Parent/Carer/Guardian Code of Conduct
Introduction
Parents/carers/guardians have an important role to play in the involvement of their charges with sport. Whilst this involvement is recognised and highly appreciated, it is also important that the parent/carer/guardian conducts themselves in a manner which supports the commitment and effort of their charges and the Club.
The following Code of Conduct must therefore be adhered to:
Personal Standards
Parents/carers/guardians should avoid using any inappropriate profanities during training sessions or whilst their child is competing, whether directed towards his/her skater, their team-mates, officials, other parents/carers/guardians, or other skaters.
Personal Expectations
Parents/carers/guardians should work with the coach in order to ensure that their child has the best possible experience of sport. This may include things like:
- letting the coach know if their child will be missing a session
- updating the coach about their child’s physical status (e.g. are they injured?)
- telling their coach of any other miscellaneous factors which may have an impact on their child’s physical, psychological, or social well-being within the session.
Parents/carers/guardians should uphold the spirit of sport, and reinforce fair play, respect for other skaters and accepting defeat and victory in an appropriately sporting manner.
Relationships
Parents/carers/guardians should respect the work coaches and volunteers do within their child’s Club and treat them with appropriate respect. Complaints about coaching or Club-based practice should be identified and dealt with through the appropriate channels (as identified in the Club’s concern and complaints procedure)
Safety
Parents/carers/guardians should not get involved with elements of the training session or competitions that they are not qualified to do, and they should let their child’s coach (or the competition organiser) know if they are asked to do something for which they are not qualified.
Parents/carers/guardians should not provide uninvited, unqualified input into the session which is being led by a qualified coach. This may serve to distract their charge from the task they are performing or distract his/her peers from their tasks.
Equity
All parents/carers/guardians should respect the rights of every other skater and coach and treat all as equals within the context of their activity and ability. This must be regardless of age, ethnic origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, cultural background, or political affiliation.
Use of information technology as a means of contact
Parents / guardians / carers should be aware that coaches are not permitted (within their code of conduct) to contact junior members directly via text message, email, social networking sites, websites, chat rooms, or web messenger service (as defined in the club’s social media Policy)
Contact may only be allowed via the parent/carer/guardian (as defined in the club’s social media Policy)