Club Policy Guide

CMFSC Child Protection Code of Conduct

Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club (CMFSC) has modelled our Child Protection Code of Conduct (the Code) on the work of Commit to Kids and Ontario Volleyball to guide our employees/volunteers in their interactions with children.

The safety, rights and well-being of children we serve are at the core of our club. Sport plays a vital role in shaping the youth of tomorrow. CMFSC relies on our employees/volunteers to serve as role models and put our young athletes on a path to success. We nurture supportive relationships with children while balancing and encouraging appropriate boundaries.

The dynamic between CMFSC employees/volunteers and athletes gives rise to a power imbalance and a culture of unquestioned trust that can result in abuse. As such, it is imperative that all persons in positions of authority be held to a high standard of conduct. The intent of the Code of Conduct is to guide our employee/volunteers in developing healthy relationships with the children involved with the club and to model appropriate boundaries for children.

The Code provides behaviour guideposts that identify inappropriate or concerning behaviour at an early stage to help better protect athletes and employees/volunteers.

Treating Children with Dignity and Maintaining Boundaries

All employee/volunteers must:

• Treat all children with respect and dignity
• Establish, respect, and maintain appropriate boundaries with all children and families involved in activities or programs delivered by the organization

It is important to monitor your own behaviour towards children and pay close attention to the behaviour of your peers and to ensure that behaviour is appropriate and respectful and will be perceived as such by others. 

All of your interactions and activities with children: 

• should be know to, and approved by the board, where applicable, and the parents of the child
• tied to your duties,
• designed to develop the child's skills in the sport program, and
• follow the Rule of Two (Any one-on-one interaction between an employee/volunteer and an athlete must take place within earshot and view of an employee/volunteer. If possible, one of the employees/volunteers should be the same gender as the athlete. If an employee/volunteer is not available, another screened volunteer, parent or adult can be recruited. An exception is made for medical emergencies. 

Always consider the child’s reaction to any activities, conversations, behaviour or other interactions. If at any time you are in doubt about the appropriateness of your own behaviour or the behaviour of others, you should discuss it with the designated person within your organization.

Examples of unacceptable behaviour toward a child:

• embarrassing
• shaming
• blaming
• humiliating 
• putting them down

General Rules of Behaviour

Employee/volunteers of the organization must NOT:

• Engage in any sort of physical contact with a child that may make the child or a reasonable observer feel uncomfortable, or that may be seen by a reasonable observer to be violating reasonable boundaries.
• Engage in any communication with a child within or outside of duties with the child, that may make the child uncomfortable or that may be seen by a reasonable observer to be violating reasonable boundaries.
• Engage in any behaviour that goes against (or appears to go against) the organization’s mandate, policies, or Code of Conduct to Protect Children, regardless of whether or not they are serving the organization at that moment.
• Conduct their own investigation into allegations or suspicions of potentially illegal or inappropriate behaviour. It is an employee’s/volunteer’s duty to report the matter to the designated person, Child Welfare Agency, or law enforcement, NOT to investigate.  

What Constitutes Inappropriate Behaviour

In assessing In assessing whether behaviour is inappropriate, one should consider whether the behaviour would raise concerns in the mind of a reasonable observer. The behaviour may also be assessed by determining whose needs are being met (the athlete or the employee/volunteer) and what objective appears to be guiding the interaction.

Inappropriate behaviour include:

1. Inappropriate Communication. Communication with a child or his/her family outside of the context of duties for the organization, regardless of who initiated the exchange. For example:
   1. Personal phone calls not tied to duties with the child
   2. Electronic communications (email, text message, instant message, online chats, social networking including “friending”, etc.) not tied to duties with the child
   3. Personal letters not tied to duties with the child
   4. Excessive communications (online or offline)
2. Inappropriate Contact. Spending unauthorized time with a child outside of designated duties with the organization.
3. Favouritism. Singling out a child or certain children and providing special privileges and attention. (for example, paying a lot of attention to, giving or sending personalized gifts, or allowing privileges that are excessive, unwarranted or inappropriate.)
4. Taking Personal Photos/Videos. Using a personal cell phone, camera or video to take pictures of a child, or allowing any other person to do so, as well as uploading or copying any pictures you may have taken of a child to the Internet or any personal storage device. Pictures taken as part of your job duties are acceptable, however, the pictures are to remain with the organization and not be used by you in a personal capacity.
5. Inappropriate behaviour ALSO includes:
6. Telling sexual jokes to a child or making comments to a child that are or is in any way suggestive, explicit or personal.
7. Showing a child material that is sexual in nature, including, signs, cartoons, graphic novels, calendars, literature, photographs, screen savers, or displaying such material in plain view of a child, or making such material available to a child
8. Intimidating or threatening a child
9. Making fun of a child

Inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated, especially as it relates to the well-being of the children involved in activities or programs delivered by the sport organization.

Whether or not a particular behavior or action constitutes inappropriate behaviour will be a matter determined by the organization having regard to all of the circumstances, including past behaviour, and allegations or suspicions related to such behaviour.

Reporting Requirements

All employee and volunteers must report suspected child sexual abuse, inappropriate behaviour or incidents that they become aware of, whether the behaviour or incidents were personally witnessed or not. 

Where to report:

1. All allegations or suspicions of potentially illegal behaviour (for example, child sexual abuse) that a employee/volunteer witnesses first-hand, must be promptly reported to police and/or child welfare.
2. To ensure the protection of all children in our care, all allegations or suspicions of potentially illegal behaviour that an employee/volunteer learns of must also be promptly reported to police and/or child welfare, who will make the determination as to whether the allegation or suspicion requires further investigation.
3. All allegations or suspicions of inappropriate behaviour (see above examples), that a employee/volunteer learns of or witnesses first-hand, must be reported to the CMFSC Primary Liaison For Child Protection.  

Keep in mind that you may learn of potentially illegal or inappropriate behaviour through the child or some other third party, or you may witness it first-hand. Examples of the type behaviour you may learn of or witness and that you must report as set out above includes:

• Potentially Illegal behaviour by an employee/volunteer of the organization
• Potential Illegal behaviour by a third party, such as a Parent, Teacher, Babysitter, Coach

If you are not sure whether the issue you have witnessed or heard about involves potentially illegal behaviour or inappropriate behaviour, discuss the issue with the designated person within your organization who will support you through the process. Remember: You have an independent duty to report all suspicions of potentially illegal behaviour directly to police and/or child welfare.

Follow-up Reporting

When an allegation or suspicion of potentially illegal behaviour is reported, police and/or a child welfare agency will be notified. The sport organization will follow up internally as appropriate.

When an allegation or suspicion of inappropriate behaviour is made, the sport organization will follow up on the matter to gather information about what happened and determine what, if any, formal or other disciplinary action is required.

In the case of inappropriate behaviour, if:

• multiple behaviours were reported
• inappropriate behaviour is recurring, or
• the reported behaviour is of serious concern

the organization may refer the matter to child welfare agency or police.

This policy is in place to provide effective ongoing measures to reduce the risk of communicable disease and additional measures for when there’s an elevated risk of communicable diseases.  

Definition: A communicable disease is an illness caused by an infectious agent or its toxic product that can be transmitted from one person to another. This includes but is not limited to COVID-19.  

Policy: Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club will monitor and review communicable disease-related information including issued orders, guidance, notices, and recommendations as available by the provincial health officer, Fraser Health, viaSport BC and BC Soccer. During periods of elevated risk, the Club will follow provided information and guidance which may include limiting activity, restricting play, or cancelling programs. Any implemented changes will be communicated to members, volunteers, and staff. Volunteers and staff will receive any required additional training.  

This policy is subject to change and re-evaluation as required.  
 
Further Recommendations: 

• All members*, volunteers, and staff who have symptoms of communicable disease (e.g., fever or chills, coughing, diarrhea) are to avoid all soccer activities. 
• All members*, volunteers, and staff are recommended to use hand sanitizer prior to and after activity.  
• Participation in programs is completely voluntary. Anyone feeling uncomfortable with the risk, should not attend.  

