Calgary Lawn Bowling Club’s Safe Sport program is about creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive lawn bowling club environments where people want to stay and belong.

Safe sport can be understood as: Physical and emotional safety, which includes concussion and injury prevention, and environments free from bullying, abuse, harassment, discrimination, and other forms of maltreatment. You cannot have a safe sport without Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).

We all deserve to participate in sport environments that are accessible, inclusive, safe, and free from all forms of Maltreatment by others.

To reach this goal, Calgary Lawn Bowling Club must ensure a safe sport environment. Also, every participant plays a role in ensuring safe sport. Together we can create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive lawn bowling experience for all.

Responsible Coaching Movement

The Board of Directors of Calgary Lawn Bowling Club have signed the Responsible Coaching Movement Pledge and encourages other clubs to sign as well.  For more information visit Coach.Ca

The New Normal 

Safe Sport is the new normal and things that may have been accepted in the past may no longer be accepted. It is everyone has a responsibility to know what has changed and how to handle it.

Safe Sport Strategy

Calgary Lawn Bowling Club’s policies, framed on the ones from Bowls Canada Boulingrin, are intended to promote a Safe Sport environment in a manner that allows for consistent, immediate, appropriate, and meaningful action should any issues arise. They are also intended to prevent issues from arising in the first place by communicating expected standards of behavior.  

Consistent Policies 

The Safe Sport Policy Suite is a full package of policies that set rules, procedures, and standards of behavior to help Calgary Lawn Bowling Club maintain a safe sport environment. 

Code of Conduct & Ethics
Full Safe Sport Policy Suite

Statement on Safe Sport/ Introduction

  • Communicates Calgary Lawn Bowling Club’s Safe Sport commitments

Code of Conduct and Ethics

  • Sets the rules around behaviour that sport participants must follow.
  • Defines key terms and behaviours (ex. ‘Consent’, ‘harassment’, ‘maltreatment’, ;power imbalance’, vulnerable participant’, etc.).

Responsible Coaching Strategy

  • Outlines the commitment and strategy for implementing safe coaching practices.
  • Protects both athletes and coaches by setting rules around how athletes and coaches interact.
  • Sets the Rule of Two, which seeks to ensure that athletes and coaches interact in environments that are open, observable, and justifiable.

Discipline and Complaints Policy

  • Sets out: Who can bring a complaint and How, When, and Where to bring a complaint. 
  • Provides a structured process for how to address and resolve complaints.

Dispute Resolution Policy 

  • Provides an alternative, more informal for parties to resolve complaints and allows parties to work toward a mutually outcome (in appropriate cases).

Screening Policy 

  • Sets out the process for how to screen adult participants in Calgary Lawn Bowling Club.
  • Provides a lot of forms, in the Appendices, to guide this screening process.

Reciprocation Policy

  • This policy allows for sport organizations to agree to share discipline decisions with each other and sets out details around how to do so. 

Investigations Policy 

  • Sets out the process for determining if and how investigations will be carried out after a complaint is submitted. This includes, how an investigation would be initiated and who may act as an Investigator. 

Appeal Policy 

  • Sets out the process for challenging the outcome of a complaint and/or certain decisions of the Calgary Lawn Bowling Club.

Concussion Policy 

  • Sets Calgary Lawn Bowling Club’s commitment to concussion safety
  • Includes a Concussion Code of Conduct, which both athletes and coaches/trainers will be expected to sign and acknowledge their commitment to head injury prevention and safety. 

Concussion Protocol

  • Sets out the recognition, medica dignosis, and management of participant who may sustain a suspected concussion during or outside of bowls activities, including their safe return to play. 

Whistleblower Policy 

  • Provides a process and set of protections in situations where an employee needs to disclose certain information/concerns of their employer (Calgary Lawn Bowling Club) 

Social Media Policy & Guidelines

  • Sets out a list of suggested best practices when using social media, especially in relation to interacting directly with athletes.

Screening Requirment 

Level 1 – Volunteers

  • Screening Application Form

Participate in training, orientation, and monitoring as determined by the organization.

Level 2- Coach, Board of Directors, Employees, and Officials

Participate in training, orientation, and monitoring as determined by the organization.

Level 3- Coaches who travel with Athletes or Coaches/athlete support personnel who could be alone with Athletes.

Participate in training, orientation, and monitoring as determined by the organization.

The Safe Sport Policy Suite is a full package of policies that set rules, procedures, and standards of behavior to help Calgary Lawn Bowling Club maintain a safe sport environment. 

Minimum Training Requirments

Reporting Maltreatment 

To report a complaint/s regarding a violation of Calgary Lawn Bowling Club’s Code of Conduct please contact 

Club Safe Sport Officer (SSO)

safety@calgarylawnbowlingclub.ca 

complaints/disputes ideally should be handled by the individuals involved first and Calgary Lawn Bowling Club could appoint a mediator if required.

If you feel uncomfortable reporting directly to Calgary Lawn Bowling Club, please contact 

 Provincal Safe Sport Officer

sso@bowlsalberta.ca 

 

Recommended – All Athletes

Required – Board of Directors, Coaches, Employees & Officials

The Respect in Sport Activity Leader / Coach Program educates leaders, coaches, officials and participants (14 years and up) to recognize, understand and respond to issues of bullying, abuse , harassment and discrimination.  

Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders 

The Coaching Association of Canada’s (CAC) Safe Sport Training was developed to help anyone involved in sport — whether you have direct contact with athletes or work in the background — to promote physical, psychological, and social health, in line with the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport. Click Here 

Other Training 

We encourage lifelong learning through numerous training modules to help coaches to expand their knowledge throughout their career, identify legal, ethical, and moral implications, and recognize and prevent maltreatment.

Support existing and new coaches in their training or certification. 

NCCP Training

 

 

Intentional Engagement

Safe Sport Engagement at the Calgary Lawn Bowling Club is a two-way conversation between the club and our participants.

We have the intention to regularly engage with participants, coaches, athletes, parents/guardians of minor athletes, officials, volunteers, and other stakeholders on a regular basis to get meaningful feedback.

Your lived experience on the ground tells us whether our policies, training, and other initiative are working.

If you have any comments or concerns please email the Club’s Safety Officer at safety@calgarylawnbowlingclub.ca 

Enhanced Resources

There are many safe sport resources that are available to advance knowledge and awareness.

Calgary Lawn Bowling Club has easy-to-use resources to promote safe sport, governance, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) resource to everyone.

Please note that we are currently working on this information.