Positive, appropriate behavior is vital to the success of all extra-curricular activities and events. Modeling qualities of cooperation, fair play, citizenship, leadership and empathy need to be part of all stakeholders (athletes, performers, coaches, supervisors, officials and spectators) behavior. A common understanding by all stakeholders that behavior is a choice, and a personal responsibility, and needs to be fostered to create a vibrant and healthy extra-curricular program. A study by the Association of Psychological Science indicates that humans at an early age (1-3 years old) recognize the difference between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.
A 2022 Stats Canada survey reported that 7 in 10 youth aged 15 to 17 reported experiencing some form of bullying in the preceding year. Sexually and gender diverse youth (aged 15-17) were most at risk, with 77% experiencing any of the 10 bullying behaviors measured on the survey.
LOCKER/CHANGEROOMS
Change spaces (changerooms, locker rooms, green rooms, classrooms being used as a change space, etc...) should only be accessible to members of the program and the supervisors associated with that program. Access to change spaces by members of the opposite sex is prohibited at all times when students may be changing.
Cell Phone and Camera Use are prohibited in all change spaces
Positive Behaviors of athletes and performers
- Self-Confident:
- Truly believe that they will have a positive outcome.
- Respond well to unexpected situations.
- Able to communicate well in any circumstance.
- Motivated:
- Strive to be their personal best.
- Possess a patient and perseverant attitude.
- Self-Disciplined:
- Make consistent and conscientious decisions.
- Follow through with adhering to plans and schedules.
- Choosing to act, play, and live in a positive manner.
- Optimistic:
- Being able to focus on the positive approaches and outcomes.
- Sets goals that are attainable and realistic.
- Believes that a positive outcome is possible.
- Acceptance of Feedback and Advice:
- Listen and adhere to constructive feedback.
- Consider tips, advice and suggestions to improve.
- Recognize the importance of a positive mentor and role-model.
- Conduct Themselves with Poise and Grace:
- Respond appropriately to a challenging or stressful situations.
- Displays of grief and celebration are appropriate and humble.
- Focused:
- Be able to practice, prepare, and perform at intensive levels without distraction.
- Resilient:
- Be able to 'pick themselves up' when 'knocked down'.
- Learn from mistakes, losses and failures.
- Recognize challenges and work on weaknesses.
- Competitive Spirit:
- Seek competition and competitors that will challenge abilities.
- Know that fair play is needed for positive competition.
- Natural Leadership:
- Positive attitude, words and actions are key to good leadership.
- Leaders strive to lift and include everyone involved.
- Humility:
- Great athletes/performers stay humble regardless of outcome.
- Personal and team success requires others.
- Recognize and be grateful of others' contributions.
- Passion:
- An athlete/performers' actions, attitude and commitment determines a persons' passion.
- Passionate behavior needs to be disciplined.
Behaviors that are considered inappropriate, abusive, and/or harassing
- Physical Abuse
- Threatened or actual use of force to injure or hurt someone
- Direct Emotional Abuse
- Verbal/emotional threats
- Intimidation and harassment
- Controlling behavior
- Indirect Emotion Abuse
- Rumor spreading
- Excluding someone from a group
- Sexual Abuse
- Unwelcomed sexual advances
- Requests for sexual favors
- Verbal conduct of a sexual nature
- Non-Verbal conduct of a sexual nature
- Physical conduct of a sexual nature
- Neglect
- Inability or unwillingness of a parent, guardian, or custodian of a child to provide supervision, food, clothing, shelter, or medical care which causes unreasonable risk of harm to child’s health or welfare.
