Code of Behaviour

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.

Activesport Dublin / Wicklow coaches should:

  • Ensure at least two responsible adults are on-site prior to children arriving and have clear plans to cover situations such as parents/carers failing to arrive to collect a child/young person after a practice or a match

  • Adults should show respect for children and young people at all times

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

  • All staff and volunteers should be aware of these Policy and Procedures

  • 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.

  • Coaching sessions should be planned in a way which minimises any opportunity for abuse e.g. avoiding situations in which an adult is alone with a child

  • 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 child 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 the coach.

  • 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.

  • The use of mobile phones is forbidden during coaching sessions / teaching unless in case of emergency.

  • Never ask anyone to keep secrets of any kind.

  • Protect yourself from false accusations by:

    - Do not spend time alone with children, including: Escorting to the toilet, taking children alone in car journeys, taking children to their home, 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 the parent or carer is

    responsible for personal care.

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

    Disciplinary procedures if a coach is found in breach of Code of Behaviour Each breach of the Code of Behaviour will be assessed by the Owner / Franchise Area Manager of Activesport Dublin / Wicklow. If a coach is deemed to be in breach of the Code of Behaviour the Owner / Franchise Area Manager will speak to the individual coach.

    The Owner / Franchise Area Manager will determine whether the coach should be given a warning on that occasion but will remind the coach of the standards expected of Activesport Dublin / Wicklow coaches. If there is a further breach of the Code of Behaviour by a coach following a warning, the Owner / Franchise Area Manager will meet with the coach and will ask the coach to leave the programme. If a serious allegation of abuse is made against a coach, the Owner / Franchise Area Manager will suspend the coach until such time as the investigation has been completed and the Owner / Franchise Area Manager will then determine the position of the coach in Activesport Dublin / Wicklow subject to the findings of the investigation.

    Code of behaviour for children

    Activesport Dublin / Wicklow 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 Activesport Dublin / Wicklow that they also have a responsibility to treat other players, coaches and officials with fairness and respect.

Children participating in sport with Activesport Dublin / Wicklow are required to abide by this Code of Behaviour:

Children have the right to:

  • Be safe and feel safe
  • Be listened to
  • Be treated with respect, dignity, sensitivity & inclusivity
  • Be happy, have fun and experience a sense of enjoyment and fulfilment.
  • Comment and make suggestions in a constructive manner
  • Be afforded appropriate confidentiality.
  • 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 Activesport Dublin / Wicklow 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 Activesport Dublin / Wicklow activities.
  • Children participating in sport with Activesport Dublin / Wicklow 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 offense.
  • Sanctions if child is in breach of code of behaviour

Activesport Dublin / Wicklow operate a red and yellow card system. If a child does not abide by the code of behaviour during sessions, the coach will give the child a yellow card as a warning to control and correct their behaviour. If a child continues not to abide by the code of behaviour during sessions, the coach will give the child a red card and be told why they are being given the red card. Parents will be called and told not to send the child to the class the following week. After a week’s suspension, the child may return to the class and the matter is forgotten.

If a child receives more than 2 red cards, their parents will be asked to remove their child from the class permanently.

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.