Get Involved With Your Team & Association

• get to know your child’s coach and maintain open and honest communication with them about things that might concern you.
• speak out when you hear language, behavior or attitudes that contribute to a negative or unsafe environment.
• attend games and practices whenever you can.
• volunteer to be involved in your child’s club. Clubs depend on the involvement of parents/guardians and volunteers.

Be a good role model

• don’t be the ‘angry/ugly parent’ at games, this behavior is not what you want to model for your children.
• be supportive of the Coach. They have to make hard decisions every day concerning the team and the individual players. Unless you demonstrate 100% faith in your child’s coach, it is unlikely that your child will develop and progress as they should. Please remember that our team coaching staff are all volunteers.
• coaching from the sidelines is never appropriate regardless of your knowledge of the game. The coach is to be the only source of technical feedback to players.
• support the importance of training.
• be respectful of Referees and others and expect your child or young person to do the same.
• focus on your child’s efforts and performance, never ridicule or put your child down for making a mistake or losing.
• please support the whole team during games & training.
• do not speak negatively about coaches or players around your child.
• be vocal with your support but do not make negative comments to the opposition. The referees or other team members If you have a concern about how your child is being treated, make sure you deal with the
• issue appropriately:
• Ask yourself is this an issue for my child or is it my issue
• don’t make a big fuss in front of the child, other team members and parents
• find a time to talk privately with the coach.

Make sure your child is aware of personal safety

• talk to your child about keeping safe. Encourage them to tell you straight away if they feel uncomfortable or have worries about an adult’s behaviour, whether during sport or recreation activities or any other situation
• tell your child that he or she always has the right to say ‘no’ if an adult is trying to persuade them to do something they feel is wrong, or which makes them feel frightened or uncomfortable and that you will support them through this.
• make sure your child understands about their rights to privacy and respect of their body in order to recognise what is acceptable touching by an adult and what is not.

Be aware of possible danger signs

You should be wary of a club where staff and volunteers behave in the following ways:

• coaches that run private, closed practices on a regular basis and operate independently of the club
• a coach that increases the amount of time they spend with your child beyond the training session and shows favouritism.
• parents are discouraged from watching or becoming involved in training or other activities
• rough play, sexual innuendo or humiliating punishments are part of club practises
• inappropriate physical contact, inappropriate discipline and language is the norm
• adults in your club invite children to spend time alone with them outside of scheduled sport or recreation activities
• poor communication with parents and parental involvement is discouraged
• if one or more children suddenly drop out of sport or recreation activities for no apparent reason.