BEHAVIOUR AND DISCIPLINARY POLICY

BEHAVIOUR POLICY

  1. SAADI Recreational Gymnastics Club provides a fun and safe environment for children up to the age of 14 to learn gymnastics skills and improve their general fitness. We expect all our gymnasts to listen to their coaches and behave to their fellow gymnasts and their coaches in an acceptable manner.

  2. Gymnastics can be a high risk sport due to the equipment used, therefore any silly or misbehaviour is unacceptable at any times as could result in health and safety being compromised for all the gymnasts and result in injury.

  3. All the gymnasts need to listen to instructions from their coach before they use any equipment. No gymnasts should be on any equipment before their coach has arrived at the equipment.

  4. Poor behaviour from a few individuals spoils the session for all the gymnasts and not only compromises the safety of that gymnast but of all those in their group. If coaches are constantly dealing with silly behaviour, they are not concentrating on teaching and developing the gymnasts in their group.

  5. Will understand that children sometimes have ‘bad days’ so it is unlikely we will report bad behaviour unless it is repeated over time. When we do report it to you by email we expect the support of the parent or guardian to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. We do not expect the coach to be challenged on their assessment.

DISCIPLINE POLICY

  1. If any gymnasts continue to talk while their coach is talking, jump on equipment before instructed or behave in a silly and inappropriate way they will be asked to sit at the side of the gym and will be spoken to by our Welfare Officer before they can re-join their group.

  2. If a gymnast has been spoken to more than twice and has been asked to sit out, parents or carers will be contacted to discuss the issues.

  3. If any gymnast’s behaviour has been unacceptable for three sessions, even after their parents or carers have been informed, then there is a strong chance that they will be asked to leave the club. If this happens there will be no refund of registration fees or term fees. Their British Gymnastics membership however can be transferred to another club.

Attire & Hair Policy

CLOTHING/ATTIRE

During training sessions, gymnasts are not required to wear a specific uniform but must wear appropriate clothing which does not impede the freedom of movement required by the activity and is not too loose as to constitute a hazard. For the boys T-Shirts, shorts, vests and tracksuit bottoms are all acceptable and for girls leotards, leggings, shorts, T-Shirts, tracksuit bottoms are also acceptable.

There are however some items of clothing that are unacceptable:

•Tights & Socks

•Baggy or loose tops or bottoms

•Skirts, or skirts attached to leotards

•Jewels and raised adornments on leotards

•Buckles or clasps

•Hoods on tops  

•Ties or long strings on tops or bottoms

HAIR

Long hair may become a hazard and should be tied back to avoid accidents. This applies to both boys and girls.

Long fringes should be clipped back.

Jewellery, Body Piercings & Adornments

No jewellery may be worn during the training sessions in accordance with the British Gymnastics jewellery policy. This includes earrings, nose rings, necklaces, bracelets, ankle bracelets, finger and toe rings. Failure to conform to this policy will prohibit the individual’s participation on the grounds of reasonable safety and may render the individual’s insurance invalid should an accident result directly from non-compliance with this policy.

British Gymnastics believes that jewellery and adornments worn in body piercing are inappropriate for safe practice in gymnastics. A person with body adornments or jewellery must inform the coach and also remove the relevant items to reduce the risk of injury to the participant, the coach and others.

The policy applies to all participants and coaches in training and in events at home and abroad.

Failure to conform to this policy will prohibit the individual’s participation on the grounds of reasonable safety and may render the individual’s insurance invalid should an accident result directly from non-compliance with this policy.

Exceptions to the above policy may be applicable in special circumstances which are outlined below:

Jewellery that cannot be removed:-

It is acknowledged that in some circumstances, it may be impossible to remove a ring and/or dermal piercings. Should this be the case; the ring must be sufficiently covered with protective tape; and the piercings covered sufficiently in order to eliminate any risk.

Religious and Medical jewellery:-

With regards to the wearing of jewellery; sensitivity to religious beliefs and medical requirements/reasons should be afforded, but safety is paramount and any jewellery that is considered by the coach to be a safety hazard, should be changed or participation may be prohibited. Any concessions on religious or medical jewellery must be within the bounds of reasonable safety. The element of risk should be explained to the coach/participant (parent or guardian) and every attempt to control the risk should be adopted. Examples include the following:

Diabetes Bracelet can be worn; but whilst participation is taking place a sweatband or similar must cover the item in order to eliminate any risk. The coach in charge must also be advised that a participant is wearing the bracelet for medical emergency reasons.

Kara Sahib - Bracelet worn in the Sikh religion; can be worn, but whilst participation is taking place a sweatband or similar must cover the item; in order to eliminate any risk.

Allah ring - Worn by the Muslim religion; this must be sufficiently covered with protective tape in order to eliminate any risk.

NB: if a sweatband is used to cover up an item of jewellery when doing vigorous activity, the sweatband should be taped in place to minimise the risk of the sweatband slipping and exposing the item of jewellery.

In all instances above; it is the responsibility of the coach in charge of the session to ensure a sufficient risk assessment has been carried out. If the coach identifies a significant risk to the participant, coach or others, which cannot be controlled satisfactorily, then within the bounds of reasonable safety, the coach MUST prohibit participation. Legitimate health and safety concerns which contra-indicate participation, will supersede any other considerations, be they religious, medical or other.

Failure to conform will prohibit the individual’s participation on the grounds of reasonable safety and may render the individual’s insurance invalid should an accident result directly from non-compliance.

Click here for our full Risk Assessment