* Athletes Code *

Code of Conduct for Children and Young Athletes

You are entitled to:

• Be safe and to feel safe
• Be listened to
• Be believed
• Be treated with dignity, sensitivity, and respect
• Have your voice heard in your sport
• Participate on an equal and non-discriminatory  basis
• Have fun and enjoy your sport
• Experience competition at a level at which you are happy
• Make complaints and have them dealt with
• Get help against those who bully
• Say No
• To protect your body
• Privacy and confidentiality

You should always:

• Treat all group or team members and your Sports Leaders with respect
• Act fairly and responsibly at all times, do your best
• Respect other group or team members
• Respect opponents and be gracious in defeat
• Abide by the rules as set out by the group or team you are with
• Support and assist where appropriate with the running of your group

You should never:

• Cheat or seek to gain an unfair advantage
• Intimidate, use violence or physical contact that is not welcome
• Shout at or argue with another person unreasonably
• Cause harm to or damage property
• Bully or threaten another person online or offline
• Take banned substances or consume alcohol or recreational drugs
• Spread or circulate rumours online or offline about another person
• Tell lies

* Coaches and Officials Code *

Coaches, Officials and Volunteers Code of Conduct

Sport should be safe, fun and conducted in a spirit of fair play

All coaches, officials and volunteers in athletics should

• Consider the wellbeing and safety of participants before the development of performance.
• Develop an appropriate working relationship with participants, based on mutual trust and respect.
• Make sure all activities are appropriate to the age, ability and the experience of those taking part.
• Promote the positive aspects of the sport (e.g. fair play)
• Display consistently high standards of behaviour.
• Follow all guidelines laid down by the National Governing Body
• Hold appropriate qualifications and Athletics Ireland insurance cover.
• Never exert undue influence over participants to gain personal benefit or reward.
• Never condone rule violations, rough play or the use of prohibited substances.
• Encourage participants to value their performances and not just results.
• Encourage and guide participants to accept responsibility for their own performance and behaviour.
• Never use foul or inappropriate language.
• Sports leaders or officials must never abuse their position of authority by engaging in any form of sexual relations with children or vulnerable adults.
• Do use a group email system for communicating with parents/guardians & coaches of athletes.
• Do not communicate individually by social media, text or email with juvenile athletes
• Do not engage in communications with underage athletes individually via personal social network sites.
• Always use official squad group text or social media sites to communicate with juvenile athletes.
• A coach should under no circumstance undermine the efforts of an athlete’s personal coach and/or attempt to ‘poach’ an athlete within a squad environment

Coaches and leaders should never place themselves in a compromising position by texting or communicating via social media sites with juvenile athletes. All such communications regarding athletics should be sent via the parents or guardians of the athlete.

The following should apply when communicating with juvenile athletes:

• Do use a club group text or email system for communicating with parents/guardians of athletes.
• Do not communicate individually by text or email with juvenile athletes.
• Do not engage in communications with underage athletes via personal social network sites.
• Always use official club group text or social media sites to communicate with juvenile athletes.

* Parents Code *

Parents Code of Conduct

Athletics should be safe, fun and conducted in a spirit of fair play

• Encourage your child to learn the rules and play within them.
• Discourage unfair play and arguing with officials.
• Help your child to recognise good performance, not just results.
• Never force your child to take part in sport.
• Set a good example by recognising fair play and applauding good performances of all.
• Never punish or belittle a child for losing or making mistakes.
• Publicly accept officials’ judgments.
• Support your child’s involvement and help them to enjoy their sport.
• Use correct and proper language at all times.
• Encourage and guide performers to accept responsibility for their own performance and behaviour.

AAI COMPLAINTS AND DISCIPLINARY PROCESS:

AAI_Complaints_and_Disciplinary_Officer_and_Process_Board_approved_050220.pdf (athleticsireland.ie)