Code of Conduct for Parents and Guardians

Parents/guardians play a key role in the support and promotion of an ethical approach to sport and young people’s enjoyment in sport. Parents/guardians, therefore, need to be aware, informed and involved in promoting the safest possible environment for children to enjoy their participation in sport. Sports leaders need the support of parents/guardians to provide a safe environment and in conveying the fair play message. All participants in sport have a responsibility to keep sport safe, fun, and conducted with a spirit of fair play for all.

Parents/Guardians are responsible for their own children. You as a parent/guardian know your child best. If you believe that your child needs further supervision or support than can be given in a group situation at training sessions or competitions, for whatever reason either medical, psychological or emotional then you must ensure that you or an adult responsible for your child is present at training sessions and competitions at all times.

Children under 10 years of age must at all times have a parent/guardian or an adult responsible for them at training sessions or competitions.

Parents’ Code of Conduct

Parents and Guardians should always:

Be a good role model for your child and maintain the highest standards of conduct when interacting with children, other parents, coaches, officials, and volunteers.
Support all efforts to remove abusive behaviour and bullying behaviour in all its forms. Please refer to the Bullying Policy.
Encourage their child to learn the Athletics Ireland and Club rules & abide by them.
Discourage unfair play & arguing with officials.
Set a good example by recognising fair play & applauding good performances of all.
Always use correct and proper language.
Publicly accept officials’ judgements
Help your child to recognise good performance, not just results.
Support your child’s involvement and help them to enjoy their sport.
Encourage and guide your child to accept responsibility for their own performance and behaviour.
Ensure that your child is registered with the club and that their membership renewal is up to date. Membership runs from January to December.
Ensure that the club has up-to-date contact details for parents/guardians.
Ensure that the club is informed of any medical or physical issues your child may have including any other difficulty or disorder which will impact coach/athlete communication or understanding. This must be communicated annually to the club and your child’s coach. Coaches change so you must ensure each coach is informed.
Comply with all Government and Club health and safety guidelines and measures put in place to protect our athletes and volunteers from accidents, danger, or ill health. For example, Covid 19 Pandemic Public Health Guidelines.
Ensure you are familiar with the start and finish times of your child’s training sessions or competitions and ensure that they are dropped off and collected on time.
Ensure that all athlete belongings have name tags, and all belongings are taken home at the end of each training session.
Ensure that young athletes are properly attired in club singlets for competitions.

If possible:

Volunteer with the club for coaching, officiating or running events.
Volunteer (minimum once per annum) at competition events when your child competes for the Club.

Parents and Guardians should not:

Force your child to take part in sports if they are injured or unwell.
Punish or belittle a child for losing or poor performance.
Argue with coaches, volunteers or other officials.
Behave in a manner that brings the club into disrepute.
Attempt to meet your own needs and aspirations for success and achievement through your child’s participation in games.

Please be aware that the training venues of Blackrock Athletic Club are open to the public and are not enclosed. There is easy exit from the grounds onto the main road of Carysfort Avenue, from Blackrock Park and Booterstown Avenue, from St Andrews College on Winter evenings. Children must be dropped off and collected from within the training grounds.

It is a parents/guardian’s responsibility to assess whether their child is safe in that environment. If parents of children over 10yrs of age, do not think, their child is safe in that environment then they must ensure that they stay with their child during training sessions.

Parents and Guardians are entitled to:

Know that their child is safe while training and competing with the club.
Make a complaint if they believe that their child’s safety is compromised.
Be kept informed of any issues arising in relation to their child.
Be informed if their child is injured.

Code sign-up:

Upon registration with Blackrock Athletic Club and upon renewal of registration every year parents/guardians undertake to abide by and support the club’s child protection policy and in doing so they undertake to abide by Blackrock Athletic Club ‘Code of Conduct for Parents and Guardians’