Coaches / Managers / Team Officials Code of Behaviour

As a coach, manager, or team official selected to represent HA or a Member in an event conducted or sanctioned by HA or a Member, you must meet the following requirements regarding your conduct:

• Treat all players with respect at all times.
• Do not tolerate acts of aggression.
• Commit to providing a quality service to your players. This includes offering a well-planned, sequential training program and seeking continuous improvement through performance appraisal and ongoing education.
• Provide a safe environment for training and competition.
• Provide feedback to players and other participants in a manner sensitive to their needs. Avoid overly negative feedback and emphasize that winning is not always the priority.
• Recognise players’ rights to consult with other coaches and advisers. Cooperate fully with other specialists (e.g., sports scientists, doctors, and physiotherapists).
• Place the safety and welfare of the players above all else. Be courteous, respectful, and open to discussion and interaction.
• Treat all players fairly, regardless of gender, race, place of origin, athletic potential, colour, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, socioeconomic status, and other conditions.
• Determine, in consultation with the player, what information is confidential and respect that confidentiality.
• Encourage and facilitate players’ independence and responsibility for their own behaviour, performance, decisions, and actions.
• Involve players in decisions that affect them and encourage them to respect one another.
• Ensure that tasks and training are suitable for the age, experience, ability, and physical and psychological conditions of the players. Recognise and cater to individual differences.
• Ensure any physical contact with players is appropriate and necessary for skill development.
• Be acutely aware of the power dynamics in the coach-player relationship and avoid any sexual intimacy with players.
• Avoid situations with players that could be construed as compromising or lead to a conflict of interest. Report any potential conflicts of interest to IHA as soon as possible.
• Adhere to the HA Anti-Doping Policy. Actively discourage the use of performance-enhancing drugs, illegal substances, alcohol, and tobacco.
• Abide by relevant Child Protection Requirements and Legislation in the State where you perform your duties.
• Do not exploit any coaching relationship to further personal, political, or business interests at the expense of the best interest of your players.
• Accept and respect the role of officials in ensuring competitions are conducted fairly according to established rules. Behave in a sportsmanlike manner at all times toward other coaches, officials, players, and spectators.
• Refrain from using obscene, offensive, or insulting language, making obscene gestures, or making detrimental statements about officials’ performance or decisions.
• Know and abide by the rules, regulations, and standards, and encourage players to do likewise. Accept both the letter and the spirit of the rules.

Social Media Policy

Ipswich Hockey is committed to the health, safety, and general wellbeing of all its members and participants. To achieve these goals, Ipswich Hockey has adopted the Hockey Australia Member Protection Policy, including the social media policy outlined below:

• HA/IHA acknowledges the value of Social Media platforms in promoting and celebrating the achievements in hockey.
• When using the Internet for professional or personal pursuits, all members must respect the HA/IHA brand, the sport of hockey in Australia, and follow this Policy to ensure HA’s/IHA’s intellectual property and its relationships with sponsors and stakeholders are not compromised, or that the organisation is not brought into disrepute.

Social Media Platforms include but are not limited to:

• Social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace)

• Video and photo sharing websites (e.g., Instagram, Flickr, Snapchat, YouTube)

• Micro-blogging sites (e.g., Twitter)

• Weblogs (including personal blogs or those hosted by traditional media publications)

• Forums and discussion boards

• Online encyclopedias (e.g., Wikipedia)

• Any other website that allows simple publishing tools for users or organizations

• All individuals bound by this policy must conduct themselves appropriately on social networking sites when sharing information related to our sport. Social media postings, blogs, status updates, tweets, and text messages:

  • Must not contain material that is or has the potential to be offensive, aggressive, defamatory, threatening, discriminatory, obscene, profane, harassing, embarrassing, intimidating, sexually explicit, bullying, hateful, racist, sexist, or otherwise inappropriate.
  • Must not be misleading, false, or injure the reputation of another person.
  • Must not contain material that breaches laws, court orders, undertakings, or contracts.
  • Should respect and maintain the privacy of others and promote the sport in a positive way.

• HA/IHA recommends caution in using Social Media to avoid inappropriate use, whether unintentional or due to failure to fully understand the ramifications. Please consider refraining from:

  • Including personal information about yourself or others in posts or text messages.
  • Publishing something that makes you uncomfortable—use your best judgment and never post when emotional, upset, or intoxicated.
  • Posting someone else’s picture without their permission.
  • Commenting on rumours—do not deny or affirm them or speculate.

IHA COACHES CODE OF CONDUCT

The General Code of Conduct must be adhered to by all parties.

