AthletesCan Pledges Support Of Responsible Coaching Movement
AthletesCAN – November 1, 2018 (Ottawa) – With the drive to create a safer sport environment for every Canadian athlete, AthletesCAN has signed the Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM) pledge, an initiative jointly crafted by the Coaching Association of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.
The goal of the Responsible Coaching Movement is to make sport safer on and off the field of play with a specific focus on youth and vulnerable sectors. While advances in athlete protection over the last 20 years may have decreased instances of athlete maltreatment; incidents of athlete abuse, harassment and discrimination continue to occur. In response to this continued risk, AthletesCAN has joined its sport partners in a quest to eradicate these behaviours by pledging its support of the RCM.
“With a mandate to represent all national team athletes as a stronger collective voice on key issues and initiatives in sport, AthletesCAN is proud to support an initiative that promotes a safer environment for all sport participants. The Responsible Coaching Movement is a great first step for any organization pushing for the change we desperately need,” stated Jillian Drouin, AthletesCAN Vice President.
“As a survivor of sexual abuse within our Canadian sports system, it is my mission to support the elimination of abuse, harassment, and maltreatment in sport and create a safe, healthy environment for all athletes”, says Olympic alpine skier, Allison Forsyth. “The Responsible Coaching Movement is another step in the change needed to achieve this. I am proud as an athlete, a survivor, and an AthletesCAN board member to pledge my support.”
Igniting Change
The RCM outlines three main precautionary steps to protect athletes, coaches and volunteers:
- Coaches must implement the Rule of Two (never be alone with an athlete off the field of play)
- Coaches must complete the required screening with interviews, reference checks and police record checks
- Coaches must take the necessary training available to them, including training in ethics
While the Movement’s initiatives are important, so too is widespread support and action.
“By AthletesCAN showing its support to the Movement, it demonstrates a more unified voice for transparency in sport,” says Coaching Association of Canada’s CEO Lorraine Lafrenière. “Their pledge continues our quest to make sport a safe place for our athletes and coaches.”
AthletesCAN encourages more sport partners to take the Responsible Coaching Movement pledge to signal that abuse, harassment and discrimination are no longer tolerated within the Canadian sport system.
About AthletesCAN
AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes, is the only fully independent and most inclusive athlete organization in the country and the first organization of its kind in the world. As the collective voice of Canadian national team athletes, AthletesCAN ensures an athlete centered sport system by developing athlete leaders who influence sport policy and, as role models, inspire a strong sport culture.
About the Coaching Association of Canada
The Coaching Association of Canada unites stakeholders and partners in its commitment to raising skills and stature of coaches, and ultimately expanding their reach and influence. Through its programs, the CAC empowers coaches with knowledge and skills, promotes ethics, fosters positive attitudes, builds competence, and increases credibility and recognition of coaches.
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For more information contact:
Ashley LaBrie
Executive Director
AthletesCAN
613-601-3413
Michel Hachey
Manager, Communications
Coaching Association of Canada
613.235.5000 x 2382