Member Protection and the North Adelaide Basketball Club

Team Protocols

The North Adelaide Basketball Club is introducing a range of protocols to ensure the safety of children in our care, as well as the protection of our coaching staff and volunteers.

These new protocols include: -

1. All coaches to have Basketball SA passes.
2. Every team will be required to have a manager.
3. Any team building function will need to be approved by Junior Operations Group one month before the event
4. Two approved adults are to be present at any such event, in addition to the coach.
5. Managers to be present at all pre-game and post-game discussions.
6. The establishment of a formal member protection policy
7. Establishing a reporting process for parents and children within the club – via mandatory reporting officers – initially David Durant, but with three additional people to be appointed.

We will also introduce some guidelines on the transport of juniors within to and from games as we are aware of some coaches being relied upon by parents to get their child to, or from, training sessions and games.

Children are the responsibility of their parents and the rest of the basketball community.  They therefore deserve our very best efforts to provide a safe learning environment within the sport.

The safe environment is different to the one we may have grown up in, and we need to accept that change.  Part of that change includes the ability to take photographs and videos – as innocent as that may seem. 

The club will be appointing four Mandatory Reporting Officers within the club and will also adopt the Australian Sports Commission’s Member Protection Policy.

The adoption of this policy means that we have a formal process in place to investigate initial complaints against coaches, parents and players.  It is a priority to protect children in our care.

Our procedure in the event that we have any level of complaint levelled against any coach will include an initial assessment by our mandatory reporting team.

If there is any element of doubt, we will favour the rights of the child.

NABC Protection Protocols in Detail

All coaches must have Basketball SA passes.

Coaches will need to carry these in any stadium.

The club will provide a kit, and instructions for its completion.

We expect coaches to complete and lodge the elements of the kit with BSA

The kit also requires a mandatory police check – which is paid for by the club.

Every team will be required to have a manager

In the past, not all teams have had managers. 

This is no longer satisfactory to the club and each team will need to appoint a manager by the second week of any basketball season.

The appointment of a manager is seen as one method to protect coaches and players alike.

Any team building function will need to be approved by Junior Operations Group one month before the event

Occasionally, teams want to hold some specific event(s) to bond players within a team.

Whilst we will not move to deny this opportunity, we do require each event to be approved by the Junior Operations Group (JOG). 

JOG meets regularly, but can also communicate quickly via email.  We do need some time to consider applications – so please contact your co-ordinator sooner, rather then later.

Two approved adults are to be present at any such event, in addition to the coach.

In any submission for team-building events needs to nominate two adults who will be present at the event.

Without adults present, no team-building events can take place.

Managers to be present at all pre-game and post-game discussions

These important discussions have sometimes been held with just the coach and player(s) present.

Some coaches have recognised the importance of having their manager present at such discussions – particularly if they are held behind closed doors.

It is good practice to hold any discussions with a manager present, and will be required into the future.

Special Note

In the past a number of coaches have provided additional skills based training for individual players.

It will be important for coaches and parents to realise that these are not club sanctioned sessions and would prefer that they did not take place.

However, if they are deemed necessary, we suggest that coaches provide coaching to small groups of 2-3 players and that there is a parent present at each session – perhaps on a rotating basis.  This provides a level of protection for all involved.

If you have any queries at all, on member protection, please contact David Durant 0418825207.