Cork Harlequins Hockey & Cricket Club  

Code of Conduct for Coaches & Volunteers  

Coaches and Volunteers play a vital role within the hockey and cricket. Cork Harlequins ensures  that everyone involved is guided by the following safeguarding guidance and best practice whist  respecting that all Sport Leaders are entitled to obtain a healthy sense of achievement and  satisfaction through their involvement in children’s sport.  

In order to act as a role model and to promote their safety and the safety of young people Sport  Leaders should: 

Create a safe and enjoyable environment for children by: 

• Showing respect for all involved, children and adults. 
• Planning and preparing appropriately and being positive during sessions. • Making sure all levels of participation should be enjoyable and fun. 
• Prioritising skill development and personal satisfaction over highly structured competition. • Setting age appropriate and realistic goals. 
• Avoiding favouritism – each child will need attention according to their sporting needs. • Praising and encouraging effort as well as results. 

Recognise and ensure the welfare of children by: 

✓ Keeping attendance records at training and matches  

✓ Keeping brief injury reports to record any injuries sustained during training or matches.  ✓ Not exposing a child to criticism, hostility, or sarcasm or embarrassing a child in any way ✓ Never swearing at, ridiculing, shouting or arguing with a child 

✓ Put the welfare of the young person first, strike a balance between this and winning / results ✓ Being aware of a child’s developmental needs  

✓ Ensure fair play and treat all participants equally regardless of ability 

✓ Working in an open environment 

✓ Ensuring there is adequate supervision to ensure the safety of the participants  ✓ Involve parents where possible and openly communicate with Parents/Guardians especially  if a problem has arisen. 

✓ Encourage Parents/Guardians to inform you if there is an issue in respect to a child which  they feel you should be aware of 

✓ Respecting a child’s sensitivity and abilities 

✓ Never using physical punishment or force 

✓ Never use verbal or physical punishments or exclusion for mistakes 

✓ Never discuss an individual child’s ability with his/her peers. 

✓ Avoid taking sessions alone.  

✓ Aovid taking car journeys with a child alone.  

Additional Information: 

• Do not allow or engage in bullying behaviour, rough physical games, sexually provocative  games, never allow or engage in inappropriate physical contact of any kind or make  sexually suggestive comments about or to a child. This includes innuendo, flirting or  inappropriate gestures and terms 
• Co-operate with the recommendations from medical and ancillary practitioners in the  management of a child’s medical or related problems. You may request a certificate of  medical fitness to ensure safe continued participation. Coaches are NOT expected to take 

responsibility for managing Medical Conditions. That is the responsibility of the relevant  parents/guardians. 

• Avoid carrying out any medical testing or giving advice of a personal or medical nature if  not qualified to do so or undertake any form of therapy (hypnosis etc.) in the training of  children. Any such activity, if qualified, must only be with parent/guardian consent and the  understanding of the child. 
• Keep any information in relation to a child/young person of a personal or medical nature  strictly confidential unless the welfare of the child requires the passing on of this  information on a need-to-know basis. 
• Never exert undue influence over a participant in order to obtain personal benefit or reward. • Acknowledge the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco is incompatible with a healthy  approach to sporting activity and must be discouraged. Avoid the use of alcohol at all times  whilst responsible for young people e.g. training sessions, events and on trips with young  people. 

I agree to abide by this Code of Conduct. 

Signed: __________________________________________