Softball Saskatchewan recognizes its responsibility to foster environments that ensure positive, healthy, and fulfilling experiences. By prioritizing the welfare, safety, and rights of our members, Softball Saskatchewan is able to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to address the needs of the softball community in relation to safety in sport.
Softball Saskatchewan Commitment
Softball Saskatchewan is committed to practicing Safe Sport and ensuring all participants are provided with safe, welcoming, and accessible sport environments, free from all forms of maltreatment.
Operational Statement
Softball Saskatchewan's Safe Sport framework will focus on three key elements: Awareness, Prevention and Action - all of which are strongly supported by governance, policies and procedures. The objective of this framework is to ensure all Softball Saskatchewan members have access to the resources and support services they need to safely facilitate and participate in softball specific programming.
Awareness
Maltreatment
As a provincial sport governing body, Softball Saskatchewan is committed to providing safe, welcoming, and accessible environments, free from all forms of maltreatment.
Softball Saskatchewan's Safe Sport initiative emphasizes the importance of that commitment by educating individuals on the harmful effects associated with such behaviors, and outlining the preventative measures put in place to lower the probability of them occurring.
Zero Tolerance Statement
Softball Saskatchewan has zero tolerance for any type of abuse.
Individuals are required to report instances of abuse or suspected abuse to their local association or Softball Saskatchewan to be immediately reviewed under the terms of our Code of Conduct and our Inclusion policy.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Softball Saskatchewan aims to create a welcoming environment that reflects the rich diversity of our membership. Softball Saskatchewan's Inclusion Policy outlines expectations for all athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, and administrators in an effort to better engage under-represented populations in our membership.
Concussion Education
Softball Saskatchewan's Concussion Education Document is designed as a guide to help the management of athletes who may have a suspected concussion as a result of participation in a Softball Saskatchewan activity.
The protocol aims to ensure that athletes with a suspected concussion receive timely and appropriate care and proper management to allow them to return back to their sport safely.
Prevention
Responsible Coach Movement
The Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM) is coordinated by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and has the potential to influence all sport organizations and coaches. To reduce risk in sport, the Responsible Coaching Movement focuses on three key areas: Rule of Two, Background Screening, and Ethics & Respect Training.
By signing the pledge of the Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM), Softball Saskatchewan is helping to ensure the protection of both Athletes and Coaches. Going forward, Softball Saskatchewan pledges to implement policies and practices that focus on RCM's Phase 1. A recommended action plan and timeline to achieve this can be found here.
Three Steps to Responsible Coaching
The Three Steps to Responsible Coaching help ensure participants and coaches benefit fully from sport participation in a safe, healthy, and fun environment. For detailed information on the Three Steps to Responsible Coaching click HERE.
1. Rule of Two
2. Background Screening
3. Ethics Training
Risk Management
Softball Saskatchewan makes every effort to ensure that the safety of members remains a high priority by continuing to support a variety of programs that are developed both strategically and ethically . The Association’s Vision, Mission and Values, as outlined in Softball Saskatchewan’s Handbook, form the basis of our programming.
Screening
Individuals who coach, volunteer, deliver development programs, who are paid staff, or otherwise engage with vulnerable individuals and who fall under Softball Saskatchewan's authority shall be screened according to the organizations Screening Policy. Softball Saskatchewan expects that local associations will screen such individuals according to their own applicable policies.
To access the full version of Softball Saskatchewan's Screening Policy, click here.
To access more information about general screening practices/requirements, choose from the following resources:
As part of the Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM), Softball Saskatchewan, in partnership with the Respect Group and Sask Sport, is proud to support Respect in Sport Training for Activity Leaders & Parents. The Respect in Sport training programs educate youth leaders, coaches, officials, and participants to recognize, understand and respond to issues of bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD).
To access these mandatory training programs and become certified through Softball Saskatchewan's database, click here.
Foundations of Coaching Softball
Foundations of Coaching Softball is Softball Canada’s first online National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) module developed to introduce new and experienced coaches to the foundational skills of coaching and softball-specific coaching concepts, such as: developing a coaching philosophy, Long-Term Player Development, working with players and their parents, the coaching process, and player safety.
To register for Softball Canada’s Foundations of Coaching Softball E- learning module, click here.
Making Head Way
The Making Head Way training is designed to help you gain the knowledge and skills required to ensure the safety of your athletes, these concussion focused NCCP modules are an excellent resource and will review:
What to do to prevent concussions
How to recognize the signs and symptoms of a concussion
What to do when you suspect an athlete has a concussion
How to ensure athletes return to play safely
Click here to learn more about the Making Head Way training module!
Safe Sport Training
Creating a culture where everyone can thrive is a shared responsibility. Safe, inclusive sport environments help make sport rewarding and enriching for all. Safe Sport Training gives you the knowledge and skills to create those environments by recognizing, addressing and preventing maltreatment in sport.
Together, we can make sport safe for everyone. To access the Safe Sport Training, click here.
Commit to Kids
Through the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (CCCP), the Commit to Kids (C2K) online coaches module empowers coaches with practical information to help them enhance child and youth safety in sport. It highlights the importance of understanding boundaries, sexual misconduct and reporting inappropriate behaviour.
Click here to access the C2K for Coaches online training.
Action
Conflict Resolution
Softball Saskatchewan believes everyone has the right to enjoy the sport despite their level of participation. As such, Softball Saskatchewan encourages all individuals to communicate openly, collaboratively, and use problem solving techniques to resolve differences in opinion. Resolving a conflict at an early stage may prevent a situation from escalating and resulting in a formal complaint.
Softball Saskatchewan recognizes and respects that filing a report can be both a difficult and emotional process. To make the reporting process as simple, and as straight forward as possible, please refer to Softball Saskatchewan’s reporting process to determine who to contact regarding your incident/ complaint.
Resources for Reporting Harassment & Abuse
Reporting is critical in creating and maintaining a safe environment for all participants. Independent, third-party complaints management is a directive of Canada’s Safe Sport movement.
The Respect Resource Line (including E-Support service) provides information, bilingual support, resources and referrals for sport in Saskatchewan regarding possible bullying, abuse, harassment, discrimination or hazing.
This confidential and anonymous resource, operating 365 days of the year from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., is intended to assist callers in determining the most appropriate course of action to take.
The Respect Resource Line staff is qualified to handle calls regarding child and youth maltreatment (national/provincial child and youth protection laws) and organization-specific risk management and dispute resolution models.
Discipline/ Complaints
All Softball Saskatchewan stakeholders are expected to fulfill responsibilities and obligations including, but not limited to, complying with Softball Saskatchewan’s policy’s, bylaws, rules and regulations, code of conducts and ethics. Non-compliance may result in sanctions pursuant to the organizations Discipline and Complaints policy.
To access Softball Saskatchewan's Discipline and Complaints policy, click here.
Safe Sport Policy Suite
To ensure policies remain current our staff and Board of Directors commits itself to reviewing and revising these policies as often as necessary in order to ensure members can participate in a sporting environment that is free from harassment, discrimination and abuse.
