Keeping Junior Sport Safe
Published by Sport and Recreation Victoria
Department of Planning and Community Development
1 Spring Street Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Telephone (03) 9208 3491
September 2008
© Copyright State Government of Victoria 2008
This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with
provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
Authorised by the Victorian Government Melbourne
Printed by Elgin Printing
180 Elgin Street Carlton
Victoria 3053
ISBN 978-1-921331-68-8 Keeping Junior Sport Safe
The information in this document is not intended to be, nor should it be relied upon as, a substitute for legal
or other professional advice. The toolkit has been produced by Sport and Recreation Victoria to assist clubs
and organisations to develop their own policies, procedures and materials.
Accessibility
If you could like to receive this publication in an accessible format, such as a large
print or audio, please telephone Merryn Bellamy on (03) 9208 3491, or email
merryn.bellamy@dpcd.vic.gov.au
This publication is also published in PDF and Word formats on www.sport.vic.gov.au.
The development of this toolkit was guided by a reference group of industry stakeholders. Thank you to the
following organisations who provided representatives for the reference group.
AFL Victoria
Basketball Victoria
Bayside City Council
Cricket Victoria
Department of Justice – Working with Children Check Unit
Football Federation of Victoria
Netball Victoria
Play by the Rules
Tennis Victoria
Sports Medicine Australia (Victoria)
VicSport
CONTENTS
1. Introduction – Keeping junior sport safe
2. Safe junior sport is everyone’s business
2.1. Whole club commitment
2.2. Understanding child safety and protection
2.3. Understanding physical and behavioural risks
2.4. Understanding legal responsibilities and other requirements
2.5. Talking with the kids
2.6. Responding to incidents and allegations
3. What can your club do?
3.1. Allocate key people and roles
3.2. Choose suitable volunteers and describe roles
3.3. Identify screening requirements and maintain relevant records
3.4. Look at current policies and procedures
3.5. Other things to think about
3.6. Real life situations
3.7. Build into regular meetings, planning or season cycle
3.8. Get the word out
3.9. The ‘Good Skate Club’ project – tackling the issues in sport
4. Working with Children Check (provided by Department of Justice)
5. Safety Guidelines for Children and Young People (provided by Sports Medicine Australia)
6. Useful stuff
6.1. Checklist for overnight or travel away from home
6.2. Record keeping sheet
6.3. Parents’ checklist – helping to keep junior sport safe
6.4. Bullying in sport
6.5. Images of children
7. Want to know more?
8. Your club or sport information
Abbreviations used
ASC – Australian Sports Commission
DoJ – Department of Justice
DPCD – Department of Planning and Community Development
PBTR – Play by the Rules
SRV – Sport and Recreation Victoria
SSA – State Sporting Association
SMA – Sports Medicine Australia
WWC Check – Working with Children Check
Web addresses
The majority of website addresses throughout this toolkit are not under the control of the Victorian
Government. If an address does not work, go to the home page of the organisation and try a general search
by topic or issue.
Acknowledgements
Material for the development of this toolkit has been sourced from:
Australian Sports Commission
Child Protection in Sport Unit (UK)
Department of Justice, Victoria
NSW Commission for Children and Young People
NSW Department for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
Office of the Child Safety Commissioner, Victoria
Play by the Rules
SA Office for Recreation and Sport
Sports Medicine Australia
VicSport
WA Department for Child Protection
Thanks also to SA Office for Recreation and Sport for publication-ready illustrations.
References
A Guide for Creating a Child-Safe Organisation, OCSC, July 2006
www.ocsc.vic.gov.au/downloads/childsafe_organisation.pdf
Child Protection and Sport National Overview, ASC, April 2006
www.tams.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/61570/National_Child_Protection_over_view.pdf
Child Safe and Friendly Organisations, Department for Child Protection WA, (npd)
www.checkwwc.wa.gov.au/checkwwc/About+WWC+Check/Publications+and+Forms/Fact+Sheet.htm
Keeping Children Safe in Recreation and Sport, SA Government, May 2007
www.recsport.sa.gov.au/pdf/ORS%20KeepChildSafe07.pdf
Play by the Rules website: www.playbytherules.net.au
1.0
Introduction
Keeping junior sport safe
Playing sport is a great way for children and young people to have fun, develop friendships, learn new skills,
and stay active and healthy.
For young people to enjoy sport, it should be safe, fair and friendly. This benefits children, communities and
clubs.
Creating safe junior sport requires a commitment from all those involved, including sporting associations,
coaches, players, volunteers, parents and clubs.
By working together to make junior sporting clubs and associations in Victoria a safer place for children and
young people to be, we can all enjoy the sports we love.
Who is this toolkit for?
Keeping Junior Sport Safe has been developed by Sport and Recreation Victoria to help sporting clubs and
organisations keep junior sport safe.
The toolkit is designed for Victorian sporting clubs and organisations that deal with children and young
people under the age of 18. It can be used to help inform officials, volunteers, parents and committee
members involved in junior sport.
The kit provides a range of information and resources to help sporting clubs and associations create an
awareness of safe junior sport, understand their legal obligations to children and young people in their care,
meet community expectations, and develop strategies, policies and procedures to help keep junior sport
safe.
Having the right polices and guidelines in place helps club officials and administrators make decisions and
ensure consistency throughout all levels of the club.
Working with Children Check
In 2006, the Victorian Government introduced the Working with Children Check (WWC Check). The WWC
Check is required for certain people working or volunteering with children in sporting and recreation clubs
(for more information, see Section 4). However, it is important to note the WWC Check is a minimum
standard. Many sporting associations may have more stringent policies or requirements in place – so it is
best to find out what applies to you and your club.
The WWC Check is just one aspect of keeping junior sport safe. The toolkit covers a number of issues and
areas relevant to keeping junior sport safe. The idea is to get everyone involved in maintaining the best
possible environment for children and young people playing sport.
How to use the toolkit
This toolkit is for all people involved with your club, including committee members, parents and volunteers,
and is intended as a guide only. It aims to provide practical suggestions and resources to help clubs
understand and adopt safe junior sport behaviours and practices.
The toolkit can be used by clubs to check current practices, develop procedures or review activities. It can
also be used in conjunction with other documents and materials your club is already using, or that your state
or national association provides.
You are welcome to use the sections that you need. Pull out pages or action lists for meetings or create
your own plans and lists. You may also wish to print out resources from Section 6 to distribute among club
members or display in club rooms.
Why keep junior sport safe?
 Children have the right to be free from harm in sport
 Keeping junior sport safe is a legal obligation
 Community expectations are high that clubs provide a safe environment for young people
 Safe and enjoyable sport keeps children playing sport
TIP
Add your own club documents to Section 8.
Top tips for keeping junior sport safe

Everyone in your club should be involved in keeping junior sport safe.

Understand what child protection and safe junior sport means and what steps your club can take to
keep juniors under the age of 18 safe from harm and minimise risk.

Communicate and raise awareness of what is appropriate behaviour throughout your club. This
could be done through codes of conduct, regular items in newsletters, or agenda items at coach or
committee meetings.

Talk to the juniors at your club so that you understand their needs and views.

Understand your club’s legal responsibilities, including the Working with Children Check, the
reporting of child abuse or neglect, duty of care obligations, child care at clubs and the responsible
serving of alcohol.

Ensure that you have policies and procedures in place to deal with complaints, allegations or the
reporting of incidents, and treat these seriously, sensitively and swiftly.

Identify the sport specific screening or Working with Children Check requirements for your club and
maintain relevant records.

Clearly define roles and communicate these to the rest of your club, so that members know who to
speak to if they have any questions or concerns, or wish to report incidents.

Appoint appropriate volunteers, coaches and officials.

Make it easy for your club’s volunteers by having clear job descriptions and providing support and
training.

Look at other things your club should be aware of, such as change rooms, use of images of young
people, or bullying, harassment and discrimination.

Regularly review policies and procedures as part of creating a culture of safe junior sport.

Spread the word about your club’s policies and procedures for keeping keep junior sport safe.
2.0
Safe junior sport is everyone’s business
Safe sport is more than just protecting kids from bumps and sprains. It’s about making sure everyone feels
safe and comfortable when they play sport.
A safe junior sport club:
 has a culture of positive, respectful and safe relationships
 is supported by everyone.
Your club can help prevent incidents of abuse or harm by creating and implementing good common sense
practices.
Some practices may already be in place at your club. For example:
 you communicate about child safety and members know who to talk to if an issue arises
 people at your club have undertaken the relevant Play by the Rules training module
 you are aware of your club or sport’s member protection policy
 you are aware of risk management, dispute resolution and junior sport policies.
Protecting children requires more than just the right paperwork. It’s about actively creating a culture of
respectful and professional conduct so that safe junior sport becomes second nature within your club.
The action list below provides some important questions your club can ask. Copy or print this out and use as
a prompt at meetings.
Are we safe-sport ready?
2.1
Is the whole of our club committed to safe
sport?
2.2
Do we understand child protection and
safety?
2.3
Do we understand physical and
behavioural risks?
2.4
Do we understand legal responsibilities
and other requirements?
2.5
Have we talked with the kids?
2.6
Do we have policies and procedures in
place to deal with allegations and
incidents?
Progress
(e.g. just started; in
progress; completed)
Date
2.1 Whole club commitment
Getting everyone in your club to contribute and commit to agreed policies and practices regarding children
and young people is an important first step to achieving safe junior sport.
And by everyone, we mean everyone! Not just coaches, officials, parents and volunteers, but also canteen
staff, time-keepers, gate-staff, drivers and players.
The best way to make this happen is by getting together as a club to talk about the risks, possibilities, issues
and responsibilities involved in making junior sport safe, then deciding on the best course of action to take
for your club. You can do this by including these topics on the agenda at committee meetings, coaches
meetings or pre-season team briefings.
By making everyone aware of the risks and responsibilities involved in junior sport, as well as what your club
is already doing, you will be on your way to becoming a safer and more successful club and people will want
to stay involved.
2.2 Understanding child protection and safety
What is child protection?
Child protection means taking an active role to keep your juniors under the age of 18 safe from harm and
from people who may cause them harm.
As adults, we all have a responsibility to ensure young people are protected. To help you and your club
make the best decisions regarding the children in your care, it is important to understand what constitutes
harm or abuse, and how it can happen.
Discuss child safety and protection openly and make sure you have clear channels for reporting and
responding to suspicions of child abuse, neglect or harm. This will help to ensure that your club remains a
safe place for juniors.
What is child abuse?
Child abuse is any form of physical, emotional or sexual mistreatment or lack of care that may lead to injury
or harm.
Child abuse can include:
 physical abuse – when someone purposely injures a child
 emotional abuse – when someone attacks a child’s self-esteem, e.g. through bullying, name calling,
sledging, threatening, ridiculing, intimidating or isolating the child
 sexual abuse – any sexual act or sexual threat imposed on a child
 neglect – where a child is harmed or at risk of harm by the failure to provide basic physical and
emotional necessities.
Abuse generally occurs within a relationship of trust or responsibility and is an abuse of power and/or trust.
For example, a coach who uses intimidation as a way to ‘motivate’ their team or who tells a child that they
are ‘useless’ if they have made an error could easily be accused of emotional abuse. Similarly, a coach who
refuses drinks to his team on a hot day to ’toughen them up for game day’ could be charged with neglect.
What is harassment and discrimination?
Harassment and discrimination can be damaging to children and young people. Conduct that demonstrates
contempt or negativity towards a child because of their race, culture, religion or disability is unwelcome and
could be unlawful. Whether overt, such as racial vilification or discrimination, or covert, such as a lack of
cultural sensitivity or an absence of positive images about another culture, such behaviour can have longterm effects on a child’s self-esteem and development. One example of this may be where a child of a
different cultural background or religion is being penalised at training or during games for no justifiable
reason.
A positive approach
Children and young people will thrive in a positive and encouraging environment where they feel safe from
bullying, harassment and abuse. Your club can help create a safe space that gives juniors the confidence to
get involved and if they know they have someone in the club they can talk to.
Your sport or club’s member protection policy may outline child protection requirements which you could use
as a guide to dealing with this issue.
2.3 Understanding physical and behavioural risks
Identifying physical risk
The physical risks of playing sport – such as injury, sunburn and dehydration – are often well recognised,
and your club probably already has procedures in place to protect participants and others at your club.
These might include:
 SunSmart policy
 hot weather policy
 SmartPlay
 equipment and playing surface checks
 blood and infectious diseases rules
 drug and alcohol policies (including liquor licensing)
 player insurance.
See Section 5, ‘Safety guidelines for children and young people’ for more details on preventing and dealing
with injuries at your club.
Check with your state or national sport association whether they have similar policies or information you can
use.
Identifying behavioural risk
Sometimes people may behave towards your junior members in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable,
threatened or unsafe. Such behaviour may include:





