Code of conduct

1. PREFACE

This policy is in effect for all members of the “Fuzion Volleyball Club”, herein after referred to as the Club.

2. GOAL

This Code of Conduct is a guideline for how members of the Club shall conduct themselves when engaging in activities or events related to the Club.

3. DEFINITIONS
   • Athlete: Any individual participating as part of a team in Club events.
   • Coach: Any individual taking a leadership role with a team or group of athletes.
   • Parent/Guardian: The legal guardian of an individual participating in a Club event.
   • Spectator: Any individual attending an event to view a volleyball game.
   • Member: Any individual who is a registered, paying member of the Club.
4. PRINCIPLES

All participants (teams, players, coaches, officials, manager and administrators) in tournaments, meetings and activities, including social media, under the authority of the Club have a duty to conduct themselves in a reasonable, and acceptable, manner. They must avoid all unsportsmanlike conduct, acts or practices, which are, in the opinion of the Club, detrimental to the Club, VNB and the sport of Volleyball.

All members, by virtue of their membership as defined in the Club Constitution, will be subject to this policy and be held accountable to its provisions, regardless of whether they have signed and submitted the acknowledgement form.

5. PROVISIONS
   1. ATHLETES
      • Will participate with the Club alcohol and drug free.
      • Set a positive example for others, particularly young athletes and supporters.
      • Not use, or tolerate, inappropriate language with other athletes, coaches, officials or club delegates.
      • Make every effort, consistent within the rules and good sportsmanship, to help the team win.
      • Understand and abide by the team rules, match rules, and competition rules.
      • Accept success and failure, with equal grace.
      • Not cheat or encourage poor sportsmanship.
      • Make every effort to develop their own ability, in terms of skill, technique, tactics and stamina.
      • Give maximum effort and strive for the best possible performance during matches and practices.
      • Treat ALL athletes and teammates with respect at all times, regardless of the match result.
      • Respect the officials and accept the decision of the officials without protest.
      • Follow the instruction of coaches and officials to the best of their abilities.
      • Having fun, improving skills and helping teammates become better players, and giving maximum effort are more important than winning.
      • Respect all facilities, including gyms, schools, hotels, restaurants and washrooms.
      • Be a true team player because volleyball is a team sport.
      • Will not engage in relationships with coaches or other Club officials through Social Media on their personal accounts.
      • Represent the Club, team, parents and family with pride and integrity.
   2. COACHES
      • Will participate with the Club alcohol and drug free.
      • Will ensure that all athletes receive equal instruction and support.
      • Develop an athlete’s skills to the best of their ability.
      • Will participate fairly, in the spirit of good sportsmanship, and respect the rules, coaches, officials and opponents.
      • Treat athletes, parents, officials and other coaches with respect at all times.
      • Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person and treat each equally within the context of the sport.
      • Place the well-being and safety of each athlete above all other considerations, including the development of performance.
      • Remember athletes play sports for their own enjoyment, not for the satisfaction of parents and/or coaches.
      • Promote the emotional and physical well-being of the athletes ahead of a personal desire to win.
      • Adhere to all Club guidelines and any practice facility requirements.
      • Strive to develop an appropriate working relationship with each athlete based on mutual trust and respect.
      • Encourage and guide athletes to accept responsibility for their own behavior and performance.
      • Encourage athletes to accept success and failure with equal grace.
      • Ensure activities they direct or advocate are appropriate, positive and purposeful for the age, maturity, experience and ability of athletes and are properly supervised.
      • At the beginning of each season, clarify with the athletes, and parents, exactly what is expected of them and also what they are entitled to expect from their coach.
      • Promote good sportsmanship and NEVER condone violations of the rules, cheating, substance abuse or poor sportsmanship.
      • Not permit an ineligible athlete to participate in a match.
      • Not use or tolerate inappropriate language with athletes, other coaches, officials or Club delegates.
      • Accept the calls of the officials as fair and being made to the best of their ability.
      • Treat all athletes, coaches, parents, spectators and officials with dignity and respect in language, attitude, behavior and mannerisms.
      • Will not engage in relationships with athletes through Social Media on personal accounts.
      • Represent the Club, team, parents and family with pride and integrity.
   3. PARENTS
      • Will attend youth Club events alcohol and drug free.
      • Provide, or arrange, transportation to and from all practices and tournaments
      • Ensure athletes are picked up promptly from all practices and tournaments.
      • Understand your role and acknowledging that your role at practice and matches is that of a spectator and not a coach or official.
      • Understand that it is never acceptable to yell instruction to any athlete during practice or matches. I will limit my comments to encouragement of the athletes on both teams.
      • Support athletes by being a positive role model, both when being a fan at a match and when discussing the sport around your athlete.
      • Remember athletes play sports for their own enjoyment and development, not for the satisfaction of parents or coaches.
      • Treat all coaches, athletes and officials with respect in language, attitude, behavior and mannerisms.
      • Promote good sportsmanship and NEVER condone violations of the rules, cheating, substance abuse, or poor sportsmanship.
      • Accept the calls of the officials as fair and being made to the best of their ability.
      • Not use or tolerate inappropriate language or mannerisms with athletes, other coaches, officials or club delegates.
      • Will express disapproval in an appropriate manner to coaches, officials, club officials or VNB representatives.
      • Will never use violence or language to harass a player, team, coach, official or other spectators.
      • Represent the Club, team, athletes and family with pride and integrity.
   4. SPECTATORS
      • Act in a manner that is respectful of the dignity of all participants in sport.
      • Acting with respect means:
        • Do no make any participant more or less worthy as a person than others on the basis of gender, race, place of origin, athletic potential, color, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, socio-economic status, marital status, age or any other conditions.
        • Have a responsibility to respect and promote the right of all participants. This is accomplished by establishing and following procedure for confidentiality (right to privacy), informed participation and shared decision making (right to self determination) and fair and reasonable treatment (right to procedural fairness).
        • Interact with others in a manner that enables all participants to maintain their dignity.

