Fair Play Policy & Procedure Manual St. Andrews Community Club

FAIR PLAY

POLICY & PROCEDURE MANUAL

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD 1

Fair Play at St Andrews Community Club 1

Rationale for Fair Play 2

Conclusion 3

MISSION STATEMENT 4

VALUE STATEMENT 5

TEAM STRUCTURE 6

POSITION DESCRIPTIONS 7

Coach 7

Assistant Coach 9

Manager 10

Treasurer 11

Parent Representative 12

CODE OF CONDUCT 13

Coach 13

Player 13

Parent 14

Spectator 14

THE FAIR PLAY RECONCILIATION PROCESS 15

Parent Representative 16

Fair Play Committee 16

Appeal Board 17

ST. ANDREWS C.C. FAIR PLAY INCIDENT FORM 18

TEAM STRUCTURE REPORT 20

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Fair Play Policy & Procedure Manual St. Andrews Community Club

FOREWORD

Fair Play at St Andrews Community Club

St. Andrews is a volunteer-based Community Club that relies on parents to volunteer their time in order to provide programs for our youth. Like many other sport-based community centres, we are attempting to deliver the best possible programming at the most affordable price. We must maintain our perspective of the things we want our kids to get out of sports in order to provide an environment in which we can deliver on those priorities.

Our program goals are self-evident:

Ø affirm the positive goals of skill development

Ø channel a positive approach to competition

Ø build self-esteem, respect, and responsibility

Ø have fun and provide a forum for lasting friendships

Ø promote inter-community living

These are some simple reasons for falling short of our goals:

Ø As volunteers, we often lack the time that is needed to optimize these programs.

Ø We may lack the expertise or commitment required to deliver the best possible programming.

Ø We may have neglected to outline and emphasize the priorities of the programs with an underlying policy.

In the spring of 2000, St. Andrews Community Club developed a Fair Play Program and prepared this Fair Play Policy Manual. A Fair Play Committee was formed to administer the program.

Our Fair Play Policy outlines the purpose and the core concepts of our programs through our mission and value statements. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of all participants so that each can do their part to contribute towards a supportive environment. The end result will be that our youth will receive the maximum benefit from their program experience.

These are the five principles of Fair Play:

1. Respect the Rules

2. Respect the Opponents

3. Respect the Officials

4. Equal Participation

5. Maintain Self-Control At All Times

Rationale for Fair Play

Youth sport and recreational programs can fail to meet the physical and psychological needs of their participants due to problems manifested in the physical and verbal abuse of the young athletes and the inappropriate behavior of coaches and parents. This results in numerous young people giving up on these programs with 72% citing coaching and the lack of fun as their reasons for leaving.

In an attempt to halt these destructive behaviors, some youth sport organizations have implemented "Silent Saturdays" and "Silent Sundays". During competition on these days, parents and spectators can neither cheer nor criticize and must remain completely silent. If this rule is violated; the offending parent/spectator is warned for the first infraction and is ejected for a second infraction. Locally, some youth sport organizations have utilized the police to either eject and or arrest unruly parents and spectators. These "either-or" actions continue to fail because the underlying problems are not being resolved for the following reasons:

1. Lack of Priorities: There is an apparent lack of knowledge by those involved in youth sport and recreation programs concerning the true objectives of these programs. This gives an opportunity for inappropriate values to negatively affect the well-being of the youth participants and contributes to their leaving the program prematurely. Research has demonstrated that the value of any sport/recreation program is that it allows the participants to fulfill their psychological needs in a regulated and structured environment. If these needs are met, the participant will feel that they belong to society at large, their sense of self-worth will improve, it will help shape the individual's identity, and it will influence how the participant will interact with others in society.

2. Lack of Regulation: A game or program is regulated and structured by its rules for the participants, the coaches, and the officials. However, the environment in which a game takes place is not regulated. This means the roles and the responsibilities, which occur in the relationships between and amongst the players, the coaches, the officials, and the parents/spectators, are not stipulated. Just as our behavior is governed by a set of rules during a game, our behavior in the environment needs to be governed by a set of rules. Nevertheless, there is a fear that the implementation of policies and guidelines will not attract sufficient volunteers to the program because they will be held accountable for their actions.

3. Lack of Cohesive Approach: There is an apparent lack of understanding that sport is a system comprised of players, parents, coaches, officials, and administrators. A modification to just one of these components negatively affects the other integral parts of the system and fails to cure the underlying problem. Therefore, in order to resolve the larger problem in youth sport and to achieve real change, it is necessary to simultaneously address each component of the system.

4. Lack of Commitment from the Administration: Those in positions of authority may view the need for change as a personal attack on their abilities to perform their junction. They react either by denying a problem exists or if they acknowledge the problem exists, feel powerless to remedy the situation. This results in the status quo being maintained with the problem being exacerbated.

5. Research into Conflict in Sport: A Canadian Study, entitled "The National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating" (1997), revealed that as volunteer events for non-youth continued to increase during the previous ten years, volunteer events in youth activities has declined greatly over the same period. This can be attributed to the fact that youth programs do not have policies and guidelines and any changes contemplated to improve the program are thwarted. Also, these unregulated conditions present an increased opportunity for abuse by those in positions of authority. This contributes to conflict within the sport system and increases the frustration level of the participants who perceive the only solution to this situation is to leave the sport and not return.

Research has also determined that people who volunteer in social service organizations, such as youth sport and recreation, do not want to be involved in conflict. When confronted with conflict, their response is in the form of avoidance. Conflict indicates a problem within the system and as such presents the opportunity to effect change in order to improve the system. The avoidance response precludes the necessary changes.