bullying, teasing
harassment
discrimination
unfair team selection
inappropriate physical contact.
These behaviours have the potential to be even more damaging than physical injury, and could be unlawful
or unfair.
It is useful for everyone in the club to communicate and raise awareness of what is appropriate behaviour.
This could be done through:
 codes of conduct that are signed on registration days
 regular items in newsletters
 agenda items at coach or committee meetings.
It is important to be aware that while some behaviour such as discrimination may be unlawful, inappropriate
or unfair behaviour can occur:
 in change rooms
 in team selection
 at training where photographs are taken
 during overnight camps/billeting
 at drop-off and pick-up times for training and games.
For more information about behaviours and situations people in your club should be aware of, see Section 3
‘What can your club do?’ and Section 6 ‘Useful stuff’.
2.4 Understanding legal responsibilities and other requirements
In many instances, your club may not only have a community responsibility to children and young people but
a legal responsibility.
Working with Children Check
By law, employers, self-employed persons, employees and volunteers all have obligations under the
Working with Children Act 2005. The Working with Children Check is one mechanism to help keep children
and young people safe and will be relevant to some people in your organisation.
See Section 4 ‘Working with Children Check’, visit the website, www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren
or call the infoline on 1300 652 879.
Reporting child abuse or neglect
The Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 outlines when and who may share information regarding
children and young people where there is a reasonable suspicion of child abuse (emotional or physical) or
neglect.
A number of professions are mandated to report the suspected sexual abuse or physical injury of a child in
the course of practising their profession. Visit www.dhs.vic.gov.au/everychildeverychance
Protecting children from harm is a community responsibility. Where a person forms a reasonable belief that
a child is in need of protection due to physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect, they should report this
concern to child protection authorities or the police. It is best to discuss the situation with others at your club
first to help you make the best decision as to what to do, bearing in mind confidentiality and privacy.
It is also a good idea for your club to put clear policies and action steps in place which address this issue,
such as who to contact if you have any suspicions or concerns.
Useful contacts for reporting cases of suspected child abuse include:



Victoria Police: your local police station or phone 000
After hours child protection crisis line: 131 278
Department of Human Services, Office for Children
www.cyf.vic.gov.au/child-protection-family-services
Duty of care
The common law of negligence imposes a duty of care on clubs and associations to take reasonable
measures to prevent foreseeable risks of injury to children and young people.
Bullying behaviour in clubs and associations should be addressed as part of the duty of care to provide safe
and supportive junior sport environments.
Child care at clubs
It is important that you are aware of the regulations surrounding short-term or informal care of children (such
as players’ children or siblings) at your club.
Under the Children’s Services Act 1996, recently amended by the Children’s Legislation Amendment Act
2008, child care regulations may apply where five or more children under the age of six are being cared for
by an adult on the premises. From May 2009, the Regulations will be replaced, and include a definition of
children’s services of four or more children under the age of 13 years.
For further information, go to:
 www.cyf.vic.gov.au
 Children’s Services advisors in regional offices of the Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development.
Responsible serving of alcohol
The minimum legal age for drinking alcohol in Victoria is 18. Liquor licensing laws are governed by the
Liquor Reform Control Act 1998 and amendments 2007. It is important that clubs are aware of legal
obligations regarding alcohol consumption. Consumer Affairs Victoria has extensive information on liquor
licensing laws on its website www.consumer.vic.gov.au.
Premises that are intended to be primarily used by people under 18, including junior sports clubs, cannot be
licensed. Some sports prohibit the consumption of alcohol at junior matches and some junior clubs are
connected to senior clubs who have liquor licences.
For further information, contact your local council.
See Section 7 ‘Want to know more?’ for other contacts and resources.
‘Good Sports’ program
Clubs that have a liquor licence have a duty of care to serve alcohol responsibly. The ‘Good Sports’
program helps sporting clubs manage alcohol responsibly and reduce alcohol-related problems.
It costs nothing to be involved and offers an accreditation program which sets out alcohol management
standards for clubs that serve and consume alcohol, including responsible serving of alcohol training. ‘Good
Sports’ clubs send a strong message to people involved in the club and the community that they provide a
safe environment.
For more information visit www.goodsports.com.au.
2.5 Talking with the kids
It is important that you talk to the juniors at your club so that you understand their needs and views.
Discussing appropriate behaviour and club decisions with juniors will ensure that everyone feels part of the
process, and your club can provide better programs and support, and enable intervention. Children and
young people are also more likely to follow the policies and procedures that your club develops if they are
involved.
What do kids need to know?
Kids need to know:
 who to go to within the club when they have concerns about their own or others’ safety
 how codes of conduct affect them and others in the club
 that their opinion counts and is considered in club activities and procedures
 that they can safely speak up about anything that worries them.
Kids can be involved by:
 having a say in things that matter to them, like team clothing or parents attending training
 helping to develop codes of conduct for themselves and others at the club
 acting as role models – by ‘playing by the rules’ and looking after their mates.
Team managers, coaches or your club president should listen to what the juniors want and need. You could
use team or pre-season meetings to speak with kids or actively engage them in decision-making about:




what is appropriate behaviour
what makes them uncomfortable
what makes them feel safe
who to go to with questions or problems.
`
TIP
At the beginning of the season sit down with junior players to talk about issues such as who is allowed in
change rooms, parents attending training and a ‘junior code of conduct’.
Juniors writing their own code of conduct might be a good way of actively getting them involved, and
monitoring behaviours of their mates and others.
2.6 Responding to incidents and allegations
Allegations made against your club and within your club, and the reporting of incidents need to be treated
seriously, confidentially and sensitively.
Allegations and incidents may be either:
 potentially unlawful – such as a coach physically abusing a child or discriminating against a player
because of their religion (such allegations are rare, but cause harm)
 unfair – such as team selection decisions, team uniform or the amount of time a player receives on
the field (this is more common).
Here are some tips for dealing with complaints.
 Take it seriously
 Act promptly
 Treat people fairly
 Stay neutral
 Keep people informed
 Keep it confidential
 Keep relevant records
 Apply ‘innocent until proven guilty’ principle
Some situations require urgent action, such as physical or sexual abuse.
Your club needs a clear procedure for dealing with complaints and/or incidents as well as a designated
contact person to respond to complaints and concerns. You also need to know the policies your sport
follows when issues arise. Check your state or national sporting body for policies such as team selection or
member protection.
The rights of adults involved should be taken into consideration, but the priority of the club should always be
the safety of children and young people in its care. It is important to remember that not all allegations are
well-founded, so be prepared to ask appropriate questions and follow up any misunderstandings.
It is likely that your sport or club has a member protection policy which covers complaint procedures and
dispute resolution. Most sporting clubs are incorporated associations, and if so you may also like to look at
your constitution or model rules as these often include dispute handling policies.
Your state sporting association may also have guidelines for dealing with incidents and allegations such as
racism or spectator behaviour.
3.0
What can your club do?
By having common sense procedures in place, you can create a culture of safe junior sport, reduce risk and
help prevent abuse from happening. This section contains some practical suggestions for simple things you
can do to make your club safer.
The action list below provides some important tasks for your club. Copy or print this out and use as a prompt
at meetings.
What can we do?
3.1
Allocate key people and roles
3.2
Choose suitable volunteers and
describe roles
3.3
Identify screening requirements,
and maintain relevant records
3.4
Look at current policies and
procedures
3.5
Other things to think about
3.6
Build into regular meetings,
planning or season cycle
3.7
Get the word out
Progress
(e.g. just started; in progress;
completed)
Date
3.1 Allocate key people and roles
Good communication and clearly defined roles will help your club keep junior sport safe. People need to
know who to speak to if they have any questions or concerns, or wish to report incidents. See Section 2.6.
Many clubs nominate someone to handle questions and complaints. This could be the president, your head
coach, or another trusted club member. Develop a role description and see if there is relevant training or
they have the skills. Requirements include:
 understanding club and sport policies and procedures
 being respected within the club
 being a good listener
 following up with the relevant people or group to resolve the issue
 providing feedback to those concerned.
Check your sport’s member protection policy (MPP) and club’s articles of incorporation for complaint
handling procedures which may outline who this key person could be. Most MPPs require that the sport has
member protection information officer at club, regional or state level, and this person might be able to
provide information on the issue.
You will also need someone to look after the Working with Children Check (WWC Check) requirements.
They will need to:
 work with the club to identify roles that might require a WWC Check
 check the policy or requirements of your sports association – for example, some sports have a
policy above that of the WWC Check, such that all coaches have a WWC Check
 receive material or information from your state sporting association which might include updates on
safe junior sport policy and procedures
 let members know where to get information on the WWC Check
 maintain relevant records (a sample record-keeping template is included in Section 6 ‘Useful
stuff’).
In choosing the right people for these roles, consider their listening skills, approachability and ability to take
action. It’s not enough to simply know the rules and policies – your nominated contact people can lead your
club in actively talking about implementing safe junior sport procedures.
Once you have your key contacts, make sure everyone at your club knows about them. Communicate
widely throughout the club who they are, what their role is and how to contact them. This can be done via
your website and newsletter, and on registration days.
TIP
Include a Question & Answer section with the details of your club’s WWC Check contact person in your
newsletter and/or website so people know who to go to with questions about the WWC Check. Also include
the WWC Check infoline and website details.
3.2 Choose suitable volunteers and describe roles
Volunteers are the lifeblood of junior sporting clubs and associations.
Make it easy for your club’s volunteers by having clear job descriptions, providing support and training, and
emphasising appropriate behaviours for all key roles and positions. This could include:






