Gymnasts Code of Conduct

• Always wear the correct attire i.e. tracksuit, leotard ,T-shirt ,Shorts, leggings . Do not wear jewellery or body piercings. Hair must be tied back 

• Do not run in the gym (unless warming up or working on the floor). Beware of uneven surfaces

• Do not lie down on or in-between mats when you are waiting for further instructions

• Co-operate at all times with the coaches and other gymnasts, behave in a courteous and civil manner, and maintain high standards of sportsmanship

• Respect your coach at all times

• Make sure that you know when you are being given instructions and listen to them

• No pushing, pulling or fighting with other club members

• Do not cheat in training as the only person who loses out is you 

• Do not bring food into the gym area. A drink is permitted to be with the gymnast at all times. (Not cans)

• Do not bring canned or fizzy drinks

• Bad language will not be tolerated

• Treat the equipment with respect

• Gymnasts must participate within the rules and respect coaches, judges and their decisions

• Gymnasts must inform the head coach of any injuries or illness they may have before the warm-up begins

• Gymnasts should remain with coaches at the end of a session until collected by their parent or guardian

• Never post anything on social media that could be hurtful or harmful to others

  Parents code of conduct 

• Help us to keep your child safe by encouraging them to learn the rules about safety and acceptable behaviour and to participate within them

• Help your child to recognise good performance, not just results. Praise your child for effort and achievement, never punish or belittle a child for poor performance or making mistakes.

• Be a positive role model by recognising good sportsmanship and applauding the performances of all. Accept officials decisions in competition, addressing any queries through the Head Coach

• Support your child’s involvement and help them to enjoy their sport

• Always ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the activity,  no jewellery or body piercings (Earrings for newly pierced ears can remain in place but need to be protected by plasters or tape). The Head Coach must be advised of all jewellery or body adornments worn for religious or medical reasons so that a risk assessment can be made regarding personal safety

• Always ensure your child brings plenty to drink. (Not fizzy drinks)

• Keep us informed if your child is ill or unable to attend sessions and notify pre-existing injuries or illness to the Head Coach

• Ensure children arrive and are collected on time. Always come in to the gym to deliver and collect your child

• Offensive language or aggressive or offensive behaviour will not be tolerated

•       Have a valid British Gymnastic Membership    

      https://mybg.british-gymnastics.org/

• All session fees, competition entry fees and British Gymnastic Membership fees must be paid in time

THE CLUB HAS THE RIGHT TO ASK ANYONE NOT COMPLYING WITH THE CODE OF CONDUCT TO LEAVE A CLUB SESSION TO LEAVE THE CLUB

Club code of conduct

Shantallow Gymnastics Academy is a member of British and Northern Ireland Gymnastics Associations.

British Gymnastics Membership Number : 40179

The Club abides by the British Gymnastics Health, Safety and Welfare Policy for Coaches and Clubs.

The Club recognises it has a duty of care towards its members and is committed to providing the appropriate support and guidance to its members to ensure these matters are addressed.

The Club believes it is important that all members, coaches, administrators and parents associated with the club should, at all times, show respect and understanding for the safety and welfare of others.

Members are encouraged to be open at all times and share concerns or complaints that they may have about any aspect of the club with the club Welfare Officer.

Our coaches undergo their training through the British Gymnastics UKCC scheme and hold valid coaching licenses, Child Protection Certificates which are renewed as recommended by British Gymnastics.

Our Guidance to Coaches 

• Consider the well‐being and safety of participants before the development of performance

• Develop an appropriate working relationship with performers based on mutual trust and respect

• Hold the appropriate, valid qualifications and insurance cover

• Make sure all activities are appropriate to the age, ability and experience of those taking part and ensure all participants are suitably prepared physically and mentally when learning new skills

• Display consistently high standards of behaviour and appearance, dressing suitably and not using inappropriate language at any time whilst involved with club activities

• Obtain prior agreement from the parent/guardian of performers before transporting them anywhere (training/competitions)

• Never exert undue influence over performers to obtain personal benefit or reward

