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Coaches Code of Conduct and Ethics

Respect for Individuals

  1. Treat and respect everyone equally, regardless of race, language, religion, culture, gender or physical ability.
  2. Recognise that your athletes can contribute in providing positive feedback on training methods and how best performance during training and competition could be optimised. Be a good listener when occasions for such interaction arise.
  3. Remember that there is a need for certain information to be kept confidential. Disclosure of such information should only be made with the consent of those who requested confidentiality.
  4. Be sensitive to the feelings of your athletes when providing feedback on their training progress and performance during competition. Criticisms if any should not be directed at the athlete; instead it should be on your athlete's performance.

Responsible Coaching

  1. Be responsible for periodically updating your coaching expertise through participation in courses, conferences and workshops, and through information available in resource materials.
  2. Prepare well-planned and sound training programmes and execute them in a manner that would benefit all your athletes.
  3. Recognise the limits of your knowledge and collaborate with other qualified practitioners. Where appropriate, refer your athletes to a more qualified coach or specialist.
  4. Advise your injured athlete to seek further medical treatment and suggest an appropriate recovery plan whenever possible. When deciding on your injured athlete's ability to continue training or competing, do take into account his/her future health and general well-being.
  5. Ensure that training and competition venues meet with minimum safety standards and that your athletes are properly attired.
  6. Avoid sexual intimacy with your athlete. Any physical contact with your athletes should be only absolutely necessary and during appropriate situations.

Integrity in Actions

  1. Be honest and sincere when communicating with your athletes. Do not give false hopes to your athlete.
  2. Inform a fellow coach if and when you are working with your athletes.
  3. Your coaching qualifications and experience should be accurately represented, both in written and verbal form.
  4. Abide by the rules of your sport and respect your opponents and those in positions of authority.
  5. Adopt a professional attitude and maintain the highest standards of personal conduct. It should encompass your mannerism, dress and language.
  6. Exercise self-awareness and evaluate how your values and actions influence your coaching activities positively or negatively.

Humanity
Coaches must respect the rights, dignity and worth of every human beings and their ultimate right to self-determination. Specifically, coaches must treat everyone equitably and sensitively, within the context of their activity and ability, regardless of gender, ethnic origin, cultural background, sexual orientation, religion or political affiliation and providing equal opportunities at all times.

Relationship

  1. The good coach will be concerned primarily with the well-being, safety, protection and future of the individual athlete. There must be a balance between the development of performance and the social, emotional, intellectual and physical needs of the individual.
  2. A key element in a coaching relationship is the development of independence. Athletes must be encouraged and guided to accept responsibility for their own behaviour and performance in training, in competition, and in their domestic, academic or business life.
  3. Coaches are responsible for setting and monitoring the boundaries between a working relationship and friendship with their athletes. This is particularly important when the athlete is a young person. The coach must realize that certain situations or friendly words and actions could be misinterpreted, not only by the athlete, but also by outsiders (or other members of a squad or group of athletes) motivated by jealousy, dislike or mistrust, and could lead to allegations of misconduct or impropriety.
  4. Where physical contact between coach and athlete is a necessary part of the coaching process, coaches must ensure that no action on their part could be misconstrued. The relationship between coach and athlete relies heavily on mutual trust and respect. This means that the athlete should be made aware of the coach's Qualifications and experiences and must be given the opportunity to consent to or decline proposals for training, performance or competition at any given time.

Commitment

  1. Coaches should clarify in advance with athlete (and/or employers) the number of sessions, fees (if any) and method of payment. They should explore with their athletes (and/or employers) the expectation of the outcome of coaching. Written contracts may be appropriate in some circumstances.
  2. Coaches have a responsibility to declare to their athletes and/or employers any other current coaching commitments. They should also find out if any prospective client is receiving instruction from another teacher/coach. If so, the teacher/coach should be contacted to discuss the situation.
  3. Coaches must make explicit to all parties concerned on the nature of the conflict and the loyalties and responsibilities involved, should they be aware of any conflicts between their obligation to their athletes and their obligation to their NSA, (or any other organizations in their employment).
  4. Coaches should expect a similar level of reciprocal commitment from their athletes. In particular, the athlete (parent/guardian in the case of a minor) should inform the coach of any change in circumstances that affect the coach/athlete relationship.
  5. Coaches should receive appropriate acknowledgment for their contribution to the athlete's progress and achievement. Where money is earned from performances, it is reasonable to expect the coach should receive an appropriate share of the rewards. Such apportionment with any attendant conditions should be agreed in advance (in writing) to avoid any misunderstanding between both parties.

Co-operation

  1. Coaches should communicate and co-operate with other sports and allied professions in the best interests of their athletes. An example of such contact should be the seeking of:
    • educational and career counselling for young athletes whose involvement in sport impinges upon their studies
    • Sport science advice through recognized personnel from either the Singapore Sports Council or individual qualified professionals in this field.
  2. Coaches must communicate and co-operate with registered medical and ancillary practitioners in the diagnosis, treatment and management of their athletes' medical and psychological problems.

Integrity

  1. Coaches must not encourage athletes to violate the rules of their sport. They should actively seek to discourage and condemn such actions and encourage athletes to obey the spirit of the rules.
  2. Coaches must not compromise their athletes by advocating measures that could constitute unfair advantage. They must not adopt practices to accelerate performance improvement that might jeopardize the safety, total well-being and future participation of the athlete. Coaches must never advocate or condone the use of prohibited drugs or other banned performance enhancing substances.
  3. Coaches must ensure that the activities, training and competition programs they advocate and direct or appropriate for their age, maturity, experience and ability of the individual athlete.
  4. Coaches must treat opponents with due respect, both in victory and defeat, and should encourage their athletes to act in a similar manner. A key role for a coach is to prepare athletes to respond to success and failure in a dignified manner.
  5. Coaches must accept responsibility for the conduct of their athletes and discourage inappropriate behaviour in training, competition, and away from the sporting arena.