developing role statements or job descriptions, for example ‘head coach’, ‘team manager’
(paragraph or dot points is often enough)
understanding your sport’s accreditation requirements for coaches and officials
discussing and documenting the scope of the job and responsibilities with committee members and
people in other positions
conducting reference checks where appropriate, for example, for a coaching position phone the
previous club president and head coach
letting volunteers know where they can get further information to help them in their role and in
keeping your juniors safe, such as this toolkit or injury management guidelines
staying on top of sport specific screening requirements and the Working with Children Check, and
helping volunteers and others obtain them if required.
Communicating what is expected, and providing new members with relevant codes of conduct or other
guidelines, will help volunteers understand what your club is practising and aiming for.
Induction
Use the beginning of the season as an opportunity to talk about roles and responsibilities with your club
members and parents. Communicate the expectations of the various positions as well as their role in
keeping junior sport safe.
Hand out guidelines and codes of conduct to new volunteers and parents or let them know where to find
them. Talk with people in specific roles about training they might need, such as attaining coaching
accreditation.
Support and training
Providing the right support and training to everyone with duties and responsibilities at your club will help
them to feel appreciated and secure in their role.
Talking openly about expected behaviours and roles will encourage everyone to speak up and focus on safe
junior sport as a priority.
To create a positive and supportive environment your club could consider:
 having a committee meeting regularly with volunteers and parents to talk about the specifics of their
roles, and look at training and resource requirements
 including volunteer recognition at the end-of-season events
 using team and club meetings to discuss issues raised within the club and how to resolve them
 incorporating respectful behaviours for all members and volunteers into your codes of conduct.
Other forms of training might be relevant at your club too. Check with your state sporting association or local
council for training opportunities in officiating and coaching, disability and cultural awareness, or responsible
liquor management at your club.
Play by the Rules Online training
Encourage the members and officials in your club to make use of the Play by the Rules (PBTR) website to
help them understand more about discrimination, harassment, abuse and harm. This website provides
resources and further information, as well as online training modules, which have a certificate of completion.
These free courses cover child protection and provide useful case studies. They take around two hours to
complete and can be done in part or at one sitting.
To register go to www.playbytherules.net.au
Be aware also that some sports require the PBTR online training as part of Level 1 coaching accreditation,
or even as part of officials’ training.
Coaching and officiating
The Australian Sports Commission offers free online beginning/introductory coaching and officiating
courses.
Go to www.ausport.gov.au and search for coaching and officiating or online training.
TIP
Ensure new committee members and officials in your club are aware of and undertake Play by the Rules
online training when they start with your club.
3.3 Identify screening requirements and maintain relevant records
The Working with Children Check (WWC Check) provides a mandatory minimum standard for assessing the
suitability of people working with children and young people. The check aims to screen for people who may
pose a risk to the safety of children and young people in either paid or volunteer work.
It is important to note that some sporting clubs and associations have their own screening processes in
place and might have requirements above the WWC Check – for example, your sport might have a policy
that all coaches undergo a check. Some sporting peak bodies such as AFL Victoria, Tennis Victoria, Netball
Victoria and Basketball Victoria have introduced WWC Check policies.
It’s a good idea to have someone at your club who is responsible for WWC Check matters. This person can
provide members with information, validate the WWC Check cards and record details.
For information about your sport’s requirements, contact your state sporting association.
For information about the WWC Check, visit the FAQ section of the WWC Check website
www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren or call the infoline on 1300 662 870.
You can also see Section 4 for further information on the Working with Children Check.
Safe record keeping
Your club might want to use the sample record-keeping template in Section 6, ‘Useful stuff’ for managing the
requirements of the various stages of the Working with Children Check. Also ask your state or regional
sporting association about any specific record-keeping requirements.
Sharing sensitive information, such as that contained in the WWC Check or police checks, can breach
privacy laws – so it is important that you are careful with your records and keep them safe and secure.
3.4 Look at current policies and procedures
As a club you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, so look at what’s already in place.
Your club or sport most likely has various existing documents and procedures, including safe junior sport
procedures. Some of the following may already be included in current documents, for example, dispute
resolution and child protection policies are often included in a sports member protection policy.
Your club or sport (at state or national level) may already have, or may wish to consider:
 codes of conduct
 coaching and officials’ guidelines
 member protection policy
 junior sport policy
 child safety policy
 child protection requirements
 risk management policy
 dispute or complaint resolution guidelines
 governance policy
 PBTR guidelines
 team selection guidelines.
Take a look at what policies already exist – you may be able to adapt them from your state or national body
or another sporting organisation. Many of these are available as online templates which are easily
accessible and require little effort to make them specific to your club.
Remember that you could also be bound by state or national policies. Check whether these are in place.
See Section 7 ‘Want to know more?’ or add your club or sport material to Section 8.
TIP
Get a working group together to look over the documents your club already has and those you might be able
to use. Check that safe junior sport is emphasised throughout. Make sure the group includes a diverse
range of people, including coaches, parents, officials and players.
3.5 Other things to think about
Safe junior sport is more than just having the right paperwork, ticking off the Working with Children Check or
applying codes of conduct. While these are important, there are a wide range of actions your club members
and parents can discuss and implement to help maintain a safe junior sport culture.
Physical contact
Physical contact with players should be:
 with the permission of the player
 to develop sport skills or to meet the specific requirements of the sport
 to prevent or respond to or treat an injury.
If you need to congratulate or comfort a player do so in the presence of other people rather than being alone
with a child.
Supervision for children and young people
Consider the Working with Children Check and your sport’s requirements as well as the following.
How many people you need to supervise activities will depend on the age and number of children involved,
and whether there are any disability considerations. Aim for a responsible child to adult ratio and bear in
mind what is safe and comfortable for everyone.
Being alone with a child
People isolating themselves with a child or young person can leave your club open to risk, so it’s a good
idea that your club members and officials avoid being alone with any particular child.
Inappropriate attention from a child
If a child singles a club member or official out for special attention it is important to kindly but firmly
discourage this attention and engage the child with the larger group.
Discourage any contact with a child that is not strictly related to your club’s sporting activities.
Change rooms
Some clubs have a nominated change room supervisor and this person should have a Working with
Children Check. It’s a good idea that anyone else going in into change rooms knocks loudly to announce
themselves. Adults should not isolate themselves and a child from others in the change room. Encourage
juniors to tell an adult if they are uncomfortable with a particular person visiting the change rooms.
TIP
Start a conversation with your coaches, committee and parents about how your club
responds to these situations.
Drop-off and collection by parents
Parents or carers have a responsibility to comply with the club timetable for dropping off and picking up their
children so they do not leave club members or coaches in the awkward situation of being left alone with a
child.
Your club needs a clear drop-off/pick-up policy that is communicated widely, especially to parents and
carers.

Use newsletters and e-bulletins to advertise training and game times, drop-off and collection times,
and advise that it is not the club’s responsibility to transport children home if parents are delayed.

Have a register of emergency contact numbers and make sure coaches/officials have access to a
phone.

Coaches/officials should not be left waiting alone with a child.
o Some clubs have a policy that the second-to-last child and their parent stay with any waiting
child and the coach/official. This will also enable the coach to make contact with the parent.
o Encourage committee members or other teams who are present to stay with coaches/officials
and any waiting children.
Section 6, ‘Useful stuff’ offers hints and tips for parents’ responsibilities in keeping junior sport safe.
Transport of players
Ideally all players/participants should have their own family arrangements for transport to and from sporting
events and training.
Overnight trips
Overnight trips often require planning and forethought. To make sure these go smoothly:




check your sport-specific and Working with Children Check requirements
always have more than one adult with children on an overnight trip/camp
ensure that all children are adequately supervised and that there is always more than one adult with
a group of children, even if the number of children is small – mixed gender is preferable
establish emergency procedures for supervising adults to follow. If an alarm is raised by a child,
more than one adult should respond.
See Section 6 ‘Useful stuff’ for a checklist.
Injury and illness
Your club will find it useful to have guidelines for handling injuries that occur during sporting activities.
People who are qualified in administering first aid or treating sports injuries should attempt to treat an injury.
See Section 5 ‘Safety guidelines for children and young people’.
Use of images of children and young people
There are some general considerations when taking photographs or using images of children. It is a good
idea that your club has guidelines on the use of children’s images, for example, in promotional material or
newsletters. An idea is for the registration form to contain a clause about when and how the club will use
photographs – such as in team newsletters.
See Section 6 ‘Useful stuff’ for more information.
Equal opportunity
Equal opportunity policies apply in many areas of daily life, and this should also be encouraged on the
sports field. Some actions such as discrimination based on race could be unlawful.
Avoid favouritism or bias, especially gender/racial/religious discrimination. Treat all kids equally and help
make your club welcoming and friendly for different cultures and abilities.
Bullying, harassment and discriminatory behaviours
Children and young people often need to be reminded of what is and isn’t appropriate behaviour.
Your club can discourage and prevent abusive initiation or team bonding activities, rough, physically hurtful
or sexually provocative games, sledging, scapegoating, ridiculing, rejecting and isolating behaviour.
See Section 6 ‘Useful stuff’ for further information on bullying in sport.
Adopt positive language and behaviour
Use positive language when talking with children and young people and in their presence. Club members
should be encouraged to avoid profane or aggressive language that could intimidate a child or set a poor
example. This is especially applicable in the case of coaches who may use profane or aggressive language
to either berate their team or a player or referees during a game.
3.6 Real-life situations
The following are examples of real-life situations that could happen in your club. They can be used to initiate
discussion at coaches, parent or team meetings. Read through them and consider:
 would your club members and parents know what to do if they encountered one of these situations?
 do your club members know who to speak to if they have concerns or complaints?
 is your club prepared for handling such situations?
 what actions might your club take?
1. Mary, a player’s mother has noticed an unknown man at training during the past week
photographing the kids.
2. Jason, coach of the Under 12s, is often left with one player who hasn’t been picked up after training.
3. Club president Bill is often the only adult in the boys change room after games and practice sessions.
4. Coach Jane regularly yells at and berates her players during training and at games.
5. The coaches do not allow the kids drinks during training sessions on hot days as preparation for games
during hot weather.
6. Club secretary Mary regularly takes girls to her house after training if they haven’t been picked up.
7. Alice notices while driving home from work that coach Jane is standing very close to and touching junior
tennis player Simon when demonstrating a volley.
8. Club treasurer Monica has noticed at training that young Carson always has bruising on his arms and
lower legs.
9. It is rumoured that the 19-year-old coach is having an intimate relationship with one of the team’s 17year-old athletes.
10. Parent Geoff has been often overheard in the car park telling his young daughter Cassie that she is too
fat and slow to be playing netball.
TIP
Copy or print this out and use as a prompt at meetings.
3.7 Build into regular meetings, planning or season cycle
Reviewing policies and procedures and having regular discussions is an important part of creating a culture
of safe junior sport.
Use your club’s seasonal activities to review practices, talk about safe junior sport and address issues at, for
example:
 committee, coaches, parents and team meetings, and planning days
 registration, induction, and end-of-season break-ups.
Volunteer turnover can be high in sport. Keep your members and parents up to date by building regular
reviews and discussions on practices and safe junior sport behaviours into your club’s ongoing activities and
newsletters or website. Use the scenarios in Section 3.6 as conversation starters.
It’s also important to keep up to date with changes in laws and standards affecting your sport, and
communicate these to everyone involved in your club. The list of people who may require a Working with
Children Check should be regularly reviewed by your club in line with your sport’s requirements.
See the record-keeping sheet in Section 6 ‘Useful stuff’.
Consider:
 using coaches’ meetings at the beginning of the season to run through and review codes of conduct
and check that the training and qualifications of accredited coaches are current
 asking the kids to help develop their own codes of conduct at pre-season registration
 having a parents’ meeting when parents pay registration dues to discuss expectations and have
them sign a code of conduct as a condition of their child’s registration with your club
 having the coach and team manager conduct individual team meetings at the start of the season to
go over policies and guidelines. Encourage people to ask questions.
 getting team managers or the committee together at the end of the season to look at how complaints
or issues have been dealt with and agree on what needs to be addressed
 including key dates for your club in your regular communication with people at your club, including
Working with Children Check review, and any meetings about safe junior sport issues.
See Section 4, ‘Working with Children Check’.
TIP
In your regular communication with people at your club, highlight safe junior sport meetings and seminars,
as well as timeframes for Working with Children Check and sport screening checks/updates.
3.8 Get the word out
Spread the word about your club’s policies, procedures and expectations for keeping junior sport safe.
Everyone needs to be aware of their responsibilities and who to contact if they have questions or concerns.
Make the most of existing tools such as newsletters, club handbooks and your website, as well as events,
such as registration days, meetings and end-of-season functions, to keep people informed.
Talk safe junior sport:

Include ‘safe junior sport’ on the agenda of committee, sub-committee, coach, player, team and parent
meetings.
Keep asking, ‘What is safe junior sport?’ and ‘What are we doing to keep our club safe?’
Ask the opinions of coaches, parents and officials on your procedures; for example you could work
with parents and carers to develop a ‘travelling away from home’ checklist at a parents’ meeting.
Let the juniors have their say by including them in the development of codes or guidelines.



