In registering as an Athlete member (all types) of BC Athletics and within the context of the activities of Athletics an individual agrees to take part in a spirit of fair play, honesty and with the rules and regulations of BC Athletics, Athletics Canada and the IAAF. As such the Athlete member is expected to:

1. Compete/participate in a spirit of fair play and honesty.

2. Compete/participate within the rules of Athletics.

3. Avoid the use, advocating, condoning, promotion and distribution of banned substances, cases and methods as outlined in the handbook on Drug Classification published by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.

4. Refrain from using tobacco products within the competition arena and/or competition area.

5. Refrain from using alcohol at athletic events (Athletics and other sport activities) or in victory celebrations at the competition site.

6. Refrain from using profane, insulting, harassing or otherwise offensive language in the context of the activities of Athletics.

7. Address fellow athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, event organizers, spectators and others associated with Athletics in a courteous and respectful manner.

8. Avoid providing alcohol to under age individual.

9. Act in a manner that will bring credit to the Athletics Community and yourself, both within and outside the competition arena and/or competition area.

10. Respect an individuals’ dignity; verbal or physical behaviors that constitute harassment or abuse are unacceptable. (Please refer to the BC Athletics Harassment Policy)

Ensure the safety of others when taking part in your Athletics activity.

Individuals registering as Athlete members of BC Athletics are advised that by doing so they are agreeing to adhere to this and other policies, rules, regulations, by-laws and constitution of BC Athletics, Athletics Canada and the IAAF.

The athlete/coach relationship is a privileged one. Coaches play a critical role in the personal as well as athletic development of their athletes. They must understand and respect the inherent power imbalance that exists in this relationship and must be extremely careful not to abuse it. Coaches must also recognize that they are conduits through which the values and goals of a sport organization are channeled. Thus how an athlete regards his/her sport is often dependent on the behavior of the coach. The following Code of Conduct has been developed to aid coaches in achieving a level of behavior which will allow them to assist their athletes in becoming well-rounded, self confident and productive human beings.

COACHES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO:

• Treat everyone fairly within the context of their activity, regardless of gender, place of origin, colour, sexual orientation, religion, political belief or economic status.
• Direct comments or criticism at the performance rather than the athlete.
• Consistently display high personal standards and project a favourable image of their sport and of coaching.
  • Refrain from public criticism of fellow coaches; especially when speaking to the media or recruiting athletes.
  • Abstain from the use of tobacco products while in the presence of her/his athletes and discourage their use by athletes.
  • Abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages when working with athletes.
  • Discourage the use of alcohol in conjunction with athletic events or victory celebrations at the playing site.
  • Refrain from the use of profane, insulting, harassing or otherwise offensive language in the conduct of his/her duties.
• Ensure that the activity being undertaken is suitable for the age, experience, ability and fitness level of the athletes and educate athletes as to their responsibilities in contributing to a safe environment.
• Communicate and co-operate with registered medical practitioners in the diagnoses, treatment and management of their athletes' medical and psychological problems. Consider the athletes' future health and well being as foremost when making decisions regarding an injured athletes' ability to continue playing or training.
• Recognize and accept when to refer athletes to other coaches or sport specialists. Allow athletes'goals to take precedence over their own.
• Regularly seek ways of increasing professional development and self-awareness.
• Treat opponents and officials with due respect, both in victory and defeat and encourage athletes to act accordingly. Actively encourage athletes to uphold the rules of their sport and the spirit of such rules.
• In the case of minors, communicate and co-operate with the athlete's parents or legal guardians, involving them in management decisions pertaining to their child's development.
• In an educational institution, be aware of the academic pressures placed on student-athletes and conduct practices and games in a manner so as to allow academic success.

COACHES MUST:

• Ensure the safety of the athletes with whom they work.
• At no time become intimately and/ or sexually involved with their athletes. This includes requests for sexual favours or threat of reprisal for the rejection of such requests.
• Respect athlete's dignity; verbal or physical behaviors that constitute harassment or abuse are unacceptable (definition of harassment is attached).
• Never advocate or condone the use of drugs or other banned performance enhancing substances.
• Never provide under age athletes with alcohol.

DEFINITION OF HARASSMENT

Harassment takes many forms but can generally be defined as behavior including comments and/ or conduct which is insulting, intimidating, humiliating, hurtful, malicious, degrading or otherwise offensive to an individual, or group of individuals, or which creates an uncomfortable environment.

Harassment may include:

• written or verbal abuse or threats
• sexually oriented comments 
• racial or ethnic slurs unwelcome remarks, jokes, innuendoes, or taunting about a person's body, attire, age, marital status, ethnic or racial origin, religion etc.
• displaying of sexually explicit, racist or other offensive or derogatory material
• sexual, racial, ethnic or religious graffiti
• practical jokes which cause awkwardness or embarrassment, endanger a person's safety, or negatively affect performance
• unwelcome sexual remarks, invitations or requests whether indirect or explicit, or intimidation
• leering (suggestive staring), or other obscene or offensive gestures
• condescension, paternalism or patronizing behavior which undermines self-respect oradversely affects performance or working conditions
• physical conduct such as touching, kissing, patting, pinching, etc.
• vandalism
• physical assault

This code was developed by Promotion Plus Women in Coaching Committee in conjunction with the Ministry of Government Services and the Ministry Responsible for Sport and the Commonwealth Games Coaching Advisory Committee and the Coaches Association of BC.

Parent Code of Conduct

Anyone involved in East Kootenay Volleyball Club are responsible for ensuring that all parents/spectators within our club agree and adhere to the club’s Parent Code of Conduct. 

 I will encourage good sportsmanship by being a positive role model.

 I will try my best to make athletics a positive experience for everyone involved, i.e., participants, coaches, officials, and spectators.

 I will insist my player treat other players, coaches, officials, and fans with respect.  I will not embarrass my child by yelling at players, coaches, or officials. I will show a positive attitude toward the game and all of its participants.  

I will reinforce the club's drug and alcohol free policies and refrain from use alcohol and other drugs before or during contests.

 I will encourage my child to play by the rules. I know that children learn best by example, so I will encourage fair play and applaud outstanding play by either team.

 I will help my child learn that success is measured by the development of skills, not winning or losing.

 I recognize the importance of volunteer coaches and others. They are very important to the development of my child and the sport. I will communicate with them, as required, and support them. If I have a concern, I will talk to the coach at the appropriate time and place, i.e., never before, during, or immediately after a contest.