- Bullying
- Repeated and intentional attacks on others
- Perpetrator often has more power than the victim
- Can be in the form of physical abuse, emotional abuse and/or sexual abuse
- Cyber-Bullying
- Online, social media
- Mean texts, emails, IM’s inappropriate pictures or messages
- Using another person’s username/account
- Creating false online profiles
Exercise #1
With permission from your Parents, watch one of the following inspirational movies about positive behavior in sport:
- Remember the Titans (2000)
- The Sandlot (1993)
- Rudy (1993)
- A League of Their Own (1992)
- Hoosiers (1986)
- Chariots of Fire (1981)
Hazing Information
- Any humiliating or dangerous activity that is expected of a student so that they can join or fit in with a group of peers. Student can be a willing or unwilling participant.
- Can happen at any age group.
- Hazing activities:
- Humiliate a newcomer
- May be abusive
- May be demeaning
- Could potentially become deadly
- Hazing can turn into bullying if it continues and is potentially an attempt to get someone to quit the group/activity.
- Sometimes people try to minimalize hazing by referring to it as initiation.
- Initiation should never include things such as the following, and if it does, it crosses over into the realm of hazing:
- Blindfolding
- Shouted commands
- Forced acts of servitude
- Why does hazing occur?
- “Groupthink” – Individuals are more likely to do unthinkable, inappropriate things when in a group.
- Feeling of camaraderie… fitting into a group
- Craving of acceptance
- Members being hazed may be praised by veteran members if they endure the hazing.
- If they refuse to participate in the hazing they may be excluded from the group.
- The individuals doing the hazing assure victims that countless others have gone through it.
- Victims tell themselves that if others did it, they can too
- It is a vicious cycle of people treating others the same way they were treated.
- People who are hazed may exhibit the following signs:
- Excessive fatigue
- Disheveled appearance
- Inappropriate clothing
- Isolation from friends/family
- Missing class/Lack of sleep
- Feeling embarrassed
- Feelings of guilt
- Anger
- Confused
- Distrust of adults
- Lack of concentration
- Signs of depression
Ways to prevent hazing
- Have an anti-hazing policy
- Power of Bystanders
- Be active bystanders and speak up and prevent things from happening
- Hazing Prevention: 5 Ds for Effective Bystander Intervention (youtube.com)
- Break the attitude of it being an acceptable tradition
- Teammates who care
- Look to do what's best for the team and individual members
- Draw courage from each other to do the right thing
- Step up and report
- Don't be afraid to speak up and do what's right
- Hazing presentations
- Senior members as mentors
- Punishments in place for hazing
- Being aware of predictable hazing locations
- Away game/event bus
- Locker rooms
- Showers
- Away camps/trips
- Initiation when practiced appropriately can be positive and can fulfill a students need to fit in and find social acceptability. Positive initiation practices can take the form of things like:
- Testing for skills and knowledge
- Maintaining a high GPA
- Mentoring younger members
Online Videos
Lethbridge School Division & ASAA Policies
ASAA - Behavior Responsibilities
A detailed description of each of the areas below can be found in the ASAA Policies.
- Fair Play and Sportsmanship Policy
- Coaches
- Athletes
- Cheerleaders
- Spectators
- Administrators and Teachers
- Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Policy
- The ASAA is unequivocally opposed to athletes using any banned substance as identified by Sport Canada.
- The ASAA prohibits athletes possessing/ consuming any alcoholic beverage or cannabis while involved in ASAA activities.
- The ASAA prohibits athletes, coaches/teacher sponsors and any other individuals in a position of leadership such as trainers, managers, and administrators from smoking/vaping any substance and/or using spit tobacco on-site while involved in ASAA activities.
- ASAA Pro. Championship Hosts reserve the right to eject from the championship facility any person violating the above conditions regarding substance use.
- Violations of the above policy will be addressed under the ASAA's Discipline and Misconduct Policy.
- Social Media Policy
- All use of social media by an ASAA member school or its representatives
- Exhibits of rude, abusive behavior to any other person, uses of vulgar, obscene or abusive language and/or gestures found on social media outlets is subject to the Discipline and Misconduct policies as found in Section Il Discipline and Misconduct, Sections 1-13.
- Honest and Full Disclosure Policy