Responsible Coaching Movement


Ringette Canada has taken the pledge and is now a proud Champion of the Responsible Coaching Movement.  By making this pledge, our sport organization is committing to implement supportive policies and processes that adhere to the Responsible Coaching Movement to ensure the safety and protection of our athletes and coaches, and provide our coaches with the tools and training necessary to model ethical behaviour.

The Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM) is a multi-phase system-wide movement, coordinated by the Coaching Association of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport that has the potential to affect all sport organizations and coaches. 

 

The first Phase of the RCM focuses on three key areas:

  • 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. 

    Good practices to implement the Rule of Two

  • Ensure a coach is never alone and out of sight with a participant without another screened coach or screened adult (parent or volunteer) present.
  • Allow the training environment to be open to observation.
  • Ensure a participant rides in a coach's vehicle with another adult present.
  • Consider the gender of the participant(s) when selecting the screened coaches and volunteers present.
  • Eliminate one-to-one electronic messaging. Ensure that all communications are sent to the group and/or include parents.

Download Rule of Two Infographic

 

  • Background Screening

The background screening process involves using a number of different tools to ensure coaches meet the necessary security requirements to coach athletes. These tools include comprehensive job postings, criminal record checks, interviews, and reference checks.

 

  • Respect and Ethics Training

Increasing coaches’ ethical conduct and behaviour toward athletes requires that coaches be trained to understand what it means to act ethically.  This training would include the Make Ethical Decisions module within the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP), as well as training in abuse and harassment prevention, such as Respect in Sport, before and during their coaching career.

Over the next three years, with the support of the Coaching Association of Canada, Ringette Canada will be actively reviewing its current policies and procedures to ensure they align with the recommendations and guidelines of the RCM.  Working closely with our Provincial Ringette Associations, we will identify realistic ways and means to entrench the Responsible Coaching Movement across our sport and enhance the safety of our athletes and ethical conduct of our coaches.

 

 

Take the Pledge:

Provincial Ringette Associations and clubs are encouraged to take the pledge! Click on the button below to take the pledge.

Take the Pledge

 

 

Screening

Ringette Canada is working with Sterling Backcheck to complete quick online criminal record checks. Simply click on Sterling Backcheck and select Ringette Canada in the drop-down menu.