Write about safe junior sport


Write about issues in newsletters, emails, ‘e-bulletins’ and on your website.
Write a feature on your nominated Working with Children Check contact person.
You could also consider:






holding information and training sessions on aspects of ‘keeping junior sport safe’ or invite a guest
speaker
including guidelines, codes of conduct and other resources on your website
providing players with ‘code of conduct cards’ to reinforce the safe junior sport message
displaying posters in your club room, notice board and training areas
including a new category at your awards night for the player who shows the most respect to officials
and other players, for example ‘the play by the rules champ’
including an awards category for the parent who shows the most respect to officials, parents and
other players, for example, the ‘star supporter parent’.
Encourage discussion, questions, suggestions and ideas from everyone and be sure to provide new
members with information about what your club is doing and what it expects. Highlighting the fact that safe
junior sport is a priority at your club is also good promotion for the club.
3.9 The ‘Good Skate Club’ project – tackling the issues in sport
Ice Hockey Victoria, Inline Hockey Victoria and the Victorian Ice Racing Association identified they had a
common problem in managing poor and inappropriate behavior by participants and spectators both on and
off the rink, particularly in junior sport.
The three organisations got together to identify key issues surrounding the problem as well as develop a
number of solutions.
Key issues
Poor player and spectator behaviour within the sports generally involved abusive/foul language from players
and spectators directed towards referees and players.
A number of key issues were identified that contributed towards this behaviour.

Ice hockey and inline hockey are perceived as ‘rough’ sports and therefore sometimes attract people
who seek ‘aggressive’ play.

There is a lack of respect by some participants and spectators towards officials, coaches and other
players.

Generic codes of behaviour used by the sports don’t reflect the specific needs of the sports and aren’t
well promoted.

Coaches don’t always set a good example for others to follow e.g. fair play.

Many parents, players and spectators don’t have a good knowledge of these sports. They often do not
understand:
 the rules so they react to 'mistakes' made by officials and players
 the signals of referees
 that inline hockey is not like ice hockey in that it doesn’t allow contact
 the culture of the sports – how to behave, what is expected of players and spectators
 the processes, penalties and punishments for dealing with poor behaviour.

Volunteer administrators are reluctant to enforce penalties for poor spectator behaviour.

Inline and ice hockey do not have a clear process to effectively deal with poor behaviour for those who
play both sports. A player may be suspended in one sport but is still able to play the other, in some
cases against the same participants.

The sports sometimes lack appropriate powers to effectively manage poor spectator behaviour through
their disciplinary processes and structures.
Solutions
Ice Hockey Victoria, Inline Hockey Victoria and the Victorian Ice Racing Association are now actively working
together to develop and implement solutions to better manage poor and inappropriate behaviour by
participants and spectators.
The key solutions include the following.

The sports identified the need to develop a shared code of behaviour reflective of their combined
needs and culture. These codes represent a united approach to managing player and spectator
behaviour.

Codes of behaviour need to be supported by effective policies and procedures in relation to their
implementation, promotion and enforcement.

Gaining jurisdiction over parents and spectators is crucial in effectively managing their behaviour.

Inline and ice hockey have common participants and intend to establish a joint tribunal to better
manage disciplinary processes.

Strategies are required by the sports to encourage and assist coaches to undertake accredited
training and education programs.

The sports could work together with training providers to incorporate common coaching course
elements within their existing programs.

Formal systems for monitoring behaviour will assist volunteers to enforce standards of behaviour.