*Members: individual who have agreed to abide by and adhere to the Society's By-laws, policies, procedures, and rules (or, if the individual is under the age of 18, who have a parent or guardian agree to abide by the Society's By-Laws, policies, procedures, and rules on behalf of the individual) including: 

i. Participants
ii. Directors of the Society
iii. Coordinators
iv. Managers
v. Coaches
vi. Other individuals approved by the Directors

Our goal is to provide a safe environment where our players can continue to grow in soccer and have fun! 

As a member of BC Soccer and Canada Soccer Association, we believe in the importance of creating a positive environment on and off the field for all members, and have adopted the BC Soccer Conduct and Ethics Policy from the Judicial Code & Policies. We believe this supports our Club Values of Respect, Leadership, Excellence, Fun, and Wellness.

This policy applies to:

• Youth & Adult Players
• Team Officials
  • Coaches
  • Assistant Coaches
  • Managers
• Match Officials (Referees)
• Spectators & Parents
• Association Officials

All members are required to review this document. Breach of this policy is subject to review and discipline by Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club and potential escalation to BCSA and/or CSA.

Constitution & By-Laws (444kb)

All CMFSC Staff members are provided with the CMFSC Staff Handbook to help understand our organization and culture, the expectations the Club has of all Staff, and the current policies and programs available. 

We strongly discourage the printing of this document, but if you must print it, we kindly ask that you consider the environment before doing so. Print only the section(s) that you need. 

CMFSC Staff Handbook: The Way Things Work

All expenditures should be consistent with the approved budget.

Except for items of a capital nature and for matters of extreme emergency, expenditures in any fiscal year shall not exceed income for that year. The Board, with the recommendation and the support of the Treasurer and President may approve extenuating, urgent and capital expense items in any fiscal year that may exceed income for that year. 

The Executive Director must be familiar with the approved budget for the programs and should be responsible to request Board approval if additional funds, not planned for, are required, up to 10% of the specific program budget.  

Expenditures less than $500 may be left to the discretion of the staff who are authorized to make purchases/Board member responsible for the program/item. The Executive Director must receive emailed notification of the purchase.

Expenditures exceeding $500 require approval by the Executive Director before an order is placed. 

Expenditures exceeding $5,000 require approval by the Board of Directors before the order is placed. 

Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC is committed to the achievement of gender equity and recognizes the importance of measuring all of its activities against the values of equity and fairness.

We define gender equity as a process of allocating resources and entitlements fairly to both males and females without discrimination on the basis of gender. This also includes redressing any undesirable or inequitable balance in the existing opportunities available to males and females.

Role of the CMFSC Board of Directors 

The board’s key governing roles include:

• Setting strategy and vision and evaluating progress towards strategic outcomes.
• Making high-level policy regarding board organization, oversight of senior management, ethical compliance, board recruitment and development, and succession planning.
• Ensuring that the Club has capable management.
• Defining potential conflicts of interest and attempting to ensure they are averted
• Ensuring that the Club has sufficient financial resources to adequately finance its operational and capital requirements.
• Ensuring that all legal and financial obligations are being met.
• Anticipating, mitigating and managing risks to the Club.
• Representing the Club to key stakeholders.
• Participate in an onboarding process as a new board member.
• Commit to continued education in Governance, as available, by BC Soccer and Canada Soccer. 

The Board does not involve itself in operational matters. Club staff are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Club’s on-field and off-field business and operational delivery and do so within an annual budget approved by the Board. 

Through its Executive Committee, the Board hires, regularly meets with, supports, advises, and evaluates the performance of the Club’s Executive Director. The Executive Director in turn is responsible for hiring, managing, evaluating staff. 

Discipline, Appeals and Dispute Resolution

Discipline – Game Related

Discipline issues related to coaches, players and parents at games is handled either by the league or, for more serious cases, by BC Soccer.

Discipline – Internal

For discipline issues that are not game-related, are internal, such as conduct or ethical violations, the following process should be used for those wishing to issue a complaint against a player, team official, parent, staff member, volunteer, or anyone else aligned with the Club.

For situations that require a Discipline Hearing, all those involved will be given at least 48 hours notice. An Ad Hoc Discipline Committee will be established comprised of three people, independent of the board, none of whom have children in the same age group or have professional or personal ties to the people being asked to come to the Discipline Hearing.

