DEFINITIONS

Terms in this Policy re defined as follows:

a) Athlete – An individual who is subject to the policies of RNSC, and who may also be subject to the policies of Cross Country BC (CCBC), Nordiq Canada and the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (“UCCMS”)

b) Minor – As defined in the UCCMS and as amended from time to time by the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada

c) Participant – Refers to all categories of individual [note: Club to confirm applicable terms in By-laws – e.g., “Members and/or Registrants”] as defined in the By-laws of RNSC, who are subject to the policies of RNSC, as well as all people employed by, contracted by, or engaged in activities with RNSC including, but not limited to, employees, contractors, Athletes, coaches, instructors, officials, volunteers, managers, administrators, committee members, parents or guardians, spectators, and directors and officers

d) Person in Authority – Any Participant who holds a position of authority within RNSC including, but not limited to, coaches, instructors, officials, managers, support personnel, chaperones, committee members, directors or officers. In addition to the responsibilities described herein and in the Code of Conduct and Ethics, a Person in Authority is responsible for knowing what constitutes Prohibited Behavior and Maltreatment under the UCCMS

e) Vulnerable Participants – As defined in the UCCMS and as amended from time to time by the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada

PURPOSE

This Athlete Protection Policy describes how Persons in Authority shall maintain a safe sport environment for all Athletes.

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PERSONS IN AUTHORITY & ATHLETES – The ‘Rule of Two’

Nordiq Canada and CCBC require that the ‘Rule of Two’ be followed for all Persons in Authority who interact with Athletes, to the maximum extent feasible. As a club that is registered with CCBC, RNSC adopts this requirement. The ‘Rule of Two’ is a directive that says that an Athlete must never be alone one-on-one with an unrelated Person in Authority.

RNSC recognizes that fully implementing the ‘Rule of Two’ may not always be possible in some instances. Consequently, at a minimum, interactions between Persons in Authority and Athletes must respect the following:

a) To the maximum extent possible, the training environment should be visible and accessible so that all interactions between Persons in Authority and Athletes are observable

b) Private and one-on-one situations that are not observable by another adult or Athlete should be avoided to the maximum extent possible

c) A Vulnerable Participant may not be alone under the supervision of a Person in Authority unless prior written permission is obtained from the Vulnerable Participant’s parent or guardian

d) Persons in Authority may not invite or host Vulnerable Participants in their home without the written permission from parents or guardians or without parents or guardians having contemporaneous knowledge of the visit

PRACTICES & COMPETITIONS

For practices and competitions, RNSC recommends:

a) A Person in Authority should never be alone with a Vulnerable Participant prior to or following a competition or practice unless the Person in Authority is the Vulnerable Participant’s parent or guardian

b) If the Vulnerable Participant is the first Athlete to arrive, the Athlete’s parent should remain present until another Athlete or Person in Authority arrives

c) If a Vulnerable Participant would potentially be alone with a Person in Authority following a competition or practice, the Person in Authority should ask another Person in Authority (or a parent or guardian of another Athlete) to stay until all of the Athletes have been picked up. If an adult is unavailable, another Athlete, who is preferably not a Vulnerable Participant, should be present in order to avoid the Person in Authority being alone with a Vulnerable Participant

d) Persons in Authority giving instructions, demonstrating skills, or facilitating drills or lessons to an individual Athlete should always do so in a manner that is open and observable

e) Persons in Authority and Athletes should take steps to achieve transparency and accountability in their interactions. For example, a Person in Authority and an Athlete who know they will be away from other Participants for a lengthy period of time must inform another Person in Authority where they are going and when they are expected to return. Persons in Authority should always be reachable by phone or text message