Sports are restricted in implementing behaviour management procedures due to limited time and
resources, so solutions should be simple, clear and easy to implement.
Contact:
Tom Forsell, Sport and Recreation Victoria, phone (03) 9208 3499, email tom.forsell@dpcd.vic.gov.au
4.0
Working With Children Check
(also visit Department of Justice website www.justice.vic.gov.au)
WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK
Frequently Asked Questions Sporting Clubs and Associations
These Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) provide general answers about the Working with
Children (WWC) Check for people who work or volunteer in sporting clubs and associations.
You can find detailed information on each of these topics and more FAQs at
www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren.
1. I work/volunteer for a sporting club or association. Do I need a WWC Check?
People engaged in “child-related work” are required to apply for a WWC Check. Under the Working with
Children Act 2005 (the Act), you are considered to be engaged in “child-related work” if you:
− work or volunteer in connection with one of the 20 child-related occupational fields (including
sporting clubs and associations); and
− have regular direct contact with children under 18; and
− that contact is not directly supervised; and
− do not qualify for an exemption (e.g. parent volunteer, VIT registration, sworn police officer).
If all of the above statements apply to you, you are doing “child-related work”, and you need to submit
a WWC Check application by the relevant due date (please consult the phasing-in plan for due dates).
2. How can I find out when I need to apply?
If you need to apply for a WWC Check and you work or volunteer in connection with the following sport
or recreational activities, you need to apply by 30 June 2009:
• Athletics (including Little Athletics)
• Basketball
• Cricket
• Football (Australian Rules)
• Football (Soccer)
• Gymnastics (including Trampolining)
• Martial arts
• Netball
• Swimming (including Lifesaving)
• Tennis
All remaining sporting or recreational activities will be 'phased in' in Year 4 (from 1 July 2009 to 30 June
2010). A complete phasing-in plan listing occupational fields and their application deadlines is available
at www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren.
3. I don’t require a WWC Check, but the club/association at which I volunteer still wants me
to apply for one. Can the club/association make me do this?
FAQ 1 sets out who is required by law to have a WWC Check. The Act does not prevent other people
being asked to apply by their employer or volunteer organisations. If you have concerns about the
policy of a particular organisation in this regard, you should raise them directly with the organisation.
4. Do parents who volunteer at a club/association need to have a WWC Check – e.g. when
they help out at training or on match days, or attend overnight camps with their child?
Under the Act, a parent who volunteers in relation to an activity in which their child ordinarily
participates is exempt from a WWC Check in respect of that work.
For example, a parent who coaches their child’s football team is exempt from a WWC Check, even if
their child is not present on a particular day due to illness.
However, a parent who coaches a team and whose child plays in a different team at the club is not
exempt. This parent would need to refer to FAQ 1 to determine if a WWC Check is required.
A full list of exemptions is available on the Working with Children Check website.
CD/08/90036 July 2008
5. Each week I drop off and/or pick up my child from training, and watch them play matches.
I have regular, direct and not directly supervised contact with children. Do I need a WWC
Check?
Parents who pick up or drop off their own children at training, or watch them compete, or who have
arranged for a relative or a friend to do this for them, are not working as defined by the Act and so do
not require a WWC Check. The WWC Check is for when parents entrust the care of their children to
others, outside of normal domestic arrangements.
6. I play in a team with people who are under the age of 18 years. Do I need a WWC Check?
If you are only participating in an activity with a child on the same basis as the child, you are not
undertaking “child-related work” and therefore do not require a WWC Check. For example, an adult
playing in a cricket team alongside a child is not engaging in “child-related work”.
7. I’m an umpire/referee. Do I require a WWC Check?
If all 4 statements in FAQ 1 apply to you, your work is considered “child-related work” and you need to
apply for and pass a WWC Check.
8. I volunteer in the club canteen. Do I require a WWC Check?
If all 4 statements in FAQ 1 apply to you, your work is considered “child-related work” and you need to
apply for and pass a WWC Check.
9. There are always parents watching the games and training sessions. Does that mean the
coach won't need a WWC Check?
If a person’s contact with children is directly supervised they are not engaged in “child-related work".
Direct supervision requires immediate and personal supervision, by someone who has the role of
supervising the worker/volunteer’s contact with children. Therefore, for a parent to provide direct
supervision of the coach, all parties would need to understand that this was the parent/s’ role.
10. When does a supervisor need a WWC Check?
If the supervisor is engaged in “child-related work”, they will require a WWC Check unless an
exemption applies (see FAQ 1).
11. I’ve already had a police check. Why do I need a WWC Check?
The WWC Check is different from a police check. Not all offences are of concern to the WWC Check.
Broadly, the WWC Check considers serious sexual, violent and drug offences. WWC Check card-holders
are also subject to ongoing monitoring for the five years in which the WWC Check card is valid (unless
revoked). A police check gives a one-off “snapshot” of a person’s criminal record up to the date of the
check. Your club/association might also require you to provide a police check based on other legislation
or club/association policy.
12. How much does the WWC Check cost?
The WWC Check is free for volunteers, and an application fee applies for paid employees and selfst
employed (the fee is currently $73.90, but will increase every year on the 1 of July). A person is
considered to be a volunteer if they only receive reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses. It is an
offence to use a volunteer WWC Check for “child-related work” for profit or gain.
13. What if I don’t apply by the relevant deadline?
If you are required to apply for a WWC Check and you have not done so by the relevant deadline, it will
be an offence for you to commence or continue to perform “child-related work”. It will also be an
offence for the club or association to engage you in “child-related work”. Offences include a substantial
fine and/or up to 2 years imprisonment.
14. What if my usual work for the club/association is also in connection with another
occupational field that has already been phased in, for example an overnight camp?
If you are undertaking “child-related work” that is in connection with more than one occupational field,
you must apply for a WWC Check by the due date for the field that is phased in first. For example, the
due date for overnight camps was 30 June 2007. If you are involved in “child-related work” for a
club/association in connection with an overnight camp you must apply for a WWC Check before
beginning that work, or you and the club/association may be subject to criminal penalties.
This FAQ sheet is a guide only and is not a substitute for legal advice or the relevant legislation.
Further Information Website: www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren
Information Line: 1300 652 879
5.0
Safety Guidelines for Children and Young People
(Visit the Sports Medicine Australia website www.smavic.org.au or www.smartplay.com.au)
Safety Guidelines
for Children and Young People in Sport and Recreation
These guidelines have been developed to support safe participation in sport and recreation for
children and young people. Injury is a known barrier to participation and it is estimated that 50% of
injuries are preventable.
Safety Guidelines
for Children and Young People in Sport and Recreation
These guidelines have been developed to support safe participation in sport and recreation for
children and young people. Injury is a known barrier to participation and it is estimated that 50% of
injuries are preventable. Safer sport and recreation will increase positive and on-going
participation. In a positive and safe sporting or recreational environment, young people can
develop healthy lifestyles, friendships, life skills and a strong sense of belonging and community.
Safe participation also enables young people to access the many health benefits of sport and
recreation including preventing obesity, chronic disease and mental illness. Young people should
be physically active for a minimum of 60 minutes per day to maintain good health.
Key stakeholders in junior sport and recreation, such as parents, participants, coaches, officials,
teachers and organisations, should share the responsibility for making sport and recreation safe
and enjoyable for all young people.
Safe sport and recreation for children and young people requires those involved to be properly
educated and qualified and for the environments in which activities take place to be safe. To
achieve this, consideration should be given to the following: coaching and official accreditations;
the conditions of facilities and equipment; the climate; illness and medical conditions; emotional
wellbeing; drugs and first aid.
Safe, positive experiences in sport and recreation can play a vital role in the health and wellbeing
of young people.
These guidelines are relevant to administrators, schools, teachers, coaches, parents, officials and
participants. These guidelines can help reduce injuries to participants by up to 50% giving them
lifelong access to physical activity, reducing their risk of chronic illness, mental illness and obesity.
Sports Medicine Australia
Safety guidelines for children in sport and recreation
2nd ed.
ISBN 978-0-9805297-0-8
© Sports Medicine Australia 2008
Design: Levitate Graphic Design Pty Ltd
Printed by CanPrint Communications Pty Ltd
Photographs: Australian Sports Commission and Photos.com
The following SMA members and staff contributed to the information in and production of
this booklet:
Lesley Crompton, Simon Dolejsi, Nicole Den Duyn (ASC), Alex Donaldson, Jeff Emmel (ACHPER),
Sue Hooper, Hugh Hazard,Simon Locke, Nello Marino, Gary Moorhead, Ginette Naffa, Geri
Naughton, Annabel Sides, Emma Sullivan, Amanda Wilson.
For more information about safe and injury free sport, or a booklet version of this resource contact
Sports Medicine Australia or visit the Smartplay web site.
Sports Medicine Australia - Vic Branch
Sports House, 375 Albert Road, South Melbourne, VIC 3205
Email: smartplay@vic.sma.org.au
Visit: www.smavic.org.au or www.smartplay.com.au
Sports Medicine Australia
PO Box 78 Mitchell ACT 2911 Australia
Email: smanat@sma.org.au
Visit: www.sma.org.au or www.smartplay.com.au
Disclaimer
The Commonwealth of Australia shall not be responsible for the results of any actions arising out of
the use of any information in this publication nor for any errors or omissions contained therein. The
publisher, the Australian Government, and the authors expressly disclaim all liability to any person
or anything done or omitted to be done by any such person, in particular, in respect of any injury,
disease or death occurring as a result, in reliance, whether whole or partial, upon the whole or any
part of the contents of this publication.
Sports Medicine Australia - Smartplay Program Guidelines for Children and Young People in Sport
and Exercise have been reproduced for the Keeping Junior Sport Safe Toolkit with permission of
the Australian Government, Department of Health and Ageing. Smartplay is Sports Medicine
Australia’s sports injury prevention program. Smartplay in Victoria is funded by VicHealth and the
Department of Community Development (Sport and Recreation Victoria).
Contents
These guidelines will assist you to provide a safe and positive experience for those involved in
junior sport and active recreation.
Prevention Strategies
The Environment
Equipment
Grounds and Facilities
PAGE
4
4
4
5
Record Keeping, Managing Illness and Medical Conditions
Pre-participation Screening
Collecting Information and Keeping Records
Illness and Participation
Medical Conditions and Participation
6
6
7
7
7
Considerations for Participation
Training Sessions
Warm Up, Cool Down and Stretch
Amount and Intensity of Activity – Preventing Overuse Injury
Balanced Competitions
Strength Training
Recovery
Injury Management and Return to Play
8
8
9
9
10
10
11
12
Roles and Responsibilities
Clubs, Schools and Providers of Sport And Recreation Opportunities
Safety Personnel
Coaches and Teachers
Officials (Referees, Umpires, Judges, Timekeepers)
Parents
13
13
14
14
15
16
10 Points to Remember
17
Further Information and Links
18
Prevention Strategies
The Environment
The weather (both hot and cold) can affect children and young people’s safe participation in sport
and recreation activities.
Children and young people are highly susceptible to extremes in temperature. Fluid replacement is
important during any sport or recreation activity, particularly in hot environments. All children and
young people should be well hydrated before participation begins with regular fluid intake. The
weather (heat, humidity, cold, wind and rain) should be assessed before beginning an activity and
an appropriate decision made regarding whether participation should go ahead.
Children and young people (in particular thin/lean children) are also susceptible to illness in cold
weather as they lose body heat more easily. Physical activity is one of the best ways to stay warm
in a cold environment. However, coaches, parents and officials should pay particular attention to
children and young people playing water sports or activities subject to wet conditions because
water increases the loss of body heat.
Do not train or play outdoors during a thunder storm due to a possibility of being struck by lightning.
Ensure adequate shade and sunscreen are available and all participants, officials and spectators
have appropriate clothing, hats and sunglasses to prevent overexposure to the sun. In hot
conditions, children are the best judges of their own well-being and capacity to play. If they feel
unwell, they will usually simply stop activity. This is the best first response to heat illness. Under no
circumstances should children be compelled to keep playing if they feel unwell in the heat.
Have some flexibility from competition rules about clothing to allow children and young people to
feel more comfortable in extremely cold or hot weather. This includes allowing tracksuit pants in
cold weather or hats when hot, even if not part of regulation uniform.
The environmental weather conditions before, during and after activity should be assessed
regularly and activity modified or cancelled where appropriate. Sports Medicine Australia’s “Beat
the Heat” brochure is a useful source of good advice on this topic. (See www.sma.org.au)
Prevention Strategies
Equipment
The use of appropriate and properly fitted equipment is essential to reduce the risk of injuries. All
equipment used should meet Australian Standards and be:
• suited to the size and ability of the participant
• regularly checked and maintained
• replaced when inadequate for its purpose
• sufficient in number
• padded as appropriate
• properly erected/constructed
• used by senior members and other role models as an example of good safety to juniors
• required at all times - training as well as competition
• easily and safely lifted or moved to the field of play
• sport specific.
Some commonly used protective equipment includes:
• mouthguards
• helmets
• footwear
• gloves
• protective padding, e.g. shin guards
• eyewear
• strapping and taping.
Clubs and schools should develop creative ways to ensure appropriate protective equipment and
playing equipment is available for participants who are unable to provide their own e.g. special
fundraising, equipment sharing, developing good
relationships with equipment suppliers (local dentists, sports stores).
Examples of the importance and use of protective equipment:
Mouthguards: Dental injuries are the most common type of facial injury in contact sports. Most
dental injuries in sport can be prevented if a professionally fitted mouthguard is worn. Young
participants undergoing orthodontic treatment can be at greater risk of dental injury. Someone
should be trained to deal with dental emergencies where there is a risk of dental injury.
Helmets: Hard helmets protect the head in high speed sports such as cycling, roller blading or
skiing and sports which involve missile-like objects such as baseball, ice hockey and cricket. Soft
helmets protect against minor injuries such as cuts, but not against more serious injuries like
concussion or spinal injuries.
Footwear: Correct and well fitting footwear is essential to reduce injuries in sport. Important
features of correct footwear include:
• fit
• cushioning
• stability
• an absence of shoe-related pain or discomfort in the foot or lower limb.
Footwear specifically designed for a sport should be used rather than general running or sports
shoes, particularly in sports which require sideways movement like netball and basketball. Football
boots should have the appropriate studs for the sport and the surface, although studs may not be
appropriate on hard grounds caused by drought.
Other Protective Equipment: Contact your local sport or recreational club for more information
about equipment that is used in your child’s activities such as eyewear protection and protective
padding such as knee pads, elbow pads or gloves. To find out more about strapping and taping