• Always report any incidents, referrals or disclosures immediately, following the appropriate guidelines set out in the British Gymnastics Safeguarding and Protecting Children Policy

• Never condone rule violations or use of prohibited substances

• Make sure that confidential information is not divulged unless there is a necessity to do so for the safety of the individual

• Promote the positive aspects of the sport 

• Encourage Gymnasts to value their performances and not just result

• Do not make any commitments on the club’s behalf without prior discussion and agreement with the Head of Coaching

Anti-Bullying

It is our aim to provide all our Members with a happy, safe and fulfilling experience when attending Shantallow Gymnastics Academy

We hope to help all our gymnasts achieve their potential by raising self-esteem, giving positive feedback and ensuring all our sessions are structured and fun.

We aim for all to work as a team, we  do not tolerate competitive individual behaviour as every gymnast learns at different paces and all participants have varying skills.

There are different types of bullying:

Physical : hitting, kicking, taking or hiding belongings, including money

Verbal :  name-calling, teasing, insulting, writing unkind notes

Emotional :  being unfriendly, tormenting, spreading rumours, looks

Bullying is an anti-social behaviour which will not be tolerated in our club, it undermines the confidence, self-esteem and happiness of gymnasts and can lead to lack of concentration, depression and, in some cases, leaving the club.

Any concerns regarding bullying can be reported directly to our Welfare Officer or communicated to any Coach. 

Concerns will be dealt with immediately. We will listen to both sides in private and record information to report to the parents of children involved.

We will involve the parents and children in deciding the outcome and any sanctions which may need to take place to ensure the person accused of bullying changes their behaviour.

In cases where bullying continues after warnings and sanctions, the person accused of bullying will be asked to leave the club.

Photography Policy

We want everyone to have fun and be safe at Shantallow Gymnastics, and that includes how we handle photos and videos. We know you love to capture those awesome moments, but we also need to make sure we're protecting our kids. So, here's what you need to know:

For Parents, Guardians, or Carers:

• When you sign up your child, you'll have the choice to say yes or no to us using photos for club stuff. Totally your call!

• Leave your phones and cameras out of the gym and toilets during training and classes, unless you've cleared it with management beforehand.

• If you're at comps or our own events (like Summer Winter Challenges), you'll need to follow British Gymnastics rules (BG Policy). We'll make sure they're clear and announce them at the start.

       Please only get your child in the shot when you're taking photos or videos. No other kids, please!

• No live streaming of events, sorry!

• If someone asks you to stop taking photos or expresses concern, please stop immediately.

• If you see something that seems off with photography, tell the Head Coach right away. They might ask you to delete some photos or videos.

For Coaches, Officials, and Volunteers:

• We'll always get parental permission before we publish any photos or videos. Parents have the right to say no, and we respect that.

• You can use club phones or Tablets to take photos/videos as a training aid, but only those devices.

• Don't keep or remove images for your personal use.

• If a child is under a court order, we won't record or photograph them without the proper permission.

• Any inappropriate images (especially anything abusive or sexual, or manipulated to cause distress) must be reported immediately to our Designated Welfare Officer (Emmet McIntyre), British Gymnastics, and/or the police.

When the Club Publishes Photos of Gymnasts, We'll:

• Be super careful about which photos we choose to make sure they can't be used improperly.

• If we use images for club or promo stuff, we'll make sure they don't easily identify specific children, and they'll always be appropriate.

• We'll be extra cautious with photos on our website, as they're easier to mess with.

• Generally, we'll avoid using a child's full name or other personal details with their photo.

• We'll always double-check with gymnasts and their parents/guardians that photos and details we're sharing with the press are okay with them.

External Photographers:

• If we invite a professional photographer, we'll make sure they know exactly what's expected of them.

• They'll have ID and wear it all the time.

• We'll let parents and gymnasts know a photographer will be there.

• No unsupervised access to gymnasts, and absolutely no one-on-one photo sessions on or off premises.

• If there are passwords for photo websites, we'll only give them to legitimate individuals.