorded if appropriate. Incidents and accidents to be recorded in the incident/accident book. Parents will be informed at earliest possible time, unless doing so would endanger the safety of the child.

Coaches should never:

• Engage in rough physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay.

• Share a changing room or bath or shower with a child.

• Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching.

• Use foul language or provocative language/gestures to a child, opponent, or match official.

• Allow children to use foul, sexualised or discriminatory language unchallenged.

• Make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun.

• Reduce a child to tears in a form of control.

• Allow allegations by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.

• Undertake personal care for children. Ensure that parent or carer is responsible for personal care.

• Invite or allow children to stay with you at your home.

Code of behaviour for children

Southside Playball recognises that children have a great deal to gain from sport in terms of their personal development and enjoyment. Children are encouraged to realise that as a result of their participation in sports with Southside Playball that they also have a responsibility to treat other players, coaches and officials with fairness and respect. With rights there will always be responsibilities.

Children participating in sport with Southside Playball are required to abide by this Code of Behaviour.

Parents please go through the Code of Conduct for Children on the next tab down.

Children have the right to:

• Be safe and feel safe.

• Be listened to.

• Be believed.

• Be treated with respect, dignity and sensitivity.

• Be happy, have fun and experience a sense of enjoyment and fulfilment.

• Comment and make suggestions in a constructive manner.

• Be afforded appropriate confidentiality.

• Participate in games and competitions at levels with which they feel comfortable.

• Be free to approach the coach with any questions they may have.

• Make a complaint in an appropriate way and have it dealt with through an effective complaints procedure.

• Be protected from abuse.

Children participating in sport with Southside Playball should always:

• Play fairly, do their best and enjoy themselves.

• Play in accordance with the rules of the game.

• Respect fellow team members regardless of ability, cultural or ethnic origin or gender.

• Support fellow team members regardless of whether they do well or not.

• Respect all coaches and officials and opponents.

• Be gracious in defeat and modest in victory.

• Take their safety seriously by always wearing the appropriate protective equipment while training or playing games.

• Seek permission from coaches to leave the session.

• Ensure that camera phones are not used in changing rooms or any changing facilities at any Southside Playball activities.

Children participating in sport with Southside Playball must not:

• Cheat or lie.

• Shout at, or argue with, coaches, team mates, opponents or officials.

• Use bad or abusive language to coaches, team mates, opponents or officials.

• Bully or use bullying tactics to gain advantage.

• Tell lies or spread rumours, about other children or adults.

• Play or train if they feel unwell or are injured.

• Keep secret about any person that has caused them harm or offence.

Code of behaviour for parents

Parents/guardians should remember that children learn best by example.

To assist in the promotion of good practice parents/guardians should:

• Focus on their child’s efforts rather than performance.

• Focus on the fun and participation of the child in the activity.

• Show appreciation of and respect for coaches and match officials and their decisions.

• Respect their child’s team mates as well as players and coaches from opposing teams.

• Encourage their child to treat other participants, opponents, coaches and officials with respect.

• Encourage their child to play by the rules.

• Encourage their child to appreciate everybody on their team, regardless of ability.

• Behave responsibly on the side-line at training and matches.

• Conduct themselves in such a way which promotes the definition of fair play.

• Not take safety for granted but ensure that their child has all the appropriate equipment required for their participation in the sport.

• Not ridicule or shout at a child for losing a game or making a mistake.

• Not enter the field of play unless specifically invited to do so by a coach or official in charge.