Racquetball Canada has taken a number of actions to protect those involved in the sport and encourages all clubs, facilities, provincial associations and tournament organizers to do the same.
Racquetball Canada:
- Is guided by a robust set of Safe Sport policies;
- Has adopted the Universal Code of Conduct against the Maltreatment in Sport;
- Has pledged to the Responsible Coaching Movement which means Racquetball Canada follows the Rule of Two, requires Ethics Training and has implemented screening processes for personnel and volunteers;
- Has adopted protocols, best practices and recommendations put in place by leaders in the field of Safe Sport.
Policies
Racquetball Canada has a robust set of policies to help protect all participants in the sport of racquetball.
Racquetball Canada’s policies are referenced throughout the Safe Sport webpages.
Specifically we are committed to;
- Limiting physical interactions to non-threatening or non-sexual touching (e.g., high fives, pats on the back or shoulder, handshakes, specific skill instruction, etc.)
- Ensuring that Vulnerable Individuals (minors) are always supervised by more than one Person in Authority.
- Ensuring that more than one person is involved with team selection (thereby limiting the consolidation of power onto one individual).
- Ensuring that parents/guardians are aware that some non-personal communication between Persons in Authority and Vulnerable Individuals, such as between coaches and minor athletes, may take place electronically in the form of texts, emails or on social media platforms, and that this type of communications is now considered to be commonplace. Individuals are aware that such communication is subject to Racquetball Canada’s Code of Conduct and Social Media Policy.
- When traveling with Vulnerable Individuals, the Person in Authority will not transport Vulnerable Individuals without another adult present and will not stay in the same overnight accommodation without additional adult supervision.
Click here to link to the complete list of Racquetball Canada policies.
Universal Code of Conduct
As part of Canada’s national sport community, Racquetball Canada is dedicated to creating a safe and welcoming sport environment.
Racquetball Canada has adopted the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) that has been developed by the Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC) for National Sport Organizations and the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute. The UCCMS is a result of an extensive consultation process that sought insight and expertise from within the sport system and from external experts.
The UCCMS will provide the foundation for the development of a coordinated implementation strategy to prevent and address maltreatment across all levels of Racquetball, and for all participants including athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and practitioners.
Click here to view and download the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS)
Responsible Coaching Movement
The Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM) is a call to action for sport organizations and coaches to maximize the positive benefits of sport through values-based and principle-driven coaching.
Racquetball Canada has taken the Responsible Coaching Pledge and encourages all clubs, facilities, tournament organizers and provincial associations to do the same.
The goal is to make sport safer for children and the vulnerable sector. The Responsible Coaching Movement wants coaches to consider how they coach, and not just what they coach. This can be the difference between just a safe sport environment and a sport environment that is safe, yet also fosters positive growth and personal development.
The RCM aims to protect athletes and coaches from unethical and illegal behaviour through the implementation of:
- Rule of Two: The goal of the Rule of Two is to ensure all interactions and communications are open, observable, and justifiable. Its purpose is to protect participants (especially minors) and coaches in potentially vulnerable situations by ensuring more than one adult is present. There may be exceptions in emergency situations.
- Background screening
- Ethics & Respect Training
More Resources
More on the Responsible Coaching Movement
Explore more information about the Responsible Coaching Movement for:
To help organizations on their Responsible Coaching Movement journey, the Coaches Association of Canada has developed a detailed implementation toolkit that includes resources, templates and useful links.
Commit to Kids
Created by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, the Commit to Kids program helps child-serving organizations reduce the risk of sexual abuse and create safer environments for children in their care.
The program’s tools provide organizations with information on the issue of child sexual abuse which forms the basis for educated policies and procedures — from hiring and screening to reporting and staff training. This enables all employees and volunteers throughout an organization to uphold standards of conduct that protect children and youth in their care by focusing on healthy interaction between adults and children.
Commit to Kids training is highly recommended for administrators of sport organizations whose services primarily target children, so they can establish policies and procedures to prevent child sexual abuse in their programs.
The Commit to Kids for Coaches training is approved for NCCP Professional Development credits.
Other resources on the Commit to Kids website include:
- Guidelines for Adults Interacting with Children in Sport
- Steps for Reporting Child Sexual Abuse
- Travel Guidelines to Help Protect Children in Sport & Resource Supplement
- Steps to Reporting Inappropriate Behaviour
Safe Sport Posters & Handouts
HELPline Posters