Codes of Conduct

The Victorian government has introduced new legislation in response to an investigation into the abuse of children in religious and other organisations.

The state taekwondo body has recently forwarded information relating the new “Child safe standards” to all clubs inviting them to amend and up-grade their policies and procedures to ensure the safety of children and members.

In 2017, senior Trainor Taekwondo Academy members, staff and parents were involved in a “Child Safety workshop” where we reviewed our member policies and devised a new “Members Code of Conduct”.

Trainor Taekwondo Academy insists on providing a safe and respectful environment for members to train and socialise. The ability for us all to participate, compete, officiate and enjoy our training requires a clear and shared understanding of and compliance with certain standards of behaviour, known as a Code of Conduct. Trainor Taekwondo Academy requires members and parents to comply with this code. Failure to comply, has and will result in loss of membership.  Please take the time to read through our Code of Conduct “

• Understand and participate by the rules.
• Give your best at all times and participate fairly and safely.
• Abide by the rules and respect the decision of the referees / coaches without argument or bad temper.
• Be courteous and use the correct process when seeking a rule clarification. If you disagree with a referee, judge, official, coach or instructor, raise the issue through the appropriate channels rather than question their judgment and honesty in public.
• Respect and co-operate with your coach, referees and officials, including in relation to programs that adequately prepare you for competition.
• Be honest with your coach concerning illness and injury and your ability to train and compete fully.
• Respect the rights, dignity and worth of fellow competitors, coaches, officials and spectators.
• Refrain from conduct which could be regarded as any form of harassment.
• Always be on time, be honest in your time management
• Care for and respect your uniform and safety equipment. Take responsibility for your own safety by ensuring that you have your correct equipment and that you wear it when required.
• Respect and acknowledge the contribution of those who create the opportunity for you to compete.
• Participate for your own enjoyment and benefit, not to satisfy the expectations of others.
• Do not engage in practices that affect sporting performance (e.g. alcohol, tobacco or drug use).
• Do not exhibit “victim like” behavior! Stand up for yourself, advocate for yourself, tell people how you feel if you are feeling uncomfortable, threatened, embarrassed or under-valued. Use your “power words”, STOP, go away! , leave me alone. If someone is being unsafe, walk away!
• DO NOT interfere with other members personal belongings, phone etc

• Parents are not permitted to be on the court with children.
• Adults are not permitted in the toilet/ change rooms while children are present, unless assisting their own children
• Parents are not permitted to interrupt a class, abuse a child, or behave in an abusive, threatening or aggressive manner around children.
• Encourage your child to participate in taekwondo for their own enjoyment, personal satisfaction and improvement.
• Focus upon your child's effort and performance rather than the overall outcome. This assists your child in setting realistic goals related to his/ her ability by reducing the emphasis on winning.
• Teach your child that an honest effort is as important as victory, so that the result of each game is accepted without undue disappointment.
• Encourage your child to always abide by the rules and accept judgments made by referees.
• Be a good example to your child and others. Appreciate good performances by all participants.
• Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from the sporting environment.
• Recognize and respect the value and importance of volunteers, officials, coaches and referees and be courteous in your communication with them. Teach your child to do likewise.
• Recognize the fact that parents are naturally protective of their children HOWEVER , DO NOT discipline another child, reprimand another child or berate another child. Report the incident to the senior coach for independent assessment and subsequent management.
• All children MUST be collected on-site! DO NOT ask your child to walk down the street and meet you at the corner! Trainor Taekwondo Academy take our responsibility to provide a ‘duty of care seriously.
• DO NOT force your child to walk across the road un-accompanied as this is an unnecessary safety risk.

• Ensure that your classes are appropriate to the skill level of the students you are teaching. Classes that are too advanced, are also demoralising for less experienced members.
• Ensure that the training area is safe and clean at all times.
• Ensure that classes are inclusive , Introductions, reassurance and positive feedback.
• Coaches should not initiate hugging of students. Public displays of affection are not desirable at the club.
• Place the safety and welfare of the students and competitors above all       else.
• Encourage and support opportunities for people to learn appropriate behavior and skills.
• Help each of your students and competitors reach their potential - respect the talent, developmental stage and goals of each person and compliment and encourage with positive and supportive feedback.
• Display control and courtesy to all involved with the martial art and sport.
• Adopt appropriate and responsible behavior in all interactions.
• Ensure your decisions and actions contribute to a safe and harassment free environment.
• Do not engage in or tolerate harmful, inappropriate or abusive behavior.
• Maintain the required standard of accreditation and professional competencies.
• Be honest and do not allow your qualifications to be misrepresented
• Operate within the rules and spirit of taekwondo, promoting fair play over winning at any cost
• Respect the decisions of referees, officials and administrators in the conduct of the sport.
• Develop competitor respect for the ability of opponents and for the judgments of referees, officials and opposing coaches.
• Wherever practical, avoid unaccompanied and unobserved one-on-one activity with people under the age of 18 years.
• Ensure any physical contact with a person is appropriate to the situation and necessary for the person’s skill development.
• Follow the advice of a physician (or other medically qualified specialist) in determining when an injured or ill (including mentally ill) competitor/ player is ready to recommence training or competition. Any member who experiences a medical condition / injury, MUST provide a doctors statement indicating that they are fit to resume training.
• Complete written Report / Incident report on any and all injuries and breaches of the COC.
• Maintain confidentiality of members “private” information with respect to health ect.

Members are reminded that Trainor Taekwondo Academy is a sports club were the aim is to enjoy positive social interaction between members in a mutually respectful environment. Membership is a privilege, not a right. Anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated. Members will have their membership cancelled if they indulge in any of the following behaviours;-

• Abusive language
• Failure to protect children from physical or emotional abuse.
• Inappropriate sexual conduct
• Consistent failure of personal hygiene.
• Undermining a member by speaking un-truths, defaming or criticising.
• Un-cooperative and/or disrespectful / anti-social  behaviour, that reduces the    enjoyment, is threatening to  or uncomfortable to other members.
• Wilful damage to property or equipment.
• Theft
• Under the influence of drugs
• Failure to respect the “Code of Conduct”.