6. HAZING AND SOCIAL, VERBAL OR CYBER BULLYING

HAZING

Hazing and inappropriate team initiation or bonding activities are defined as any actions, whether physical, verbal, mental, emotional or psychological, which subject another person, voluntarily or involuntarily, to any outcome that has the intended or unintended effect of abusing, mistreating, degrading, humiliating, harassing or intimidating the person, or which may in any fashion compromise the inherent dignity of the person, for the purpose of association with, or induction to, a particular group or team or to control someone younger, weaker or with less power with the intent of harm. Such activities are strictly prohibited, whether initiated by athletes, coaches, staff members, volunteers or parents. The Club is committed to a safe and non-threatening environment. Athletes should only be asked to engage in activities that are constructive, educational, inspirational and contributory to intellectual and personal development.

PROHIBITED HAZING BEHAVIORS

Following are examples of, but not limited to, prohibited actions and behaviors constituting hazing, initiation rituals or physical punishment. Forcing, requiring or pressuring an individual to engage, endure or participate in any of the following activities:

• Consumption of alcohol or other drugs
• Ingestion of any substance
• Shaving any part of the body
• Any activity that is illegal, perverse, publicly indecent or contrary to the individual’s genuine moral beliefs
• Tampering with or damaging property
• Dietary restrictions of any kind unrelated to healthy nutrition
• Deprivation of sleep and waking up/disturbing individuals during normal sleep hours
• Creation of excessive fatigue unrelated to normal training expectations and activities
• Calisthenics or any type of physically abusive exercise unrelated to normal training
• Paddling, whipping, beating or physical abuse of any kind
• Forced performance of public stunts or buffoonery
• Forced tattooing or branding
• Road trips, kidnapping, drop-offs, or any other such unplanned activities
• Assigned or endorsed pranks, such as borrowing or stealing items, painting property or objects, or harassing other individuals or groups
• Subjecting a member to cruel and unusual psychological conditions
• Wearing of apparel in public which is conspicuous, not normally in good taste, or designed to humiliate the individual(s) wearing it
• Morally degrading or humiliating games or activities
• Verbal or cruel harassment, including yelling and screaming
• Sexual rituals, assaults and/or required nudity
• Activities that promote or encourage the violation of state laws or Club policies
• Requiring the answering of phones or doors with songs, chants, or riddles
• Mentally abusive or demeaning behavior

SOCIAL, VERBAL OR CYBER BULLYING

Bullying occurs when there is an imbalance of power and the person who is older, larger, stronger, or more aggressive uses his or her power to control or harm someone in a weaker position. The person bullying has the intent or goal to cause harm (i.e., the act is not accidental) and the action is usually repetitious. Bullying behaviours can be direct and open, or indirect and subtle; use of technology to harass of any form of social media and/or intimidate others. Cyber bullying expands on this to include, but is not limited to, posting inappropriate material on line, sending harassing, deliberate or repeated emails and posting items online without permission of those involved. Using the Internet, email, texting, mobile phones, social media or other digital technologies to do harm to others.

