WHAT IS sport safety?
Sport Safety involves creating safer, positive, and inclusive environments. Where everyone can reach their potential
without fear of bullying, harassment, or abuse. We want to ensure that everyone is safe, supported, and strengthened through tennis.
HAVE A SPORT SAFETY CONCERN?
Athletes, parents, coaches, officials, and club leaders with sport safety related concerns can access resources and educational material here. If you require further information on how to file a complaint with Tennis Canada’s third party reporting system, you can contact sportsafety@tenniscanada.com or visit our website.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP SAFEGUARD TENNIS?
The Tennis Professionals Association (TPA) are committed to delivering sport safety education and training, developing best practices and implementing current and comprehensive policies. The TPA’s safeguarding tennis initiative is aligned with the Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM) which is led by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC).
We all need to recognize the responsibility that we have in protecting our athletes. We all play a part in creating a safe and supportive environment that fosters positive growth and personal development for athletes, on and off the court. Education and awareness are the most critical components to creating a safe environment free of abuse and harassment. We can all help safeguard tennis by encouraging our tennis organizations to adopt safe sport education and screening requirements. Adopting these requirements is important because:
- We have an ethical and moral duty to protect our athletes.
- It is imperative that all persons in positions of authority be held to a high standard of conduct.
- It reduces the liability for coaches and club board members. Liability can extend to not only the perpetrator of the act, but also to an organization “sufficiently close” to make a claim of vicarious liability appropriate.
TPA Sport SAfety Education and Screening requirements
In accordance to CAC guidelines, Tennis Canada with the support of its provincial partners has made it mandatory for everyone that is coaching, instructing, or assisting and that is in a position of authority in all indoor and outdoor clubs in Canada to complete the following safe sport education and screening requirements:
Code of Conduct
- Online form
- Must be signed once a year
Background Check
- Can be done online
- Must be completed every three years
Declaration of Character
- Online form
- Must be completed once a year
Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders
- Online education module
- Must be completed every three years
Importance of the Rule of Two
We also strongly encourage clubs to strengthen their policies and procedures regarding child safety and implement them in everyday practice. One of the easiest ways to do this is to educate all coaches and staff on the Rule of Two, which requires 2 screened and certified coaches to always be present with a single athlete or multiple athletes when in an enclosed space. The spirit of this rule is to ensure that both athlete and coach are not put in a vulnerable position. More information on how to implement the Rule of Two can be found here. Additional best practices for clubs can be found here.
HOW TO COMPLETE YOUR Sport safety REQUIREMENTS
The TPA provides 2 options to help individuals complete their sport safety requirements. It is recommended that coaches complete their sport safety requirements through an active TPA Certification that provides supplementary benefits and resources. If full TPA Certification does not fit your needs, the Community Tennis Facilitator Training is also available for tennis club staff in the position of authority.
TPA Certification
These comprehensive courses last several days and offer various levels of certification for instructors, club professionals, and coaches. Certification ensures proven competencies and is highly recommended for any individual involved in teaching tennis or running tennis programming.
Certification includes all benefits of TPA membership including liability insurance.
Community Tennis Facilitator Training
This non-certification five-hour in-person course plus online education/training includes safeguarding education, importance of quality standards to ensure retention and growth, age appropriate equipment, organizing play activities, and communicating effectively with children.
This course includes all benefits of TPA membership except liability insurance.
What if I’m already a TPA member and I still need to complete my sport safety requirements?
If you are an active certified TPA coach and you still need to complete your sport safety requirements please make sure to log into your TPA account to review your missing requirements.