For complaints involving:

Players

The first point of contact should be the player’s coach. This should be done calmly and at least 24 hours after the incident in question.  

If there is no resolution with the coach, the complainant can go to the Club’s Technical Director. The Technical Director will then discuss the issue with those who are relevant to get different viewpoints and advise the Executive Director of the issue. The Technical Director and Executive Director will then decide whether an Ad Hoc Discipline Committee is warranted.

Team officials or other volunteers

The first point of contact should be the Technical Director. This should be done calmly and at least 24 hours after the incident in question. The Technical Director will then discuss the issue with those who are relevant to get different viewpoints and advise the Executive director. 

The Technical Director and Executive Director will then decide whether an Ad Hoc Discipline Committee is warranted. 

Parents

The first point of contact should be the player’s coach. This should be done calmly and at least 24 hours after the incident in question. 

If there is no resolution with the coach, the complainant can go to the Club’s Executive Director. The Executive Director will then discuss the issue with those who are relevant to get different viewpoints and advise the Technical Director of the issue.  

The Executive Director and the Technical Director will then decide whether an Ad Hoc Discipline Committee is warranted or to refer the issue back to the Executive Director.

Staff members

The first point of contact should be the Executive Director. If the concern involves the Executive Director, the first contact should be the Board’s Risk Management Officer. This should be done calmly and at least 24 hours after the incident in question and can be in writing or on the phone. 

The Executive Director will then discuss the issue with those who are relevant to get different viewpoints and then form an Ad Hoc Discipline Committee. 

If the issue involves the Executive Director, the Risk Management Officer will discuss the issue with those who are relevant to get different viewpoints and then form an Ad Hoc Discipline Committee.

Anyone else aligned with the Club

The first point of contact should be the Club’s Executive Director. This should be done calmly and at least 24 hours after the incident in question. The Executive Director will advise, depending on who the complainant is reporting and what the issue is, on what the process should be.

Appeals

Appeals should be addressed to the Executive Director by email unless the complaint involves the Executive Director. 

In that case the appeal should be emailed to the Risk Management Officer. There is no fee to appeal an internal disciplinary decision, but appeal must be received with-in 72 hours of the determination being of the disciplinary decision being sent.  If necessary, the Executive Director or Risk Management Officer will convene an appeals committee comprised of people with no ties to the Club to hear the appeal.

Dispute Resolution

If issues arise that require a dispute resolution process rather than a Discipline process, the parties seeking the dispute resolution should contact either the Executive Director or the Technical Director, whichever one they feel is more appropriate.  A process will then be set in consultation with the parties requesting dispute resolution.

CMFSC Investment Policy

I. General

The purpose of this Investment Policy ("the Policy") is to ensure that invested funds, together with future investment earnings and donations, are sufficient to meet the current and future needs of Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club ("CMFSC"), adjusted for inflation.  In general, CMFSC's day-to-day operations do not depend on these funds, apart from operational contingency reserves.  The Policy shall be reviewed annually by the Finance Committee/Board.

II. Quality Of Investments 

Investment of CMFSC assets will be made through Finance Committee/Board approved investment managers ("Investment Managers"). The assets will be invested in a manor which meets the generally accepted standards of quality that a prudent person would apply in investing the assets of another.   The Investment Managers are expected to invest the assets with care, prudence, and diligence that a prudent investment professional would exercise in the investment of those assets. 

The objective is to maximize total investment return through diversification, across a broad range of asset classes, while preserving capital in an endowment-like fashion.  Risk and return will be gauged against limited operational needs for cash from investments and an extended time horizon (endowment).

The funds will be invested with the understanding that returns will vary depending on asset classes and may be subject to decrease in value depending on market conditions.   Risk and return will vary depending on asset classes and purpose of the funds, of which there will be three:

III. CMFSC Investment Classes

A. Operational Contingency Reserves 

Operational Contingency Reserves will be part of General Funds and will be expected to keep pace with inflation on an annual rolling average over a five-year period.  

The Treasurer and Finance Committee, in consultation with the Investment Advisor, are responsible for recommending investments of Operational Contingency Reserves funds to the Board.