As a player or member of IHA, you are required to comply with this policy and meet the following requirements regarding your conduct:

• Behave in a sporting manner and act considerately towards all players, officials, and spectators.
• Do not make detrimental, negative, or unfair statements regarding the performance of any match official, player, coach, or umpire in person or online.
• Always play by the rules and ensure that hockey is not brought into disrepute by your actions.
• Do not engage in gambling activities related to the outcome of a hockey match or competition.
• Do not show unnecessary dissension, displeasure, or disapproval towards any match official's decision, whether through actions, verbal comments, or online abuse.
• Abstain from using tobacco, vaping, and consuming alcoholic beverages while in playing or representative uniform.
• Adhere to the HA Member Protection Policy, IHA Social Media Policy, and IHA Drugs, Alcohol, and Vaping Policy.
• Respect the rights, dignity, and worth of every person regardless of gender, age, ability, cultural background, sexuality, or religion.
• Do not engage in any conduct that adversely affects or discredits the game of hockey, HA, Members, or any associated party.
• Refrain from using obscene, offensive, or insulting language and making obscene gestures that may insult other players, officials, or spectators.
• Do not post anything on the internet or social media that reflects negatively on any other player, IHA, HA, or anyone else associated with hockey.
• Accept and respect the role of officials in ensuring fair competitions, and always behave in a sportsmanlike manner towards coaches, officials, players, and spectators.
• Know and abide by rules, regulations, and standards, and encourage others to do likewise. Accept both the letter and the spirit of the rules.
• Take appropriate action when faced with acts of aggression.

IHA COACHES ROLES CODE OF CONDUCT  

Coaches Shall:

• Hold a current Queensland Blue Card and notify IHA immediately of any changes to this status.
• In conjunction with the RCD, be responsible for the preparation of the Team for any competition or match during the year of the appointment as Coach.
• Warn all athletes under their control of the inherent risks of the sport/individual events, with ongoing reinforcement to ensure each athlete appreciates those risks.
• Ensure that Players have appropriate equipment that meets all regulations.
• Insist that while the Team is on the field of play, they adhere to IHA’s Players Code of Conduct.
• Follow the advice of a physician when determining when an injured Player is ready to recommence training and competition.
• Attend any official coaching workshops as directed by IHA.
• Accompany the Team for both forward and return travel and stay in the IHA-booked accommodation with the Team. (Variations may be approved by IHA upon request.)
• Maintain direct contact with the RCD and accept input from the RCD to ensure the Team is being coached in accordance with IHA’s general policies and playing methods.
• Conduct themselves professionally and personally in a manner that upholds the values of IHA.
• Adhere to the IHA Social Media Policy.

Prior to an Event, the Coach Shall:

• Liaise with the RCD to arrange training times.
• If necessary, set individual programs relating to fitness, skill, and techniques.
• Organise training session content, including teamwork, skills, fitness, and psychological preparation, and review these with the RCD.
• Seek additional specialised coaching assistance during pre-Championship training if required.
• Liaise with the appropriate Selection Committee regarding Team selection, including selecting the Captain and Vice-Captain for the Team.
• If any injury occurs to a Player, arrange and report on a fitness test 7 days prior to championships, in conjunction with the RCD.
• Be well acquainted with all Championship Rules and Conditions.
• In conjunction with the Manager, conduct a meeting with the Players and Parents and/or Guardians to outline and discuss playing and behaviour expectations, including nutrition and performance of the Team while competing.

During an Event, the Coach Shall:

• Confer with the Manager on the daily schedule.
• Confer with the Manager on matters of dispute or other issues.
• At the Coach’s discretion, discuss Team selection and tactics with the Selectors and/or the HOC/RCD (if attending the state titles/intercity/trial match, etc.), prior to matches.
• Avoid favouritism and biased distribution of playtime between Players. Coaches should provide equal opportunities for Players to participate in activities and games.
• Confer with the Manager on the nutritional intake and maintenance for Players.
• Not share a room with a junior Team Player unless the Coach is their parent/guardian.
• Not allow visitors, including family members, to enter Players’ rooms.

After an Event, the Coach Shall:

• Complete the Coach’s report and individual Player reports within 14 days and submit them to the HOC/RCD.
• Note that accommodation for family members is not permitted at the same venue as the Team.

You confirm that you have read, understood and will abide by the current IHA Rep Policy, Social Media Policy, Coaches code of conduct and the Coaches Roles code of conduct

Updated policies can be accessed via the website www.ipswichhockey.com