CODE OF CONDUCT as per CRICKET IRELAND.
Leaders as per Cricket Ireland include: Coaches; Volunteers who include umpires, drivers etc; Captain/manager; Youth officials. These should familiarise themselves with the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport, and the Cricket Ireland Code of Conduct, and follow procedures if they suspect abuse, or receive complaints of abuse.
The following outlines the standard behaviours expected of our leaders in our sport.
Leaders should:
- 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 (on an ‘accident template’).
- Keep a brief record of problem/action/outcomes, if behavioural problems arise (on a concerns template’).
- Report any concerns to the Children’s Officer or a Designated Liaison Person in accordance with this Code’s reporting procedures.
- Encourage young people to respect one another including their opponents and to expect respect for their worth as individuals regardless of their level of play.
- Be acutely aware of the power that you, as a coach/captain, can be perceived by the players to have over them.
- Develop coaching relationships which recognise any imbalance of power and avoid any intimacy with young people that could develop as a result; know the boundaries and don’t cross them.
- Encourage young people and other coaches/captains to develop and maintain integrity in their relationship with others.
- Make parents aware where cameras need to be used as a legitimate coaching tool. Obtain parental consent where needed.
- Put the welfare of the young person first (be child-centred).
- Be positive during sessions and competitions, praise and encourage effort as well as results; strike a balance between effort and winning/results.
- Encourage fair play and treat all participants equally.
- Recognise developmental needs, ensuring activities are appropriate for the individual’s age and/or stage.
- Plan and prepare appropriately.
- Complete the Safeguarding 1 training and be committed to the values and guidelines of Cricket Ireland.
- Complete Garda Vetting. No leader may commence an activity involving a young person until this is completed. See Cricket Ireland website.
Where possible Leaders should avoid:
- Communication with U18s that is outside the Club’s policy.
- Any contact with a child(ren) not related to coaching, matches and cricket related-activity.
- Touching unnecessarily to show a technical move. If a person can do it themselves give them directions, ask them to do what is needed (i.e., can you put your arm up like this? if that doesn’t work, ask them ‘is it ok if I move your arm/leg’.
- Spending excessive amounts of time alone with a child(ren) away from others.
- Taking a child (ren) to their home or on journeys alone.
Sports leaders should not:
- Use any form of punishment or physical force on a child.
- Exert undue influence over a participant to obtain personal benefit.
- Engage in rough, physical games, inappropriate touching of any kind or inappropriate gestures and terms.
- Make sexually suggestive comments about or to a child.
- Engage in certain types of fitness testing without the presence of another adult and parent’s/guardian’s permission.
- Never ask anyone to keep a secret of any kind as it may create a “special environment” for some child(ren).
- Never communicate or form a friendship on line with a child with the intention of meeting in the “real world”.
See copy of our policy Child Protection and Reporting Procedures.
Copies of Reporting Concerns Forms & Accident Report Forms can be downloaded from Cricket Ireland website.