talk to a sports trainer, first aider or sports medicine professional.
Safe equipment is important for prevention of injury. One size does NOT fit all – get the right
equipment for the activity and the person. Parents, coaches, clubs, schools, safety personnel and
associations should ensure all children and young people have access to well fitted protective
equipment of an acceptable standard.
The use of appropriate and properly fitted equipment is essential to reduce the risk of injuries.
Grounds and Facilities
Grounds and facilities should be regularly checked by an appropriate person (club/association
representative, local council, official, coach, parent) to ensure they are safe to use. This should
include checking that:
• the playing surface is in reasonable condition without holes, exposed sprinkler heads or hard
patches
• all rubbish is cleared away, especially broken glass, stones and rip top lids from bottles and cans
• change rooms, toilets, showers and first aid treatment areas are clean and hygienic
• corner posts and other field posts cannot injure participants on contact
• permanent fixtures such as goal posts are padded
• perimeter fences are well back from the playing area
• spectators, unnecessary equipment and vehicles are kept well back from the sidelines
• lighting is adequate if playing at night
• matting is adequate where necessary, like gymnastics.
Make sure all identified hazards are removed or fixed before grounds and facilities are used, for
example goal post padding is secure and holes on the playing surface filled.
If possible, use a comprehensive, written checklist to ensure that whoever is doing the inspection
knows what to look for and whoever is fixing the problem knows what needs to be done.
Ground staff, councils and associations should avoid the use of dehydrated lime for marking lines,
as it may cause skin burns or eye damage.
Local governments or the organisation from whom the facility is hired should be the first point of
call in establishing appropriate facility management. Grounds and facilities need policies and plans
for injury prevention. Attention to detail during checks, reports, and follow up are key strategies for
clubs and schools to put into practice.
Record Keeping,
Conditions
Managing
Illness
and
Medical
Pre-participation Screening
To plan a safe, beneficial and appropriate activity program the coach or teacher must know the
relevant medical history of all participants as well as family, school, other sporting and social
commitments. Collection of information from pre-participation screening is only a starting point.
This information needs to be reviewed regularly, communicated to people who need to know and
available in case of an emergency. Physical pre-season screening of young participants can take
several forms. The most economic and logical screening involves questionnaires. The contents of
the questionnaire are likely to vary at the sport and local levels.
Some authorities in contact sports such as rugby recommend questions about brain injury history,
including how it was recognised and assessed.
Other medical agencies recommend two questions to estimate the presence of exercise induced
asthma. Testing for exercise induced asthma and cardiac abnormality may be important if positive
symptoms exist, and may best apply to young people participating in “serious” (e.g. participating at
state or national age group competitions) rather than recreational sport or physical activity.
Good use of pre-participation screening information by clubs, schools, officials and coaches is
important for injury prevention.
Collecting Information and Keeping Records
Types of information that may be collected include athlete medical forms, consent for collection of
images, and asthma management plans. As important as collection and sharing of participant
information is, it is also just as important that the privacy of the participant’s information is
respected, that the participant is aware of who will have access to their information and, that
access complies with privacy laws.
Medical information should be collected in conjunction with the Privacy Act – consider who has
access to the information.
Check the information regularly and modify activities where required.
Illness and Participation
Children and young people are particularly vulnerable during times of illness, with the risk of
damage to tissues or organs being very high.
Children and young people should not participate in sport when ill or recovering from a viral illness
with symptoms such as fever or a higher than normal body temperature in the previous 24 hours.
When assessing whether a child should participate in physical activity remember:
• the child should not participate if the symptoms are general (e.g. temperature, aches, pains,
general muscular tiredness)
• for uncomplicated upper respiratory tract symptoms, such as a runny nose or sneezing, the child
should be allowed to participate for 10-15 minutes. The child’s condition should then be
reassessed, and if they feel unwell, or are obviously struggling to keep up, then they should not
continue to participate in that session.
Parents of a child taking prescription medication should discuss any implications for participation
with the treating doctor before participating in sport or physical activity.
Medical Conditions and Participation
A number of conditions which, when medically supervised, do not permanently preclude a child’s
involvement in sporting activity (but may at any given time exclude participation). These include:
• chronic infections
• cardiovascular abnormalities
• musculoskeletal problems like arthritis
• medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, epilepsy.
Children and young people who suffer from asthma should have an asthma management plan
(established in conjunction with their doctor) and always have easy access to their inhaled
medication. This is particularly important if the asthmatic child has an upper respiratory tract
infection. The coach should know the child’s asthma management plan.
Coaches and officials should be aware of these common medical conditions and their effect on the
child.
While these conditions can be controlled through proper management and medication there are
times when the child’s participation may be limited by unforeseen changes in the condition. The
capacity to participate with a medical condition may vary on whether the sport or activity is
classified as contact or collision, limited contact or non-contact. The American Academy of
Pediatrics listed a number of long term conditions and their suitability to safe sports participation.
Conditions include; different types of cardiac conditions, kidney disease and diabetes.
Coaches should be aware of any medical conditions of participants and how participation in sport
might affect these adversely. Ensure all participants complete a pre-season medical questionnaire
and update this throughout the season as necessary.
Considerations for Participation
Training sessions
To ensure activity sessions are safe and enjoyable they must be planned in advance, well
structured, and contain the following components:
• warm up (cardiovascular increase of muscle temperature, including dynamic stretching may
increase performance, but may not prevent injury)
• skill practice (using drills, games and practices)
• activity (application of skills in game like situations)
• cool down.
Fitness can be developed through well organised, varied, and active skill drills, practices and
games. Development of fitness, strength, agility, flexibility and balance can be promoted through
enjoyable learning activities, and will establish a good base for specific conditioning in the future.
Training should focus on activities, practices and games incorporating fundamental movement
activities some of which are basic to all movement such as running, jumping and others more
specific to the sport or activity such as passing, catching, kicking, supporting and rolling. An
introduction to evasion and contact techniques can be progressively introduced through simple
drills, sequenced activities, and small group games.
Fitness activities at training, e.g. runs, interval schedules, sprint training and circuits should be
appropriate to the stage of the season (e.g. preseason) and participants’ age/fitness levels. For
example “beginner” level running can develop via running based games. A games-based approach
to running more closely resembles the stop start nature of children and young people’s play and is
more likely to be a more positive experience than running laps of an oval or court.
Well planned, varied and simple game-based activities should make up the majority of training
sessions for young participants. Sessions should aim to gradually increase challenges to all areas
of fitness, conditioning, skill development and game/activity understanding.
Warm up, cool down and stretch
The warm up is often part of the start of a physical activity session. The warm up aims to:
• prepare the mind and body for the activity
• increase body temperature
• increase heart rate
• increase breathing rate.
The warm up should include activities that use the same movement patterns as the activities to be
performed during the session. Warm up exercises should begin at a low intensity and gradually
increase to the level required in the activity.
Participants should do a cool down routine at the end of every activity session, consisting of:
• activity of significantly reduced intensity, such as 2–3 minutes of easy jogging or walking
• 5 minutes of gentle, dynamic stretching exercises.
Stretching activities should move the muscles through the full range of movement and include all
muscle groups that will be used in the activities to come. Stretching can be performed in different
ways but there is some evidence for younger people that dynamic stretching (moving slowly
through a full stretch) is better than static stretching (holding one angle for more than a few
seconds).
Well planned warm up and cool down activities can help participants get the most out of their
sessions. Stretching during recovery can improve flexibility. Warm ups help participants to mentally
and physically prepare and cool downs assist in recovery.
Amount and Intensity of Activity – Preventing Overuse Injury
Overuse injuries, such as tendonitis or muscle soreness caused by excessive and/or repetitive use,
are preventable.
Coaches and teachers of young sports participants with particularly demanding activity schedules
need to find out about other demands placed on the individuals. For example, many elite swimmers
may be training intensively up to two times per day and also be attending schools that place
physical demands on talented young students. Coaches should be mindful that talented young
participants may be involved in multiple sports, in the same sport at different levels of
representation and be undertaking multiple training sessions per week.
There will also be the peak demands of normal schoolwork, such as extra study for exams.
Teachers and parents of active young participants also have a responsibility to communicate with
coaches to help manage the demands of talented young participants. Busy young participants may
be more susceptible to burnout, over training and/or under recovery.
Overuse is a common cause of injuries in child and adolescent participants. Avoid excessive
participation that may lead to physical and or psychological injuries by:
• avoiding year long participation in the one sport
• altering participation at times when multiple representative squads or teams are occurring
• being conservative in planning programs involving increases in intensive participation
• reminding young participants that sport should be fun
• acting on injuries at the earliest sign
• asking young participants regularly how they feel.
High intensity, maximal effort activities e.g. 400 metre sprint or repeated 10 to 20 metre sprints,
need to be of short duration. High intensity exercise, combined with a high frequency of
participation is not sustainable for many young people, and may result in injury and a negative
attitude to sport. Improvement at an individual, rather than group rate is a better way to account for
individual differences.
Distance running for young participants should be carefully considered in the context of:
• injury risk (particularly in immature skeletons and around the growth spurt)
• conditions that might induce heat stress
• aerobic capacity
• psychological consequences
• social context of participation (a lot of time spent in isolation from others during individual
participation).
Jarring activities on hard surfaces should be interspersed with other activities. Coaches should
monitor frequency of participation to avoid overuse injuries in their athletes. The amount and
intensity of physical work that any child can do will vary because of age, fitness, motivation,
experience and general growth.
There is no recommended amount or intensity of activity for age groups, so take care when asking
young people to exercise for longer times or at higher intensities than they are used to.
Balanced Competitions
Balanced competitions are important to reduce the risk of injury.
In junior contact sports the grouping of children and young people by age group is not always the
best way of establishing a balanced competition. Use common sense – consider age, size, gender,
strength, skill, experience, attitude to competition, and psychological (emotional and social)
maturity of the participants.
When coaches, officials, sports first aiders, parents and participants follow the safety guidelines the
risk of serious injury is minimal. While the rate of injury is higher in contact sports than non-contact
sports, the overall benefits of children and young people’s participation far outweigh the risk.
Using modified rules and playing modified games can also decrease the risk of injury for young
participants. National and State Sporting Organisations are a good place to investigate modified
games for balanced competition and training. Careful grouping of young participants is a basis for
safe and fair play in sport.
Careful grouping of young participants is a basis for safe and fair play in sport
Strength Training
Strength training (also known as weight training or resistance training) is an essential part of sports
training for adults and there has been some debate about whether strength training is appropriate
for children and young people.
The current position on youth strength training is that a properly designed and supervised program
is safe and can help to increase strength, prevent injury, and enhance motor skills and
performance. A strength training program should increase gradually and focus on correct
technique. Correct technique is essential to gain maximum benefit from strength training as well as
reducing the risk of injury.
Children should work on strengthening all the big muscle groups, using free weight and body
weight movements with relatively light loads. The program should be closely monitored by a
qualified strength and conditioning coach to avoid overuse injury. No single strength training
program can be written for all young people. However, a training frequency of twice per week is
sufficient to achieve strength gains in young people. A single set with a weight capable of being
lifted 13 to 15 times is a recommended starting point because it is likely to provide an opportunity
for success. But, as with adults, ultimately, the ideal intensity and volume will depend on the
individual.
Some general guidelines for strength training for children and young people include:
• strength training programs for children and young people can be safe and effective if properly
supervised, and good techniques and safety precautions are followed
• children and young people should avoid competitive weight lifting, power lifting, body building,
and maximal lifts until they reach physical and skeletal maturity
• medical approval should be sought if the strength training program is likely to challenge young
participants in a particularly intensive and new manner
• aerobic fitness training should be coupled with strength training for general health benefits
• specific strength training exercises should be learned initially, without the use of weights or
resistance. Skill mastery should be achieved before loading with weights or resistance
• the use of light loads and high repetitions is recommended initially - for example, successful
completion of 8 to 15 repetitions with appropriate technique before increasing weight or resistance
• a general strengthening program should address all major muscle groups and include activities
that work through the complete range of motion.
Any sign of injury or illness from strength training should be referred for medical advice at the
earliest occurrence.
Recovery
Recovery is an important part of any training program. As children and young people experience
rapid growth, recovery is about enabling the body and mind to rest and recuperate from activity and
allow regular growth patterns both physically and mentally. Growth and development of children
and young people is the first concern when planning and monitoring training and competition
requirements.
Simple recovery techniques can include:
• drinking plenty of fluids straight after training or competition to replace what has been lost
• eating plenty of carbohydrate-rich foods immediately after training
• massage (either self massage or by a massage therapist)
• cross training to avoid continued repetition and allow enjoyment of other activities
• an active warm down with minimal resistance aids in the removal of waste (lactic acid) produced
during exercise
• management of injury (on the advice of a Sports First Aider, Sports Trainer or treating medical
professional)
• a good night’s sleep!
Recovery should be built into the overall training program, including easy days or sessions in a
long term training program or off-season breaks.
Barriers to recovery include:
• disordered eating and simply just not eating enough
• lack of awareness (coach, parent, participant)
• insufficient time
• participation in multiple sports, teams, sessions (overload)
• low self esteem.
Failure to include adequate recovery strategies can result in the body’s immune system being
placed under stress, leaving the athlete vulnerable to coughs, colds and infections. When the body
is constantly tired it more easily becomes ill or injured.
More is not better. An overtrained athlete is one who has done more work than they can physically
and mentally tolerate, they will not improve and their performance may even go backwards.
It is the responsibility of coaches, teachers, safety personnel and parents to plan for recovery,
monitor how the child or young person is feeling, provide education and engage children and
young people to take responsibility and form good practices in terms of training and competition,
eating, drinking, balancing commitments and managing injury to form healthy habits for healthy
bodies and minds now and into the future.
Injury Management and Return to Play
When coaches, officials, sports first aiders, other safety personnel, parents and participants follow
the safety guidelines the risk of serious injury is minimal. While the rate of injury is higher in contact
sports than non-contact sports, the overall benefits of children’s participation far outweigh the risk.
The most common injuries are minor cuts, abrasions, muscle strains and joint sprains. If an injury
occurs the golden rule in managing it is “do no further damage”. Inadequate or inappropriate first
aid may aggravate the injury and cause an increase in the time necessary before returning to
participation.
It is important that the injured participant is assessed and managed by an appropriately qualified
person such as a sports first aider or sports trainer. Immediate management approaches include
DRABCD (checking Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Compression and Defibrillation) RICER
NO HARM (when an injury is sustained apply Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, Referral and NO
Heat, Alcohol, Running or Massage). Information about RICER NO HARM can be found on the
Smartplay “Fix Up” Fact Sheet and more information about injury prevention approaches can be
learned by attending a sports first aid or sports trainer course.
Young participants returning to activity too early after an injury are more susceptible to further
injury. Before returning to participation the participant should be able to answer yes to the following
questions:
• Is the injured area pain free?
• Can you move the injured part easily through a full range of movement? (i.e. compared to the
participant’s non-injured side)
• Has the injured area fully regained its strength?
Whilst serious head injuries are uncommon in children and young peoples’ sport, participants who
have lost consciousness or who are suspected of being concussed must be removed from the
activity, taking no further part until cleared by a doctor.
If an injury occurs the golden rule in management is “do no further damage”.
Prior to returning to sport or physical activity a child who has sustained an injury should have
medical clearance
Roles and Responsibilities
Clubs, schools and other sport and recreation opportunities should be managed and organised to
promote and encourage safety and to support the safety efforts of individual coaches, teachers,
participants and safety personnel.
Raising awareness, education and training, policy and record keeping are all necessary to building
a safe sport and recreation environment.
Clubs, Schools and Providers of Sport And Recreation Opportunities
Clubs, schools and other sport and recreation providers (e.g. state sporting organisations, leisure
centres) can play an important organisational role in safety and injury prevention. By adopting a
risk management approach to safety that includes awareness raising and education, clubs, schools
and local councils can identify, manage and monitor the risks associated with participation in sport.
This includes:
Medical Records and Safety Auditing
• Gathering appropriate health information from participants
• Gathering information about who gets injured and how (using insurance records, incident reports)
• Safety concerns of key stakeholders (surveys of participants, parents, coaches and first aid
providers)
• The hazards and risks in the environment and equipment (conducting inspections and audits).
Organisational Commitment to Policy and Education
• Making a commitment to safety and including it as a key organisational objective and part of ‘core
business’
• Developing and regularly reviewing safety action plans (e.g. having an emergency safety plan
and people trained to implement it)
• Regularly and effectively communicating safety information (in newsletters, at meetings and on
notice boards)
• Appointing a person or committee to be responsible for safety
• Allocating appropriate resources (money and people) to safety activities, education and
awareness raising
• Ensuring safety is included as a regular agenda item at management and committee meetings
• Ensuring parents, coaches, teachers, safety personnel and sponsors adhere to agreed codes of
behavior and understand their responsibilities
• Providing appropriate information, facilities and equipment to support safety personnel (at clubs,
competitions or at recreational activities)
• Sport organisations should ensure their pathway programs endorse safe practices and
preparation of children and young people.
• Providing education and training for safety personnel (such as first aider, sports trainer, teacher)
• Ensuring coaches and officials are properly qualified
• Providing information and education to all involved to raise awareness and educate about safe
practices and injury prevention
• Ensuring positive messages regarding antidoping and alcohol are relayed to members
• Create a flexible junior sport environment that promotes inclusiveness and participation such as
flexible uniform policies.
Safety Personnel
When coaches, officials, sports trainers, sports first aiders, other safety personnel, parents and
participants follow safety guidelines the risk of serious injury is minimal.
If an injury occurs the golden rule in managing it is “do no further damage”.
Inadequate or inappropriate first aid may aggravate the injury and cause an increase in the time
necessary before returning to participation. It is important that the injured participant is assessed
and managed by an appropriately qualified person such as a sports first aider, sports trainer or
medical professional.
An appropriately qualified first aider should be on hand at all sporting and recreation events,
including training and practice sessions. Sports Medicine Australia recommends that a sports first
aid or sports trainer course from the Safer Sport Program is the most appropriate training for the
sporting environment due to its emphasis on the prevention of injury. It also covers in depth, the
recognition and initial management of the common soft tissue, hard tissue, and skin injuries that
occur in sport.
The course provides a distinct practical emphasis on managing these situations in the sporting
environment. Sports Medicine Australia also offers regular workshops to update knowledge and
practices for sports trainers. The role of sports trainers is about risk management and injury
prevention, as well as treatment. Risk management strategies extend to the acquisition and
maintenance of appropriate equipment including a well-stocked first aid kit, mobile phone, tape,
and an emergency action plan.
It is recommended that a first aider should be present at all sporting events with participants under
16 years of age. A sports trainer should be present at all sporting events with participants over 16
years of age. Any complaint of pain, tenderness, limitation of movement or disability should be
promptly referred to a qualified sports first aider, sports trainer or medical professional for
management.
An appropriately qualified first aid provider should be on hand at all sporting and recreation events,
including training and practice sessions.
Coaches and Teachers
Qualified coaches and trained teachers are vital to safe participation in junior sport and active
recreation.
Coaches and teachers should have:
• at least an entry level coaching accreditation
• completed a safety focused course such as sports trainer or sports first aid courses.
Coaches and teachers should:
• create an environment that encourages fair play and playing within the rules
• plan all coaching sessions and keep records
• be aware of child protection responsibilities
• ensure that key medical information about the participants is collected and taken into account
before participation
• conduct a warm up before activity
• include activities that are appropriate for the participants’ physical and skill levels
• progress activities at a rate suitable for all participants, and match participants in physical contact
situations
• set and enforce rules for activities
• check playing areas, facilities and equipment to ensure they are suitable for use
• ensure that safety equipment and protective devices are used during training and competition
• take the environmental conditions into account and modify activities if necessary (e.g. hot/humid
or cold/wet conditions)
• provide adequate instruction and supervision
• consider individual needs and adapt/modify activities if required
• consider different athlete growth rates and maturation when planning activities
• undertake ongoing professional development.
Coaches and teachers of junior participants are responsible for safe and enjoyable experiences.
Sessions should be planned around a sound understanding of the needs of children and young
people. Coaches and teachers should assess the participants, equipment and the environment
prior to activity. Activities should be safe, appropriate and modified to suit the participants and
environment.
Officials (Referees, Umpires, Judges, Timekeepers)
Officials, in partnership with coaches and parents, can provide a safe environment to protect young
participants from physical injury and emotional abuse by:
• rule management (game safety and fairness)
• rule education (participant development and sportsmanship).
This involves identifying, managing, and reviewing risks. For example, being prepared to make the
hard decisions and cancel games if safety is compromised. Officials should practise safety in sport
and recreation by:
• checking that facilities and equipment are safe
• canceling the contest or event if safety is compromised
• ensuring the spirit of participation is observed, i.e. fun and inclusion
• enforcing the rules of the sport
• controlling the conduct of participants
• keeping records of any incidents that may occur
• being aware of child protection responsibilities.
Officials have a key role in injury prevention including making sure the environment and equipment
is safe and that participants play by the rules.
Parents
Parents support and contribute to their children’s safe participation in sport and active recreation.
Parents are key role models to promote safety and provide their children with the correct safety
equipment.
Children and young people should be encouraged and allowed to try a number of sports and
activities for a long time before they become ‘specialists’ in individual sports. ‘Talent’ in one
particular sport or activity usually doesn’t emerge until adolescence or early adulthood. Experience
in a number of sports and activities may prevent injuries by:
• providing whole body strength and development
• helping to develop confidence and competence to safely participate in new tasks
• decreasing the potential of overuse injuries.
Parents should look for opportunities to promote safety by:
• focusing on their children’s and team’s efforts and enjoyment rather than winning or losing
• providing appropriate protective equipment (e.g. mouthguards, head gear, hats and water bottles)
ask the teacher, coach or club what is needed
• supporting fundraising efforts for protective equipment and working bees to make grounds and
facilities safe
• participating in programs such as the Good Sports Monitor and Play By the Rules
• abiding by the code of conduct
• dropping off and picking up on time and notifying the coach who will pick up your child
• filling in forms in detail
• providing appropriate nutrition and encouraging healthy practices
• working with their child and their coaches and teachers to monitor activity load and intensity and
plan appropriately to avoid overtraining.
Parents should support and contribute to their children’s safe participation in sport and active
recreation by:
• Understanding what is expected of them and their children from coaches, clubs, schools and
associations.
• Talking to the coach about their child and the activity program.
• Asking questions before they join a club to make sure it is the right place for their child.
• Being involved.
Talking about safety, fulfilling your roles and responsibilities, keeping qualifications up to date and
furthering your attending education and training will help you continue to maintain a safe sporting
environment for children and young people
10 Points to Remember
1. Clubs, schools and providers should ensure that they identify, manage and monitor the risks
involved in sport and recreation activities.
2. An estimated 50% of all sports injuries are preventable.
3. Coaches should have at least an entry level qualification from a coaching course conducted by
the National or State organisation of their sport.
4. A First Aider should be present at all sporting events with participants under 16 years of age. A
Sports Trainer should be present at all sporting events with participants over 16 years of age. Any
complaint of pain, tenderness, limitation of movement or disability should be promptly referred to a
qualified Sports First Aider, Sports Trainer or medical professional for management.
5. Appropriate and properly fitted protective equipment, clothing and footwear should be used at all
times.
6. The environment and facilities should be inspected and made safe before participation.
7. All coaches and teachers must be aware of the medical history and other commitments of
participants. A pre-season medical and activity questionnaire should be completed by all
participants and the current medical state of individuals should be taken into consideration prior
and during participation. A medical clearance must be obtained from the treating doctor before any
child or young person taking prescription medication participates in sport or physical activity.
8. Warm up, cool down and stretching should be included before and after all participation.
9. Activities for children and young people should be well planned and progress from easy to more
difficult. Strength training can be safely introduced to young people provided it is carefully
supervised. It should involve low resistance and high repetitions to avoid maximal lifts.
10. To reduce the likelihood of injury match the physical and mental maturity of the child to the
level of participation, complexity of the task and the game rules.
Further Information and Links
Local coaches, clubs, schools, and associations are great places to start enquiries; your Local
Council can also provide information, education and advice. State or National Sport Organisations
or your State Government Department for Sport and Recreation may also assist you in enquiries
regarding sports safety. In addition there may be other peak agencies that exist in your state, for
example Regional Sports Organisations or Assemblies and School Sports Associations. Key
organisations and examples of the resources and educational opportunities they provide that are
relevant to creating safe sport and recreation for children and young people are listed over.
SMARTPLAY
www.smartplay.com.au
• Links to Smartplay state branches, their activities, resources and programs
• Sport Specific Injury Prevention Fact Sheets e.g. AFL, Netball, Hockey, Tennis
• Injury Specific Fact Sheets e.g. Shin Pain, Ankle Sprain, Meniscus Injury
• Guidelines and Policies e.g heat and how to choose a club
• General Injury Prevention Information
• Latest Research about injury prevention, intervention, sport safety and risk
management
• Forms and templates e.g. athlete medical record forms and emergency planning
template
• Women in Sport Fact Sheets
• Publication articles.
SPORTS MEDICINE AUSTRALIA
www.sma.org.au
• Links to Sports Medicine Australia state branches and their activities and education
programs
• Professional development activities
• Safer Sport Program Course information e.g. Sports First Aid, Sports Trainer, Sports
Taping,
Spinal Injury Management, and Emergency Asthma Management
• Membership
• Publications e.g. Sport Health Magazine.
AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMISION
www.ausport.gov.au
• Tools and tips for beginner coaches and officials
PLAY BY THE RULES
www.playbytherules.net.au
• Online training and fair play strategies
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR HEALTH PHYSICAL
EDUCATION AND RECREATION (ACHPER)
www.achper.org.au
AUSTRALIAN SPORTS ANTI-DOPING
AUTHORITY (ASADA)
www.asada.gov.au
• WADA doping Code
• Athlete location and TUE forms
• Education programs
• Banned substance lists
CONFEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN SPORT
www.sportforall.com.au
• Links to all National Sports Organisations
ASTHMA AUSTRALIA
www.asthmaaustralia.org.au
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PAEDIA TRICS
www.aap.org/
DIABETES AUSTRALIA
www.diabetesaustralia.com.au
ANAPHYLAXIS AUSTRALIA
www.allergyfacts.org.au
SCHOOL SPORT AUSTRALIA
www.schoolsport.edu.au
CleanEdge
www.cleanedge.com.au
An educational resource on doping in sport:
• Information on healthy ways to enhance performance
• Facts about the consequences of drug use
• Video interviews with elite athletes
• Video advice from health professionals