B.  Endowments 

Endowment funds are designated for capital developments/investments or to generate returns to fund special projects, such as scholarships, financial subsidies, player/official/coach pathways, and youth development programs.  These funds will be distinct and separate from General Funds (operating).

The Treasurer and Finance Committee, in consultation with the Investment Advisor, are responsible for recommending investments of Endowment funds to the Board.  

C.  Restricted/Donor Advised

Restricted/Donor Advised funds are significant, as defined by being greater than $250,000 and subject to the investment profile and direction of the donor or their designate.   These funds will be distinct and separate from general and endowment funds.  The donor may dictate a risk/return and asset allocation that differs from Endowment guidelines above.  In some cases, these funds may possess a high risk and high growth profile.

IV. Permitted Asset Classes

The assets may be held in segregated accounts or invested in pooled funds and similar or alternative structures (e.g., limited partnerships) where CMFSC’s assets are commingled with other investors. Permitted asset classes include cash, short-term securities, Canadian and foreign bonds and debentures, asset-backed securities, infrastructure debt, mortgages, common stocks (including tradable income trust units and limited partnership units), American Depositary Receipts, Real Estate Funds, Infrastructure Funds, Private Debt Funds (including mortgage funds), Private Equity Funds and exchange-traded funds listed on a recognized stock exchange in Canada or the U.S., pooled and mutual funds. The Finance Committee shall be required approve any fund as eligible for investment.

The Investment Managers shall ensure the assets, excluding Restricted/Donor-Advised funds (III.C) are held in securities that can be liquidated quickly under normal market conditions.

Assets may not be invested in commodities, future contracts, options purchases, or short sales, without the specific consent of the Board.  Contracting to sell securities not yet acquired to purchase other securities for purposes of speculating on developments or trends in the market. All mortgage investments must be secured using pooled funds. Borrowing for investment purposes is prohibited without the specific consent of the Board. To avoid concentration risk, no more than 15% of the total market value of the portfolio may be invested in commercial paper, bonds, debentures, or securities of any one issuer or related party, excluding Restricted funds (III.C).

Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) factors or Socially Responsible Investing are sources of financial risk that prudent investors should consider when evaluating investments. Evaluating the risks and opportunities presented by ESG matters can be done in a manner which is consistent with the efficient investment of funds to achieve investment return objectives.

V. EXPECTED RISK

Notwithstanding the list of constraints noted above, it should be expected that the rates of return on the Portfolio will vary from year to year, reflecting market and economic cycles.  Nonetheless, these fluctuations will not deter the Investment Managers from making their best efforts to achieve their return objectives and thus assist the Board in achieving the return objectives of CMFSC. 

In this context, “risk” may be defined as the magnitude of changes (both increases and decreases), in the market value of a portfolio, i.e., the volatility over time.  Clearly, it is the downward movements in the value of the portfolio that cause concern. The extent of any downward movement that can be accepted is a function of the Board's financial and emotional risk tolerance. Financial risk refers to the dollar or percentage amount of decline that can be accepted, given CMFSC's needs for capital preservation, income and inflation protection. Emotional risk refers to the extent of any decline that can be accepted given personality and previous experience with investments. 

CMFSC's investment strategy should strike a balance between financial needs and emotional risk tolerance. Asset mix is key to the long-term success of an investor and their peace of mind along the way. Stocks are typically more volatile than bonds. The asset mix of a risk-averse investor will favour bonds over stocks. Conversely, the asset mix of a more risk-tolerant investor will favour stocks over bonds. Private assets such as real estate, infrastructure can reduce the observed volatility of a portfolio however private market asset classes are less liquid than publicly traded assets.

A decline of approximately 20% of the value of CMFSC's long-term fund (net of withdrawals) can be financially and emotionally tolerated, each year, if it reflects overall market returns.

The strategic asset mix establishes the risk and return characteristics of the total portfolio and also impacts investment-related costs. Adhering to strategic asset allocation targets helps CMFSC realize its investment objectives by imposing discipline on the investment decision-making process.

Beyond choosing the appropriate diversified asset mix, portfolio risk can be reduced substantially over the long term by being well diversified by industry group and geographically. Reducing company specific risk by taking a conservative approach to security selection, with quality being a key criterion. Quality includes choosing companies that exhibit strong balance sheets and free cash flow generation, have a record of growing earnings, and return on equity, and have competent management.

