Child Protection (Kincardine & District Minor Soccer)

As a soccer club focused on delivering programs to children, we must always, as coaches, team officials and/or staff, be attentive and ensure that the environment is safe and supportive to their needs. As such, Kincardine and District Minor Soccer Club (KDMSC) expects all those directly involved with children in soccer, to always be and present a positive and ethical representation of themselves and KDMSC, and to always consider children’s safety.

A Coach/Team Official/Staff, must not:

• Engage directly with children through the phone or social media channels such as: email, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, texting, etc. Should such communications to players be necessary it MUST always be directed to or indirectly (CC) via the parent/guardian. Club and team-based group communication sites such as email and team apps are to be utilized whenever possible;

• Participate in any direct meeting with an individual player that is not done in the presence of another adult such as the team manager, assistant coach and/or the player’s parent or guardian. Ad-hoc direct feedback before, during or post games/practice scenarios is encouraged but must always be done at the training ground or similar venues within in a visible setting;

• Be alone with a child in a non-visible place and/or enclosed space, such as a car, change room or similar area or provide transportation to and from practices, tournaments, festivals and games to children unless accompanied by the child’s guardian or with the guardian’s consent.

• Leave children alone after a game or practice if their parent/guardian has not

  arrived to pick them up. In such cases the Coach and or Team Manager must remain with child in a visible place until the player is picked up;

• Ensure practices are in a visible area and that there are parents/guardians and or other adults who have children on the team present in the immediate vicinity from arrival at the session to departure. Wherever possible, do not conduct practices alone with a team;

• Use profanity, ridicule, verbal abuse or engage in any unwarranted physical contact with a child

Always consider the child’s reaction to any activities, conversations, behaviour or other interactions. If at any time you are in doubt about the appropriateness of your own behaviour or the behaviour of others, you should discuss it with a member of the AFC Board of Directors.

As a coach / team official, you must also be aware and keep all requirements as part of Ontario Soccer up to date. Please reference this links for more information:

• Respect in Soccer Program
• Protecting Children & Youth in Sport

General Rules of Behavior

• Staff/volunteers of the KDMSC must not:
• Engage in any sort of physical contact with a child that may make the child or a reasonable observer feel uncomfortable, or that may be seen by a reasonable observer to be violating reasonable boundaries.
• Engage in any communication with a child within or outside of duties with the child, that may make the child uncomfortable or that may be seen by a reasonable observer to be violating reasonable boundaries.
• Engage in any behaviour that goes against (or appears to go against) the KDSMC’s mandate, policies, or Code of Conduct to Protect Children, regardless of whether or not they are serving KDMSC at that moment

• Conduct their own investigation into allegations or suspicions of potentially illegal or inappropriate behaviour – it is a staff/ volunteer’s duty to report the matter to the designated person, Child Welfare Agency, or law enforcement, not to investigate.

Inappropriate behaviour includes:

• Inappropriate Communication. Communication with a child or his/her family outside of the context of duties for AFC, regardless of who initiated the exchange. For example:
  • Personal phone calls not tied to duties with the child 
  • Electronic communications (email, text message, instant message, online chats, social networking including “friending”, etc.) not tied to duties with the child
  • Personal letters not tied to duties with the child

  • Excessive communications (online or offline).

• Inappropriate Contact. Spending unauthorized time with a child outside of designated duties with AFC.

• Favouritism. Singling out a child or certain children and providing special privileges and attention. (for example, paying a lot of attention to, giving or sending personalized gifts, or allowing privileges that are excessive, unwarranted or inappropriate.)

• Taking Personal Photos/Videos. Using a personal cell phone, camera or video to take pictures of a child, or allowing any other person to do so, as well as uploading or copying any pictures you may have taken of a child to the Internet or any personal storage device. Pictures taken as part of your job duties are acceptable, however, the pictures are to remain with AFC and not be used by you in a personal capacity.

Inappropriate behaviour also includes:

• Telling sexual jokes to a child or making comments to a child that are or is in any way suggestive, explicit or personal.