• Educational Kit for teachers.
6.0
Useful stuff
This section includes helpful tips and hints which will complement your club’s safe junior sport
policies and materials.
You can add your own documents, policies, checklists and codes of conduct in Section 8 ‘Your
club or sport information’
6.1 Checklist for overnight or travel away from home
Has your club or sport organised the following measures?
Purpose of the trip
Planning
Communication with parents
Accommodation
Transport
Supervision and staffing
Emergency procedures
Insurance
Costs
Arrival
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Competition, training, social, combination
When?
Where?
Who?
Risk assessment of the activity
Working with Children Checks
Pick up times
Destination and venue
Competition details
Kit and equipment list
Emergency procedures, home contact
Consent form
Code of conduct
What type?
Catering special diets, allergies
Suitability for group, accessibility
Room lists
Journey times and stopping points
Supervision
Suitability and accessibility
Drivers checked
Insurance
Ratio of volunteers/club members staff to juniors
Male/Female ratio
Responsibilities statement
First aid
Specific medical details, allergies
Reporting procedures
Home contact details
Liability
Accident
For travel
Payment schedule – deposit, staged payment
Extra meals, refreshments
Spending money
Security
Check rooms, meal times, phones, valuables
Check sporting venue
Arrange group meetings
Rules, curfews
6.2 RECORD-KEEPING SHEET (SAMPLE)
Club name/location
WWCC Check
Year
Clubs, associations or movements (including of a cultural, recreational or sporting nature) that provide services or conduct activities for, or directed at, children or whose
membership is mainly comprised of children.
Some sports have policies or screening requirements above the WWC Check minimum, such as ALL coaches require a WWC Check – check
with your sport.
Responsible person and contact details:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Position
requiring
WWC
Check
Examples
Under 11s
Coach
Under 18s
Coach
Current holder
of position
Volunteer
/Paid
Does an
exemption
apply/why?
WWC Check
application
receipt
number
WWC
Check
number
WWC Check
card sighted
John Smith
Volunteer
Yes – Parent
NA
Tim Smith
Paid
NA
VIT registration
Canteen
Supervisor
Marshall
Mary Blogg
Volunteer
Yes
Teacher registered
with VIT
No
123456
yes
Jason Young
Volunteer
NA
NSW
Interstate
Coach
Bill Waverhouse
Volunteer
Yes
Under 18 years old
Yes – interstate
visitor for junior
carnival
Expiry
date
VALID
UNTIL?
05/06/2007
04/04/2008
4/04/2009
05/12/2006
05/06/2007
05/06/2007
NA
Note: You should periodically reassess whether employees/volunteers that are exempt are still exempt. For example, if the person is exempt
under the parent exemption, is their child still directly involved in the activity to warrant the parent exemption?
RECORD-KEEPING SHEET
Club name/location
WWCC Check
Year
Clubs, associations or movements (including of a cultural, recreational or sporting nature) that provide services or conduct activities for, or directed at, children or whose
membership is mainly comprised of children.
Some sports have policies or screening requirements above the WWC Check minimum, such as ALL coaches require a WWC Check – check
with your sport.
Responsible person and contact details:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Position
requiring WWC
Check
Current holder
of position
Volunteer
/Paid
Does an
exemption
apply/why?
WWC Check
application
receipt
number
WWC
Check
number
WWC Check
card sighted
Expiry
date
VALID
UNTIL?
Note: You should periodically reassess whether employees/volunteers that are exempt are still exempt. For example, if the person is exempt
under the parent exemption, is their child still directly involved in the activity to warrant the parent exemption.
6.3 Parents’ checklist – helping keep junior sport safe
Parents are often the mainstay of clubs but sometimes they are not officially involved in club
activity.
Keeping junior sport safe requires a whole-of-club approach to be successful and this includes
parents.
As a parent you can help create and support a safer sporting club for children. Some
things that you can do are:
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get involved as a volunteer or find out ways you can actively support the club’s activities
be aware of club or the sport’s policies and guidelines relating to keeping children safe in
sport
check that guidelines are being practised and communicated through newsletters,
website etc
be there to support your child’s involvement in training, matches and competitions
drop off and pick up your child from training on time
be a role-model – do not abuse, bully or bad mouth any child, parent or club volunteer
make sure you tell the club or coach if your child isn’t able to attend a planned session or
if you need to make changes in pick-up arrangements
talk to your child and ask them about their experiences at the club
talk to your children and their friends so they understand how to stay safe while
participating in their sporting activity
if you have any concerns, speak to the nominated person in the club, such as head
coach or President, or Member Protection Information Officer if your sport has one
be aware of policies on photographing children at club and sporting events.
TIP
Copy or print this out and distribute to parents at registration days.
6.4 Bullying in sport
Many people are aware of issues such as discrimination, harassment or abuse, and many
sports are taking positive steps. Sometimes though, there is an undercurrent of bullying that can
affect the children’s enjoyment of their sport. Quite often the bullying behaviour is conducted
‘behind the play’, or in the change rooms. Sometimes, the adult supervisors don’t recognise
behaviours that are in fact bullying.
Duty of care
The common law of negligence imposes a duty of care on clubs and associations to take
reasonable measures to prevent foreseeable risks of injury of children and young people.
Bullying behaviour in clubs and associations should be addressed as part of the duty of care to
provide safe and supportive junior sport environments.
Types of bullying in sport
Direct physical bullying: hits, trips, pushes, pokes, property damage, physical threats,
intimidating looks, theft, touching and brushing up against.
Direct verbal bullying: name calling, insults, homophobic remarks, racist remarks, verbal
abuse of name, family, religion, disability, or other individual characteristic of “target,” laughs at,
puts down, threatens, sexual joking and innuendo.
Indirect bullying: (sometimes referred to as ‘Social Bullying’) this form of bullying is harder to
recognise and is often carried out behind the bullied child’s back. It is designed to harm
someone’s reputation and/or cause humiliation. For example, lying or spreading rumours about
an individual, making nasty jokes to embarrass and humiliate, mimicking, deliberately leaving
“target” out of activities, encouraging others to socially exclude someone, damaging someone’s
social reputation and social acceptance.
Four principles of protecting against bullying
 Understand bullying – what constitutes bullying, where it happens, the consequences of
bullying, and how to stop it.
 Active supervision – consistent and visible adult supervision to reduce the potential for
bullying.
 Reinforce positive behaviour – including coaches, newsletters and awards such as ‘best
and fairest’ to communicate positive and acceptable behaviours
 Zero tolerance – in response to bullying and the use of, when necessary, disciplinary
consequences such as non-selection for the team.
To prevent bullying in sport
 Take bullying seriously.
 Encourage children to speak out and share their concerns and tell the person in charge
or someone in authority such as head coach or President.
 Encourage parents and bystanders to discourage bullying when they witness it.
 Report any concerns to the appropriate person at your club (e.g. Head Coach, Club
President, Member Protection Information Officer).
 The club should investigate complaints and allegations.
 Should allegations be founded, the club should take action to ensure the child is safe.
Speak with the victim and the bully(ies) separately.
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Reassure the child that the nominated person can be trusted and will help them,
although they cannot promise not to tell anyone else.
Ensure compliance with your sports Codes of Conduct, encourage the kids to create
their own.
Promote the Kids Help Line number 1800 551 800. Bullying is one of the top three
concerns for both boys and girls aged between 5 and 14 who call the Kids Help Line.
Actions you can take if bullying occurs within your club
 Have a process in place that outlines the steps that will be taken to investigate the
allegation or complaint, including record keeping. See Section 2.6.
 Remember, not all allegations will be well-founded, so be prepared to seek information
about any misunderstandings.
 Talk with the bully(ies), explain the situation, and outline the potential consequences of
their behaviour.
 Ask what the victims want, such as the behaviour to stop, an apology.
 Inform the bully’s parents.
 Insist on the return of ‘borrowed’ items and that the bully(ies) compensate the victim.
 Ensure disciplinary or sanctioning outcomes such as standing down from a game, for
breaching codes of conduct or bullying.
 Inform relevant people in the club of action taken.
 Most ‘low level’ incidents will be dealt with at the time by coaches and volunteers.
However, if the bullying is severe (e.g. a serious assault), or if it persists despite efforts
to deal with it, incidents should be referred to an outside body.
 If a situation is life threatening contact Police on 000.
 For immediate concerns about the safety of a child, contact the Department of Human
Services Child Protection Crisis Line on 13 12 78.
For more information on bullying go to:
Bullying No Way! www.bullyingnoway.com.au
Kids Help Line www.kidshelp.com.au
Reach Out! www.reachout.com.au
National Centre Against Bullying www.ncab.org.au
6.5 Images of children
Most people taking photos of children at sporting events are doing so for acceptable reasons. It
is important to recognise, however, that some restrictions now exist around the photographing
of children at sporting events.
The following is an excerpt taken from the Australian Sports Commission’s guidelines and
provides a brief overview of what you should know about photographing children.
For more detailed information about this issue, please visit www.ausport.gov.au
Checklist for taking photos of children in sport
 Find out if there is a photography policy at the venue, club or council facility.
 Be aware of any restrictions on taking photos, depending on whether you are a parent/carer,
a spectator, or a professional photographer.
 Feel free to ask anyone you don’t recognise who is photographing your child or other
children on the team why they are taking the photo and what they plan to use it for.
 Be aware that photos on online social networks such as Facebook or MySpace may
become publicly available.
Checklist for clubs and sporting associations
 Clearly outline what is considered appropriate behaviour in obtaining photographs and
publicise this information throughout your club or association.
 Do not allow photographers unsupervised or individual access to children.
 Ensure the coach informs the team/athlete and parent(s) if the coach wants to video the
athlete(s) as a tool to analyse and improve performance.
 Obtain the consent of parent/guardian and their agreement to be present before
approving photo/video sessions.
 Provide details of who to contact within the club or organisation if concerns or complaints
of inappropriate photographic behaviour or content are raised.
 Obtain permission from the child’s parent/guardian prior to taking the images of a child.
Ensure that all concerned are aware of the way in which the image is to be used and
how long the image will be displayed.
 If an image is used avoid naming the child. If this is not possible avoid using both a first
name and surname.
 Avoid displaying personal information such as residential address, email address or
telephone numbers if images are being posted on websites or distributed in publications.
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7.0
Want to know more?
You don’t need to start from scratch when preparing your documentation. Much of the
paperwork you need is likely to be readily available from sources such as your regional, state or
national sporting body.
Your club probably also has some existing documents. Select the ones that apply to your sport
and adapt them to suit your needs. The important thing is to ensure that all your documentation
includes safe junior sport practices.
Be practical. The idea is to inform your members and actively deal with your responsibilities in
creating a safe junior sport culture. Strike a balance that works for your club.
This section provides information on policies and guidelines you could consider as a club and
where to find them, including links to major sporting bodies and government organisations.
TIP
You could file copies of your club’s policy documents in Section 8 ‘Your club or sport
information’ and use this as a handy reference.
Contacts
Essential contacts for responding to allegations of abuse or harm
Kids Helpline Victoria
24 hour telephone and online counselling service for children aged 5–18.
Toll free: 1800 551 800
www.kidshelp.com.au
Parentline Victoria
Phone line for parents: weekdays 8 a.m. – midnight; weekends 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
13 22 89
www.parentline.vic.gov.au
Victoria Police
Contact your local Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Unit
Head office: (03) 9247 6936
www.police.vic.gov.au
Or call 000 and ask for police.
Department of Human Services, Children Youth and Families Division
Toll free: 1800 806 292
www.cyf.vic.gov.au
For discrimination, harassment and victimisation:
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
Toll free: 1800 134 142
www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au
Running your club
Sport and Recreation Victoria offers general information about running a sports club or
organisation, including considerations such as sports injury prevention, volunteer protection
legislation and public liability insurance:
www.sport.vic.gov.au
Junior sport policies, guidelines and templates
Check your own local, state and national associations for guidelines and materials they may
have to help you keep junior sport safe, fun and friendly. Some sports have junior development
policies which you might find useful.
The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has a range of guidelines and tools that can assist
in creating a junior sport policies and processes for your club. The ASC website has:
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templates for creating a member protection policy (MPP), practices and procedures that
protect people from discrimination, harassment and abuse (all national sport organisations
are required to have a MPP)
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complaint and dispute resolution guidelines and templates
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information on ethics in sport, including a general code for club members
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guides and fact sheets for coaches, officials and parents
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information on harassment-free sport.
www.ausport.gov.au
Risk management
Risk management can:
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help reduce injuries and accidents
ensure compliance with legal and financial obligations
help you to acquire insurance at lower premiums by showing your organisation is serious
about controlling risks
be used as part of a defence in any litigation
help workers and volunteers understand and more effectively perform their roles.
VicSport have a risk identifier which might be useful for your club.
www.vicsport.com.au.
Play by the Rules
Play by the Rules is an initiative of the Australian state and territory governments which offers
excellent information and materials about all aspects of fair play. We refer to their materials
throughout this toolkit, but you might want to visit their site to gather guidelines, documents and
ideas that apply to your club, including:
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a handy Referral Guide which shows where to refer enquiries and complaints
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a comprehensive list of agencies and organisations that can help with harassment-free
recreation and sport and child-safe environments.
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code of conduct posters and cards for clubs
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guides for coaches and officials
 online training
www.playbytherules.net.au
Spectator behaviour
Spectators should display positive and sensitive behaviour at all times at junior sport training,
games and events – not only for the safety and wellbeing of players, but also for coaches,
parents, officials and other teams and their members.
For information on appropriate spectator behaviour see SRV and VicSport guidelines at:
www.sport.vic.gov.au
www.vicsport.asn.au
Child safety
For more detail on the principles of child safety and protection, see the Office for the Child
Safety Commissioner (OCSC)
www.ocsc.vic.gov.au
Government legislation
For legislation, regulations and information visit:
Department of Justice (DoJ) for details on the Working with Children Check
www.justice.vic.gov.au
Or call the WWC Check Information Line on 1300 652 879.
Department of Human Services (DHS)
www.dhs.vic.gov.au
Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au
8.0
Your club or sport information
(use this section to file you club or sport policies, guidelines, procedures or information)