Time Horizon has a direct effect on the amount of risk you can withstand, and on the return the portfolio can generate.  As a rule, the longer the time horizon, the more risk can be taken in the portfolio and, therefore the higher the level of equity or private assets that can be included in the asset mix. Circumstances may change over time, so investment decisions and policies may change.

Liquidity refers to the amount of cash or cash equivalent securities held in a fund. The amount of liquidity is a function of needs in terms of upcoming cash requirements. If the time horizon is short, an illiquid asset may not be appropriate. Sufficient liquidity is important to allow future cash usage, if required. 

CMFSC's Privacy Policy is governed by the BC Personal Information Protection Act ("PIPA"), and describes the way that CMFSC collects, uses, and discloses personal information of third parties in the course of its activities, implementing CMFSC's commitment to collect, use and disclose personal information responsibly. The CMFSC Privacy Policy is based on the standards required by PIPA, and CMFSC's interpretation of these responsibilities. To the extent that the provisions in this Privacy Policy are inconsistent with PIPA, PIPA's requirements shall govern.

This policy deals with personal information about players, parents, fans, directors, officials, coaches and other volunteers. Please review the attached for the full policy

CMFSC Privacy Policy (461kb)

Safety is our number one priority as a Club and as part of compliance with BC Soccer, all volunteers and staff, 19+ are required to submit a Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Check, every three years.

This process can take anywhere from 1 day – 6 months depending on how long it takes for the RCMP to process and if additional fingerprinting is required. There should be no costs associated with this process as long as you follow the steps below.

You can complete your Criminal Record Check using any of the following three options:

• Online: https://justice.gov.bc.ca/criminalrecordcheck
  • Online code is XJFNTJCLXY 
  • You will need to login with a BC Services Card
  • Click REQUEST A NEW CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK
• In-person
  • Print off either the Coquitlam Resident Letter or Non-Coquitlam Resident Letter and bring with you to your local RCMP.
• Scan an already completed CRC dated within the last three years to our Risk Manager (riskmanager@cmfsc.ca).
  • This CRC must have a Vulnerable Sector Check completed as well.

If you receive a new charge or conviction within the three-year validity period of your Criminal Record Check, please notify our Risk Manager promptly.

For further assistance, please reach out to our Risk Manager – riskmanager@cmfsc.ca

Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club and BC Soccer believe in the health and safety of all players and fully support and require all adult players or parental guardians (if player is under 18 years old), to be educated about the signs and symptoms of concussions as per BC Soccer's Concussion Management Policy. All parents and adult players are required to complete the online NCCP Making Head Way in Sport eLearning module to empower coaches, parents, and participants with the knowledge and skills needed to prioritize participant safety when it comes to concussions. Parents and players have a responsibility to report all concussion-related injuries and illnesses to an independent medical professional. CMFSC reserves the right to limit players' return to the field, based on the aforementioned protocols and professional medical advice.

Should playing time become an issue, coaches have the responsibility to justify why a player has been played less than the below noted policies. Only injuries, sickness, unaccepted absences from training and/or games at coach's discretion, or documented disciplinary action will be accepted as reasons for not meeting these requirements. The coaches must give written notice of disciplinary action to the player, coordinator and manager at the time of the incident(s) or as soon as possible thereafter.

Referees are a very important part of the club. Without referees we cannot play the game we all love. It is very important to develop, mentor and support our referees as we do the players and coaches. At CMFSC we take our referee program very seriously and have a zero-tolerance policy towards any kind of Referee abuse.

Reported abuse of referees will result in the following:

• 1st offence: 1 game suspension
• 2nd offence: 4 game suspension
• 3rd offence: removal from coaching position

These offences will not be appealed because if the referee feels that it is necessary to write and submit a report, they must have felt strongly enough about the inappropriate behaviour displayed. It is important that we ensure that we DO NOT question or provide feedback to any of the referees during the game or after the game. This is an important point to ensure that your parents also understand. Remember these referees may only be 12-14 years old.

Feedback on a referee's performance is to be provided by team officials through the referee evaluation form. Please use this form when you have a positive experience with a referee as well!

