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Queen's Athletics & Recreation Safe Sport

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EDUCATION & TRAINING
team
REPORTING PROCESS
meeting notes
CULTURE 

Queen's Athletics & Recreation is committed to creating a safe, positive and healthy training and competitive environment free of maltreatment and abuse. Safe Sport is a critical component of all levels of sport and we aim to be leaders in this space, and support all participants in being safe on and off the field of play.

Policies

PREVENTION


Screening and Hiring Practices
All of our staff are screened during the recruitment process including criminal background checks and vulnerable sector checks.


Training and Education
Our coaches and A&R staff are required to complete online training and education through the Coaching Association of Canada’s Safe Sport Training. 

In addition, we conduct in-person relevant Safe Sport workshops and coaching seminars through our partnership with ITP Sport & Recreation.

We encourage all participants, including parents, to improve and increase their Safe Sport knowledge by also completing the Coaching Association of Canada’s Safe Sport Training. These modules are complementary and an account to participate can be created here.

Safe Sport Culture and Guiding Principles

We understand that a key to prevention is the existence of a trusting, open, respectful and ethical athlete experience and culture. With the mission we have set out and the vision we hold, we will continue to create a training and competition environment that lives up to our values everyday. 

To learn more about the vision and values of Queen’s Athletics & Recreation click here.
 

The Responsible Coaching Movement

The Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM) is a call to action for sport organizations, parents, and coaches to enact responsible coaching across Canada — on and off the field.

Established by the Coaching Association of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, the RCM invites all coaches and sport organizations to learn and apply consistent coaching principles. It includes three distinct pillars, each serving to create a sport environment that is Safe, Smart and Secure. 

We have taken the RCM pledge and, in doing so, not only require our coaches to adhere to the Responsible Coaching requirements, but also encourage them to self educate on the additional components of the true sport principles. 
 

Policies and Codes of Conduct

As part of our Safe Sport commitment we require our coaches and student-athletes to adhere to various protection and sanctioning based policies and codes of conduct. Below are the applicable policies and codes for Safe Sport and other forms of conduct.

For our coaches:

OUA Conduct and Discipline

Coaches Code of Ethics


For our student-athletes:

Our student-athlete requirements are found here. It is our aim that student-athletes read, understand, and acknowledge what they are responsible for and how they are protected by our institution. We encourage our student-athletes to come to us with any questions, feedback, or clarifications needed. 

We also adhere to all OUA governance policies as a condition of our membership.

 

Task Force Summary Notes

Important Links

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Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, Accessibility (I-EDIAA) Coach and Staff Education Program
 
As of March 2022, the Athletics and Recreation (A&R) Department, in collaboration with the Human Rights and Equity Office (HREO), is putting together a year-long I-EDIAA focused education program to sustain the development of a welcoming and inclusive environment in A&R. All full-time staff and coaches are participating in a series of education sessions. Some examples of session topics include:

  • Power and Privilege
  • Anti-Racism
  • Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Pedagogies
  • Navigating Difficult Conversations
  • Gender and Sexual Diversity
  • Microaggressions

Through these sessions, staff and coaches are increasing their awareness of important I-EDIAA related concepts and issues that impact our student-athlete population, A&R, and the greater Queen's community. Additionally, these sessions aim to foster a space to engage in challenging conversations to develop practical, actionable steps for long-term change.

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A&R I-EDIAA Task Force (Formerly EDII Task Force)

April 2021

With unanimous support of the University Council on Athletics and Recreation (UCAR), A&R has formed an I-EDIAA Task Force.  

The Task Force will provide advice, identify priorities, and make recommendations to the Executive Director on matters of policy, practices and operations that impact I-EDIAA.

Pursuant to the Terms of Reference, the Task Force will:

  • Provide an ongoing forum and safe space for equity-deserving and marginalized individuals and groups to share experiences, voice concerns and influence change within A&R; 
  • Develop a shared understanding and commitment to creating a positive and inclusive culture that supports all members of our community, creates a sense of belonging and contributes to the achievement of academic and athletic goals;
  • Encourage greater diversity in our programs and operations, including identifying issues that are barriers to inclusion; 
  • Inform A&R, our leaders and members, about challenges faced by equity-deserving and underrepresented individuals and groups; 
  • Provide input on education and awareness programs for all members of the A&R community so that we may gain a deeper and more empathic understanding of the needs of equity-deserving and underrepresented individuals and groups; 
  • Identify supports and resources that would benefit equity-deserving and marginalized individuals and groups;
  • Enhance communication among A&R equity-deserving and marginalized individuals and groups; 
  • Identify areas that require further data collection and analysis; and 
  • Advise on the development of outreach and recruitment procedures that will foster sustainable diversity in all levels of A&R. 

 
Most importantly, the work of the Task Force will lead to concrete and achievable plans and actions which strive to dismantle biased systems, foster anti-racism, promote inclusion, and allow the A&R community to stand together against hate, intolerance, and injustice.  The Task Force's strategic priorities (PDF) will be posted, providing information, timelines, and updates on actionable goals to illustrate progress and continued commitment.

The A&R I-EDIAA Task Force full Terms of Reference can be found here. (PDF) 

The I-EDIAA Task Force has determined Priorities (PDF) for 2021-22:

  1. A&R Demographic Data Collection
  2. Development/Integration of BIPOC Awareness & Education
  3. Speaker Series - BIPOC Education/Awareness
  4. BIPOC Student-Athlete Network

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A&R I-EDIAA Task Force Members

February 2022

NOTE:  We are currently seeking two student members from our Recreational programs who are interested in joining the Task Force. Interested parties should contact Linda Melnick, Interim Executive Director at athletic.director@queensu.ca 

Task Force Co-Chair

  • Dr. Courtney Szto, Co-Chair (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies. Her research focuses heavily on the intersections of race and gender in sports. Dr. Szto co-authored a policy paper urging hockey organizations and government to enact policy change and education on the importance of anti-racism and was a lead advocate for Roundtable on Racism in Hockey.  She has published many articles including her first book Changing on the fly: hockey through the voices of South Asian Canadians.

For a complete list of A&R I-EDIAA Task Force Members, please see the Task Force Membership List (PDF)
 

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