Participating in sport has many benefits: health, fitness, friendship and a sense of belonging. But these things don’t occur in a vacuum. Your club needs to provide a safe, fair and inclusive environment – on and off the field – and to ensure that you and your fellow players understand:
- Expected standards of behaviour, e.g., your sport’s Member Protection Policy or codes of behaviour.
- Policies and guidelines that impact on participation (e.g., team selection)
- Complaint processes and who to contact for assistance (e.g., Member Information Protection Officer).
As a player you can expect your club to manage the risks associated with your sport. Yet you are also responsible for displaying positive behaviours. Such behaviours include:
- Treating people fairly and respectfully
- Not harassing or bullying others
- Recognising people’s physical boundaries
- Maintaining appropriate relationships
- Accepting people’s right to complain if they’re offended by your actions.
If you feel unsafe or believe you’ve been treated unfairly contact your sport’s Member Protection Information Officer.
People participate in sport and recreation for many different reasons and they should be able to do so knowing that they’ll be safe from harassment and abuse and treated fairly with dignity and respect.
Regardless of your role in sport, you have a number of rights and responsibilities.
You have the right to:
- Not be subjected to abuse or harassment while competing or at practice, undertaking administrative duties, in the club room and at other club social events;
- Not be unfairly discriminated against by decisions made by your club or association (e.g., decisions about membership, selection, access to facilities and equipment);
- Complain about inappropriate and unlawful behaviours and for complaints to be taken seriously and acted upon promptly;
- A fair process and not to be victimised if you make a complaint or are complained about.
You have the responsibility to contribute to safe and harassment-free sport by:
- Treating others with dignity and respect
- Behaving in a manner that does not put either yourself or others at risk of harm
- Responding to situations where you see others being treated unfairly, bullied or harassed.
You can download the risk management strategies for players information sheet here.