Members are encouraged to review all refund policies carefully prior to completing any program registration. Different programs/age groups/levels may have different information for refund eligibility. If you have questions, please reach out to admin@cmfsc.ca

Our full refund policy can be viewed by clicking here.

All volunteers (coaches, assistant coaches, managers, coordinators, directors) and staff must complete the Respect in Sport Activity Leader training every five years. Ethics training prepares volunteers and staff to effectively handle challenges that may arise day to day as leaders within the sport community. CMFSC wants volunteers and staff to feel empowered to recognize and prevent bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination. Respect in Sport is also a mandatory requirement from the Canada Soccer club licensing program. Information will be directly distributed to all those required to complete the course or members may contact Team Services directly for additional information. 

Safety of players and members is a guiding principle within our Club values. We strive to not only provide children with a safe place to play, but more importantly a feeling of safety when around team officials and members in general.  

Along with other safety measures already in place, we have adopted The Rule of Two, which states that there should be a minimum of two screened and NCCP-trained or certified coaches  with an athlete in all situations where the athlete is potentially vulnerable. Other than medical emergencies, coaches are to avoid all one-on-one interactions with individual players to keep both the player and coach safe.  

All team head coaches must complete the RULE OF TWO Module: https://coach.ca/responsible-coaching-movement/rule-of-two

The Coaching Association of Canada has developed the following standards for the Rule of Two: 

Person of Authority includes but not limited to coaches, assistant coaches, managers, support personnel, chaperones, and Directors of the club or organization. 

Canada Soccer expects that all organizations will work toward the Gold Standard – having two NCCP-trained or certified coaches always present with an athlete. If NCCP-trained or certified coaches are not available, screened volunteers (such as managers, support personnel, chaperones, and Directors of the club or organization) should be available instead. If screened volunteers are not available, parents of other athletes should be asked to temporarily substitute. If another adult is not available, there should always be more than one athlete with the coach (this is the lowest standard and is not recommended).  

This policy should be considered before/during/after team practices & games, travel, and overnight stays. We understand that it is not always easy or convenient to follow this Rule, yet it is critical to ensure athlete and participant safety in sport. 

As a Club, we respect and observe the procedures outlined in Canada Soccer’s Guide to Safety: 

Travel
The following guidelines are strongly recommended during travel with athletes:  

• A Person in Authority may not be alone in a car with an athlete unless the Person in Authority is the athlete’s parent or guardian  
• A Person in Authority may not share a room or be alone in a hotel room with an athlete unless the Person in Authority is the athlete’s parent or guardian  
• Room or bed checks during overnight stays must be done by two Persons in Authority

Locker Room / Changing Area / Meeting Room  
The following guidelines are strongly recommended for locker rooms, changing areas, and meeting rooms:  

• Interactions between a Person in Authority and an individual athlete should not occur in any room where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy such as the locker room, meeting room, washroom, or changing area. A second Person in Authority should be present for all necessary interactions in any such room  
• If Persons in Authority are not present in the locker room or changing area, or if they are not permitted to be present, they should still be available outside the locker room or changing area and be able to enter the room or area if required  

Training / Competition Environment
The following guidelines are strongly recommended for the training and competition environment (including before, during, and after practices and games):  

• A Person in Authority should never be alone with an athlete prior to or following a game or practice, unless the Person in Authority is the athlete’s parent or guardian. If the athlete is the first athlete to arrive, the athlete’s parent should remain until another athlete or Person in Authority arrives. Similarly, if an athlete would potentially be alone with a Person in Authority following a game or practice, the Person in Authority should ask another Person in Authority (or a parent or guardian of another athlete) to stay until all the athletes have been picked up. If an adult is not available then another athlete should be present in order to avoid the Person in Authority being alone with a single athlete  
• Persons in Authority giving instructions, demonstrating skills, or facilitating drills or lessons to an individual athlete should always be doing so within earshot and eyesight of another Person in Authority   

Gender Identity  
A Person in Authority who is interacting with athletes should be of the same gender identity as the athletes. The following guidelines are strongly recommended:  