Until recently, a valid and reliable research model that could be applied to the recreational sport system to analyze the problem and provide solutions had not been developed.

Conclusion

To assist all our participants (players, parents, coaches, and administrators) to become familiar with and knowledgeable about the Fair Play Policy, attendance at a Fair Play educational seminar is mandatory. It is very important that all our participants understand how their roles can either negatively or positively affect this new program, which has been designed to benefit our youth. Each participant, who attends and completes the seminar, will be directed to a copy of the Fair Play Policy manual on our website.

The Fair Play Policy is intended to reduce or eliminate various contentious issues that are associated with youth sport in order to maximize the sport experience for our youth. However, from time to time, participants may find themselves involved in a contentious issue. A procedural process and sanctions were developed and is described in greater detail in the following pages. Briefly the process is meant to be inclusive and not punitive. We want every participant, who is involved in this process, to understand the importance of the Fair Play Policy and hopefully will choose to continue to participate and contribute to the program.

So please join us and do your part to make the St. Andrews Community Club Fair Play sports and programs the best possible experience for our youth.

MISSION STATEMENT

VALUE STATEMENT

TEAM STRUCTURE

All teams affiliated with St. Andrews Community Club must, as a minimum, ensure the following positions are occupied:

1. Coach - appointed by the appropriate sport committee.

2. Assistant Coach(s) - chosen by the coach and in conjunction with the appropriate sport committee.

3. Manager - chosen by and from the parents of the team.

4. Treasurer - chosen by and from the parents of the team and only if any monies, excluding registration fees, are collected for team expenses, such as tournaments, facility rentals, etc.

5. Parent Representative - chosen by and from the parents of the team.

Note: For all positions, see position descriptions.

A Team Structure Report is required to be completed by all teams. The Team Manager will submit the completed report to the Program Convener. The Team Structure Report form is found at the end of this Fair Play Policy.

POSITION DESCRIPTIONS

Coach

· Will be appointed by the appropriate sport committee.

· Must possess or be scheduled to attend and complete the appropriate coaching certification course as per the National Coaching Certification Program. This process is intended to attract coaching candidates who share the values of the Fair Play Policy in developing the social and athletic abilities of our youth. Lack of coaching experience will not be an obstacle in being appointed as a coach.

· Immediately after the team is formed; the coach and the assistant coach(s) will first have a team meeting with the players and will:

1. Promote and explain the Fair Play Policy to the players and answer any questions that may arise.

2. Coaches will explain the team rules regarding player conduct and safety.

3. Direct players to our website for a copy of the fair play rules.

· Once the team is formed, the coach and assistant coach(s) will meet with the parents and will:

1. Promote and explain the Fair Play Policy to the parents and answer any questions that may arise.

2. A consensus will be required from the parents to determine the actual number of league, exhibition, and tournament games their children will participate in.

3. Have consensus with the parents concerning the costs they wish to incur for exhibition games, tournaments, and rental facilities.

4. Ensure that parents are selected to the remaining team positions.

5. Direct parents to our website for a copy of the fair play rules.

· The coach and assistant(s) will establish individual and team goals.

· The coach and assistant coach will ensure they have an organized plan of drills and other activities, which addresses the goals of the players and the team, in order to conduct a practice session.

· The coach or his assistant coach will maintain player attendance records for all practices and games.

· The coach and his assistant(s) will treat every player, coach, official, parent, or spectator with respect prior to, during, and after any practice or game.

· The coach and his assistant(s) will ensure that every player has equal opportunity to participate during a practice or a game over the season. This will be done in a fair manner consistent with the Fair Play Principles.

· The coach will maintain discipline of his players, prior to, during, and after a practice or game, by establishing team conduct and safety rules.

· The coach and the assistant coach(s) will determine a player's position and line mates.

· The coach, his assistant(s), or designate must be in the dressing room prior to the players arriving and it is suggested they greet each player by their name. The coach, his assistant(s), or designate must remain in the dressing room after a game or practice until all the players have left and are in the company of a parent or guardian.

· The coach and or his assistant(s) will ensure each player is wearing regulation protective equipment.

· The coach and or his assistant(s) will, prior to the commencement of a practice, inspect the rink boards for protrusions, the ice surface for defects, close any open gates, and perform any other inspection that has the potential for injury to a player.

· The coach will deal with all issues arising from the team conduct and safety rules.

· Will, assisted by the Manager, deal with all issues arising from the rules and by-laws of their league or association.

· Will not consume any tobacco and alcoholic products immediately prior to, during, and immediately after a practice or game.

Assistant Coach

· Will be appointed by the appropriate sport committee in consultation with the newly-appointed coach.

· The assistant coach must possess or be scheduled to attend and complete the appropriate coaching certification course as per the National Coaching Certification Program. This process is intended to attract assistant coaching candidates who share the values of the Fair Play Policy in developing the social and athletic abilities of our youth. Lack of coaching experience will not be an obstacle in being appointed as an assistant coach.

· Will assist the coach in his coaching duties as stipulated in the coach's position.

· Will assume the position and duties of the coach if the coach is unable to attend.

Manager

· Will assist in arranging any late registrants' attendance at a Fair Play seminar.

· Will co-chair parent meetings with the Parent Representative and in the Parent Representative’s absence will chair the meeting.

· Will meet with the coach and/or the assistant coach to plan league, exhibition, tournament, playoff games, and facility rentals.

· Will inform the Team Treasurer when payment for team expenses is to be made.