Athletes - of all types, backgrounds and abilities – need to be nurtured and cared for if their talents are to be optimised. Clubs are the seedbed of this athletic talent. They play a vital role in ensuring that athletes find their experiences fulfilling and rewarding, stay in the sport and reach their full potential. The coach is often the single most influential person in the athlete’s sporting career. Without a caring and supportive coach, no athlete is likely to stay in the sport or to reach their full personal potential
AAAE and UK Athletics are currently developing a comprehensive welfare plan for everyone involved in the sport, from clubs, to coaches, to athletes and their parents/carers, to officials. Your club and coaches are invited to adopt the following principles that will guide this initiative and to share in our pursuit of best practice in athlete welfare.
The Responsible Athletics Club
· Athletics clubs will ensure that athlete health, welfare and safety is the primary consideration in everything they do
· Club officers and volunteers will always act responsibly and set an example to younger members
· Club officers and coaches will, collectively and individually, adopt national policies and codes of good practice in relation to athlete welfare
· Clubs will nominate someone to act as a designated welfare/child protection officer, who will seek out appropriate training and periodic updating, to act as a first port of call in cases of concern about athlete welfare
· Clubs will liaise appropriately with other key persons, including parents/carers, officials, coaches, team managers and sport scientists, to ensure that best practice is followed in maintaining athletes’ welfare
· Clubs will carry out their duty of care within the legal framework of the Human Rights Act and other related legislation and government guidance
· Clubs will ensure that all coaches operating within the club environment hold the appropriate qualifications.
If you have any immediate concerns about your own protection or about welfare or child protection responsibilities or issues then please telephone one of the following 24 hour helpline numbers for advice:
ChildLine 0800 1111 (24hrs)
NSPCC 0800 800 500 (24 hours)
Parent Line 01702 559900 (9am-9pm Mon-Fri, 12-6pm Sat)
Victim Support 0845 30 30 900
· Coaches will respect the rights, dignity and worth of every athlete and treat everyone equally, regardless of background or ability
· Coaches will place the welfare and safety of the athlete above the development of performance
· Coaches will develop appropriate working relationships with athletes (especially under 18s), based on mutual trust and respect. They will not exert undue influence to obtain personal benefit or reward
· Coaches will encourage and guide athletes to accept and take responsibility for their own behaviour and performance
· Coaches will be appropriately qualified and update their licence as and when required by UK Athletics
· Coaches will ensure that the activities they guide or advocate are appropriate for the age, maturity, experience and ability of the individual
· Coaches will, at the outset, clarify with athletes (and where appropriate their parents or carers) exactly what is expected of them and what performers are entitled to expect from them
· Coaches will co-operate fully with other colleagues (e.g. other coaches, officials, team managers, sport scientists, doctors, physiotherapists, governing body staff) in the best interests of the athlete
· Coaches will consistently promote positive aspects of the sport (e.g. fair play) and never condone rule violations or the use of prohibited or age-inappropriate substances
· Coaches will consistently display high standards of behaviour and appearance
* Adapted with kind permission of the National Coaching
Foundation from ‘The Responsible Sports Coach’
Further information about Athletics Welfare will be sent out to all Club Secretaries as soon as it is available. This will include sample Child Protection Policies for Clubs, information about training resources and other contacts. If you already have a nominated Child Protection Officer who would like to receive this and other Child Protection updates separately, please contact Jay Griffiths at the AAAE office in Birmingham.