• For teams consisting of athletes of just one gender identity, a Person in Authority of the same gender identity should be available to participate or attend every interaction  
• For teams consisting of athletes of more than one gender identity (e.g., co-ed teams), a Person in Authority of each gender identity should be available to participate or attend every interaction

Further Recommendations in a Virtual Setting  

• The Rule of Two should continue to apply to all minor athletes in the virtual environment during the COVID-19 pandemic (additionally, for those athletes under age 16, a parent or guardian should be present during the session where possible); 
• We recommend applying the Rule of Two to non-minor athletes, as well, in the current circumstances; 
• For every session, the Rule of Two would require two adult coaches be present, or one coach and one adult (parent, guardian, volunteer, club administrator) – one-on-one sessions should be prohibited; 
• A clear statement of professional standards expected of the coach during calls should be communicated – (i.e., sessions are not social engagements, and should be focused on training/coaching);
• Parents/guardians should be fully informed beforehand about the activities undertaken during the sessions, as well as the process of the virtual session; 
• Parents/guardians should be required to consent to virtual sessions prior to each session, if irregularly scheduled, or prior to the first session if there is a series of regularly scheduled sessions;
• Communication during each session should be in an open and observable environment (i.e., avoid bedrooms) in the athlete’s home (athlete’s parents’/guardians’ home), and the coach must initiate the session from an appropriate location (i.e., avoid bedrooms or “overly personal”/unprofessional settings); 
• It is recommended to record sessions where that capacity exists; 
• Prohibit one-on-one texting, emailing or online contact between coach and athlete – any texting, emailing or online contact should be limited to group text/email that includes at least two adults (two coaches or one coach and one adult (parent, guardian, volunteer, club administrator), and limited to coaching (non-social) matters, and parents of minor athletes should be provided the opportunity to receive these texts/emails; 
• Social media contact by coach to athlete should be prohibited (including the sharing of memes, non-training video, etc.); 
• Encourage parents/guardians to debrief with U-16 athletes about virtual training on a weekly basis. 

In addition, care should also be taken to ensure that appropriate security settings have been set for virtual, videoconferencing arrangements, including password protected videoconference invitations.

Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club (CMFSC) supports CMFSC registered teams traveling together to experience the benefits of soccer in new locations. CMFSC requires all teams objectively traveling as representatives of CMFSC to conduct themselves in accordance with the directions in this policy, CMFSC Values and the Code of Conduct. This policy sets out some of the parameters CMFSC teams travelling need to understand.

CMFSC Team Travel Policy

The purpose of this document is to communicate to all officials a program to be followed by all club members and ensure consistency amongst all teams. Only "club issued and approved" gear may be worn when representing the CMFSC. Players and coaches [and managers - not on field] are not permitted to wear any clothing other than that described in the following articles.

The primary colours for CMFSC are Royal Blue and Black.

Club gear and logo are only to be used on board approved chosen brand and supplier.

The club home jersey is blue and black stripes and must be worn whenever there is not a conflict with the opposing team. This is our primary uniform and brand.

Absolutely nothing is to be attached to uniforms and club specific attire unless instructed by the club Board of Directors. Club specific attire is defined as:

• Club uniforms, shorts & socks
• Club warm up shirts
• Club track suits
• Club back packs / bags

Teams or individuals found not to be adhering to the Uniform policy will be required to correct, dispose and replace the offending gear, at their own expense, immediately upon notification.

All outerwear/training gear (track suits, tops, pants, jackets, training shirts, shorts & socks) must follow the primary color combination. Each season, the club/board will determine the styles that will be available.

For the alternate uniforms, the club/board will determine the style of the white alternates on an annual basis.

The Club's Equipment Manager assigns uniforms.

If a coach, manager or divisional coordinator is unsuccessful in obtaining equipment from a player, the equipment manager is to be notified so that the Board of Directors can deal with these individuals.

For players on a multiple payment model, should they fail to complete payments, they will be contacted by a club official on three (3) instances over a 30-day period following the due date of the fees. Failure to communicate with the club official and/or making mutually agreeable alternate arrangements will result in their suspension from all club programs. 

Unpaid registration fees after the expiry of the 30-day period may also result in the member being removed from the roster and active status within the District and BC Soccer.