Athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers have the right to participate in a safe and inclusive training and competitive environment that is free of abuse, harassment or discrimination. Archery Canada is committed to embracing the principles of True Sport and putting in place processes, procedures and policies to help create a safe environment for all participants. Our objective is to ensure greater participation at all levels of the sport by creating, maintaining and promoting a safe and welcoming sport culture through Education, Prevention and Response guided by our policies and procedures.
If you have any questions regarding safe sport practices and education within archery, please reach out to Robyn Schleihauf our Independent Third Party (ITP) at report@rslegal.ca.
ABUSE-FREE SPORT
Archery Canada has access to services provided by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which serves as the central hub fo Abuse-Free Sport, the new independent program to prevent and address maltreatment in sport in Canada.
Abuse-Free Sport is part of the growing national movement to remove all forms of harassment, discrimination, and abuse from Canadian sport at all levels. It works to prevent maltreatment from grassroots all the way up to international, high performance sport. Archery Canada, as a program signatory, is an active part of this movement and will continue to be moving forward.
HOW TO REPORT ABUSE
Archery Canada has always, is currently, and will continue to be committed to creating a safe and positive sport environment that is free of any types of maltreatments for all of its participants, from grassroots to high performance.
If you have experience abuse or have been witness to it within the sport of archery, please contact the Canadian Sport Helpline by phone or text at 1-888-83SPORT (77678), or by email at info@abuse-free-sport.ca. This resource is available 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Reporting is critical in creating and maintaining a safe environment for all participants. As such, independent, third-party complaint management is a directive of Canada’s Safe Sport movement.
For concerns/complaints, or to report or discuss incidents or abuse or harassment of any kind related to National squad/team programs and Archery Canada events/activities, there are 2 mechanisms which are used depending on the nature of the complaint and the jurisdiction of the respondent. The table below provides some detail as to which independent authority would receive the complaint. Again, for any questions, please refer to our policies or contact the Canadian Sport Helpline to help guide you through the process.
|
What |
National (UCCMS) Participants | Individual (as defined by AC policy) |
| Alleged UCCMS breach (allegations of maltreatment and discrimination in sport) | Abuse-Free Sport | Independent Third Party |
| Any other misconduct allegation under AC policies | Independent Third Party | Independent Third Party |
Archery Canada has contracted Robyn Schleihauf as our Independent Third Party (ITP). They may be reached directly and independently through the email address below. This is a confidential email address, which will only be accessed by the Independent Third Party.
To see the Archery Canada Safe Sport Complaint Process, click HERE.
Education
Archery Canada is committed to creating a safe and inclusive sporting environment. To support these objectives, the following training is available for all participants. Archery Canada is requiring that all UCCMS participants complete the safe sport training module provided by the Coaching Association of Canada or the Respect Group Activity Leaders training.
CAC Safe Sport Training
The module is free and only takes 90 minutes; it provides participants with the tools and resources to recognize, address, and prevent maltreatment in sport. It aligns with UCCMS and Sport Canada’s requirements for safe sport education.
Visit the safe sport training module here: https://safesport.coach.ca/
The organization is also requiring that any coach and/or judge complete the safe sport training and provide an up-to-date background check in compliance with our Screening Policy.
Respect in Sport Training
For any Archery Canada registered participant, unless directed by your PTSO, “Respect in Sport” training is available on a voluntary basis and strongly recommended for coaches, any support staff, officials, volunteers, as well as parents across the country, on a user-pay basis.
Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders – PDF information
For: Coaches, Team Leaders, Managers, Officials, Club Volunteers
Cost: $30 per person
Duration: 2.5 hours online, does not have to be completed in one sitting
Coaches with a NCCP number will receive 3 PD points upon completion
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Respect in Sport for Parents – PDF information
For: Parents and Family of Athletes
Cost: $12 per household
Duration: 1 hour online, does not have to be completed in one sitting
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Respect in the Workplace – PDF information
For: Mandated for all staff and BOD once every five (5) years
Cost: $40 per person
Duration: 90 minutes online, does not have to be completed in one sitting
Rule of Two
One of the best ways to foster a safe environment for all those involved in sport (including athletes and Persons in Authority) is to abide by the Rule of Two. The Rule of Two states that there will always be two screened and safety-trained adults with a participant, especially a minor athlete, when in a potentially vulnerable situation (if they cannot be avoided). Vulnerable situations include medical treatments, travel, electronic communications, and closed door meetings/discussions.
For more information and to take the free Rule of Two training, click here: https://coach.ca/rule-of-two
Prevention
Policies
As part of Archery Canada’s becoming a Program Signatory of OSIC, they have conducted a thorough review of all their policies; in conducting this review, they have adapted some of their policies to be better in line with UCCMS and adopted new ones. The changed new policies include:
- Appeals Policy
- Athlete Protection Guidelines
- Code of Conduct and Ethics
- Discipline and Complaints Policy
- Dispute Resolution Policy
- Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport 6.0 (UCCMS 6.0)
Athlete Protection and Travel Guidelines
These guidelines are intended to help establish a common understanding of support considerations, tools, and resources for increasing the protection of athletes while taking part in archery activities or traveling for tournaments.
True Sport
True Sport is important as the principles it lays out helps us build the sport that both we and our participants want! It works best when everyone together can commit to the True Sport principles. There are some resources below that can be used to promote the True Sport principles in your archery club.
- True Sport Website – everything you need to know about True Sport
- Principles in Action Graphic
- True Sport Principles Poster in 15 languages!
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Archery Canada is an inclusive organization and welcomes full participation of all individuals in our programs and activities, irrespective of race, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability. We strive to create a culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.
Archery Canada will:
- Achieve inclusion, sport equity in the administration, policies, and programmes of Archery Canada
- Play a positive role in raising the awareness and understanding of inclusion and sport equity among its Registrants and Members
Helpful Links
- Canadian Centre for Gender + Sexual Diversity Sport Inclusion Program
- Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport
- Egale’s Sport Inclusion Taskforce
- Canadian Women and Sport
- The Inclusion Club
- Rick Hansen Foundation
- Community Foundations
Mental Health
Archery Canada supports the mental health of all participants in the sport, at whichever level they participate. To perform the best on the archery range, athletes and participants must take care of their mental health off the range.
The Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS) is a registered charity supporting the mental health and performance of competitive and high-performance athletes, coaches, and performing artists. The CCMHS is the first Centre in Canada to offer collaborative sport/performance-focused mental health care services designed to help athletes, coaches, and performing artists achieve their performance goals while preserving their mental health and well-being. The CCMHS provides mental health services to competitive and high-performance athletes and coaches, as well as competitive performing artists. Here are the eligibility criteria:
- Must be 16+ years of age
- Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Must participate in a sport or performance domain at a competitive or high-performance level
- Must be experiencing mental health challenges
To learn more about the CCMHS or to reach out for support, please click here: https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/. *It must be noted that the CCMHS is not a partner of Archery Canada, but is instead a resource for mental health; Archery Canada does not control who is approved.
Kids Help Line
If you are feeling depressed or anxious, please tell someone you trust or contact the Kids Help Line at 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868.
Self-care includes your mental health; it’s not restricted to your physical health. If you want some guidance on how to create a self-care plan: https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/selfcare
Concussion Protocol
While concussions are not a common occurrence in the sport of archery, it is important that athletes, coaches, parents, and volunteers are aware of the signs and symptoms of concussions. Archery Canada has developed its own Concussion Protocol to help guide the management of athletes and registrants who may have a suspected concussion while participating in archery. This protocol applies whether the suspected concussion occurred within or outside the sport environment.
To read Archery Canada’s concussion protocol, click here: https://archerycanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Concussion-Policy-and-Protocol-Final-Updated.pdf