Leaders should familiarise themselves with the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport and in particular with the IHA Code of Ethics and follow the procedures if they suspect or receive complaints of abuse of any sort. Leaders should read below and agree to abide by these terms.
Leaders should:
- Be positive during sessions and competitions, praise and encourage effort as well as results
- Put welfare of young person first, strike a balance between this and winning / results
- Encourage fair play and treat participants equally
- Recognise developmental needs, ensuring activities are appropriate for the individual
- Plan and prepare appropriately
- Anyone working with children should do the child protection awareness course and hold up-to-date qualifications and be committed to the values and guidelines of the IHA
- Involve parents where possible and inform parents when problems arise
- Keep a record of attendance at training and competitions
- Keep a brief record of injury(s) and action taken
- Keep a brief record of problem/action/outcomes, if behavioural problems arise
- Report any concerns in accordance with this Code’s reporting procedures
- Encourage young people to respect one another and to expect respect for their worth as individuals for their worth regardless of their level of play
- Be acutely aware of the power that you as a coach develop with your players in the coaching relationships and avoid any sexual intimacy with young people that could develop as a result
- Actively discourage the use of performance enhancing drugs, the use of alcohol and tobacco and any illegal substance
- Encourage young people and other coaches to develop and maintain integrity in their relationship with others
Where possible Leaders should avoid:
- Spending excessive amounts of time with children away from others
- Taking sessions alone
- Taking children to their home
- Taking children on journeys alone in their car
Sports Leaders should not:
- Use any form of punishment or physical force on a child
- Exert undue influence over a participant in order to obtain personal benefit or reward
- Engage in rough physical games, sexually provocative games or allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any kind, and /or make sexually suggestive comments about, or to a child. This includes innuendo, flirting or inappropriate gestures and terms
- Take measurements or engage in certain types of fitness testing without the presence of another adult and permission of the parent(s).
- Undertake any form of therapy (hypnosis etc.) in the training of children
- Do not exploit any coaching relationship to further personal, political or business interests at the expense of the best interest of your players
- Never communicate or form a “friendship” with children online with the intent of arranging to meet in the “real world”
- Never ask anyone to keep secrets of any kind
Leaders in Galway Hockey Club are asked to download and sign the code of conduct.
Code of Conduct for Sports Leaders