ZERO TOLERANCE

Any member suspected to be in violation, through the submission of a formal complaint to the Club Director, Technical Director or an Executive Committee member, shall immediately be suspended from Club activities until a hearing is scheduled with the Executive Committee. The hearing will take place no more than 5 business days from receipt of the complaint and the member will be subject to appropriate discipline, which can include dismissal of the complaint up to immediate termination of membership and association with the Club.

RESOURCES

The following website contains links to bullying resources in Cananda.

https://www.osstf.on.ca/en-CA/publications/research-studies/bullying/canadian-bullying-resources-online.aspx

7. PROHIBITED BEHAVIOR

The following is a non-exhaustive list of unacceptable behaviors which, in a referee’s discretion, could warrant an immediate ejection for a coach, assistant coach, athlete, parent or spectator:

• Making physical contact with any athlete, coach, official or spectator.
• Taunting or threatening any athlete, coach, official, league representative or spectator.
• Using profane and/or vulgar language or mannerisms.
• Being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
• Directly criticizing referees, athletes, coaches, parents or spectators.
• Defacing or damaging property belonging to any individual, team, school or association.
• Willingly and actively participating in any activity that would warrant the summoning of law enforcement officials.
• Inciting anyone to become involved in any of the above-listed behaviors.

8. DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
   • Committing any act which is considered an offence under any duly promulgated law:
     PENALTY: Suspension for one year plus.
   • Accepting money or other consideration for losing a match or winning by a particular margin; or being a party to any payment of money or other consideration to another person to lose a match or win by a particular margin:
     PENALTY: Suspension for one year plus.
   • Betting or acting as a “bookmaker” on matches or tournaments:
     PENALTY: Suspension from one month to one year.
   • Willfully damaging property:
     PENALTY: Replacement/restoration and suspension from one month to one year.
   • Cheating
     • Entering a competition and then failing to appear without a valid reason and adequate notice;
     • Defaulting a game or match in a competition except as a result of injuries or other valid reasons;
     • Withdrawing a team from a match except as a result of injuries or other valid reasons;
     • Playing in a competition under an assumed name, falsifying a team entry form or giving false information to a tournament official;

PENALTY:  Forfeit for the tournament plus fine equal to the registration fee and/or suspension from two weeks to one year for team or individual.

• • Violence:
  • Showing outward displays of temper;
  • Deliberately throwing or hitting a ball in the direction of an official, spectator or opponent;
  • Threatening bodily injury to anyone;

PENALTY:  Suspension from three months to life.

• • Poor Attitude:
  • Swearing at an official, line judge, scorekeeper, spectator or opponent;
  • Using profanity or obscene language or gestures;

PENALTY:  Suspension from two weeks to one year.

• • Illegal Use of Banned Substances:
    PENALTY: Forfeit for the tournament plus fine equal to the registration fee and/or suspension from two weeks to one year for team or individual.

9. POLICY STATEMENT

The Club would like to encourage the continued positive direction of volleyball in New Brunswick. To facilitate reasonable, and acceptable, behaviours, members of the Club as well as spectators, will be required to follow this Code of Conduct as well as the Code of Conduct for Volleyball New Brunswick.

9. FIELD OF APPLICATION
   • This policy applies to all members of the Club.
   • The Executive Committee, through the Technical Director and Club Director, are responsible for the implementation of this policy.

CODE OF CONDUCT SIGN-OFF FORM

ATHLETE:

As an Athlete with the Fuzion Volleyball Club, I have read, accept and agree to abide by the club’s Code of Conduct policy.

NAME: _______________________________________________________

SIGNATURE: ___________________________________________________

DATE: ___________________________

PARENT/GUARDIAN:

As a Parent/Guardian of a Fuzion Volleyball Club Athlete, I have read, accept and agree to abide by the club’s Code of Conduct policy. I also accept the responsibility to review the club’s Code of Conduct policy with my child.

NAME: _______________________________________________________

SIGNATURE: ___________________________________________________

DATE: ___________________________

Signature shows you accept the responsibility to adhere to these guidelines.