COMMUNICATIONS

For communication between Persons in Authority and Athletes, RNSC recommends:

a) Persons in Authority may only send texts, direct messages on social media or emails to individual Athletes when necessary and only for communicating information related to team issues and activities (e.g., non-personal information). Any such texts, messages or emails shall be professional in tone

b) Electronic communication between Persons in Authority and Athletes that is personal in nature should be avoided. If such personal communication is unavoidable, it must be recorded and available for review by another Person in Authority and/or by the Athlete’s parent/guardian (when the Athlete is a Vulnerable Participant)

c) Parents/guardians may request that their child not be contacted by a Person in Authority using any form of electronic communication and/or may request that certain information about their child not be distributed in any form of electronic communication

d) All communication between a Person in Authority and Athletes must be between the hours of 6:00am and midnight unless extenuating circumstances justify otherwise

e) Communication concerning drugs or alcohol use (unless regarding its prohibition) is not permitted

f) No sexually explicit language or imagery or sexually oriented conversation may be communicated in any medium

g) Persons in Authority are not permitted to ask Athletes to keep a personal secret for them

TRAVEL

For travel involving Persons in Authority and Athletes, RNSC recommends:

a) Where reasonably possible, teams or groups of Athlete should have at least two Persons in Authority with them

b) For mixed gender teams or groups of Athletes, reasonable efforts should be made for team staff to include one Person in Authority from each gender; however, where required by the RNSC Board of Directors, one Person in Authority from each gender shall travel with mixed gender teams or groups of Athletes

c) If two Persons in Authority cannot be present, reasonable efforts should be made to supplement supervision with screened parents or other volunteers

d) To the extent possible, no Person in Authority may drive a vehicle alone with an Athlete unless the Person in Authority is the Athlete’s parent or guardian

e) A Person in Authority may not share a hotel room or bedroom or be alone with an Athlete unless the Person in Authority is the Athlete’s parent/guardian or spouse

f) Room or bed checks during overnight stays must be done by two Persons in Authority

g) For overnight travel when Athletes share a hotel room, roommates must be age-appropriate and of the same gender identity

LOCKER ROOMS & CHANGING AREAS

For locker rooms, changing areas and other closed meeting spaces, RNSC recommends:

a) Interactions between Persons in Authority and Athletes should not occur in any area where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy such as a locker room, washroom or changing area. A second adult should be present for any necessary interaction between an adult and an Athlete in any such area

b) If Persons in Authority are not present in the locker room or changing area, or if they are not permitted to be present, they should still be available outside the locker room or changing area and be able to enter the room or area if required, for reasons including but not limited to team communications and/or emergencies

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO

For all photography and video of an Athlete, RNSC recommends:

a) Photographs and video should only be taken in public view. Content must observe generally accepted standards of decency, and be both appropriate for and in the best interest of the Athlete

b) The use of recording devices in areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy is strictly prohibited

c) Examples of photos that shall be edited or deleted include:

i. Images with misplaced apparel or where undergarments are showing

ii. Suggestive or provocative poses

iii. Embarrassing images

PHYSICAL CONTACT

Some physical contact between Persons in Authority and Athletes may be necessary for various reasons including, but not limited to, teaching a skill or tending to an injury. For physical contact, RNSC recommends:

a) A Person in Authority must always request permission to make physical contact from the Athlete in advance and clearly explain where and why the physical contact will occur. The Person in Authority must make clear that they are requesting to touch the Athlete and not requiring physical contact

b) Infrequent, incidental physical contact during a training session is not considered a violation of this Athlete Protection Policy

c) Non-essential physical contact may not be initiated by the Person of Authority. It is recognized that some Athletes may initiate non-essential physical contact such as hugging or other physical contact with a Person in Authority for various reasons (e.g., such as celebrating or crying after a poor performance). This physical contact should always occur in an open and observable environment.

ENFORCEMENT

Any alleged violations of this Athlete Protection Policy shall be addressed pursuant to the Discipline and Complaints Policy.

PRIVACY

The collection, use and disclosure of any personal information pursuant to this Policy is subject to RNSC’s Privacy Policy.