Advertising

  1. Advertising by sports coaches in respect of qualifications, training and/or services must be accurate and professionally restrained. Coaches must be able to present evidence of current qualifications upon request. Evidence should also be available to support any claim associated with the promotion of their services.
  2. Coaches must not display any affiliation with an organization in a manner that falsely implies sponsorship or accreditation by their organisation.

Confidentiality

  1. Sports coaches inevitably gather a great deal of personal information about athletes in the course of a working relationship. Coach and athlete must reach agreement about what is to be regarded as confidential information (i.e. not divulged to a third party without the express approval of the athlete).
  2. Confidentiality does not preclude the disclosure of information about an athlete to persons who can be judged to have a right to know. For example:
    • Evaluation for competitive selection purposes
    • Recommendations for employment
    • In pursuit of disciplinary action involving athletes within the sport
    • In pursuit of disciplinary action by a sports organisation against one of its members
    • Legal and medical requirements for disclosure
    • Recommendations to parents/family where the health and safety of athletes might be at stake
    • In pursuit of action to protect children from abuse.

Abuse of Privilege

  1. The sports coach is privileged to have regular contact with athletes and occasionally to travel and reside with athletes in the course of coaching and competitive practice. A coach must not attempt to exert undue influence over the athlete in order to obtain personal benefit or reward.
  2. Coaches must consistently display high personal standards and project a favourable image of their sport and of coaching to athletes, their parents/families, other coaches, officials, spectators, the media and the public.
  3. Personal appearance is a matter of individual taste but the sports coach has an obligation to project an image of health, cleanliness and functional efficiency.
  4. Sports coaches should never smoke while coaching.
  5. Coaches should not drink alcohol so soon before coaching that it would affect their competence to coach, compromise the safety of the athletes or obviously indicate they had been drinking (e.g. smell of alcohol on breath).

Safety

  1. Within the limits of their control, coaches have a responsibility to ensure, as far as possible the safety of the athletes with whom they work with.
  2. All reasonable steps should be taken to establish a safe working and training environment.
  3. The work done and the manner in which it is done should be in keeping with the regular and approved practice with their sport, as determined by the NSA.
  4. The activity undertaken should be suitable for their age, physical and emotional maturity, experience and ability of the athletes.
  5. Coaches have a duty to protect children from harm and abuse.
  6. The athletes should have been systematically prepared for the activity and made aware of their personal responsibilities in terms of safety.
  7. Coaches should arrange adequate insurance to cover all aspects of their coaching practice.

Competency

  1. Coaches shall confine themselves to practice in those elements of sport for which their training and competence is recognized by the appropriate NSA. Training includes the accumulation of knowledge and skills through formal coach education courses, independent, research and the accumulation of relevant verifiable experience.
  2. Competence to coach should normally be verified through evidence of qualifications. Competence cannot be inferred solely from evidence of prior experience.
  3. Coaches must be able to recognize and accept when to refer athletes to other coaches or agencies. It is their responsibility, as for as possible, to verify the competence and integrity of any other person to whom they refer an athlete.
  4. Coaches should regularly seek ways of increasing their personal and professional development.
  5. Coaches should welcome evaluation of their work by colleagues and be able to account to athletes, employers and colleagues for what they do and why.
  6. Coaches have a responsibility to themselves and their athletes to maintain their own effectiveness, resilience and abilities. They should recognize when their personal resources are so depleted that help is needed. This may necessitate the withdrawal from coaching temporarily or permanently.

In addition, Overseas competition and National Representation
When been selected by NSA to lead a team of athletes for overseas competition or Major Games, Coaches shall act as officials and must abide by the following rules and codes:

  1. I will be responsible for the safety of all the athletes put under my care for the competition/race, until the return back to Singapore after the competition/race.
  2. I will treat all athletes involved with equality, regardless of which coaches they are training with.
  3. I am on duty as a sports ambassador for the Republic of Singapore and the Triathlon Association of Singapore, and I must conduct myself in a proper manner at all time.
  4. I will read and understand any selection policy or instructions made available to the athletes, by TAS and agree to monitor them closely.
  5. I will read and understand ITU competition rules that can be found on (www.triathlon.org)
  6. I will treat all other athletes, officials, volunteers, spectators and coaches with respect and courtesy.
  7. I will not engage in any activities that will bring TAS, SSC and Singapore into disrepute, and tarnish the image of the Sport.
  8. I will not engage in activities that may violate the laws of Singapore or that of any other country where the competition or training is being held.
  9. I will avoid the use of abusive language.
  10. I will respect all private property, and will preserve the good state of the properties, facilities and equipments offered to me at the event venue.
  11. I will observe proper standards of personal hygiene.
  12. I am responsible for checking on the schedules of the competition and races, and ensure that me and the athletes attend and be punctual for all the appointments, meals, briefings, official functions (such as press conference, medal ceremonies, open and closing ceremonies etc).
  13. I will immediately inform the person-in-charge or the organizer should any of my athletes, at any point of time feel unwell or has suffered any personal injuries prior to the competition/race.

By clicking on the "I Agree" button below, I hereby agree to be a coach registered under the Triathlon Association of Singapore (TAS). I understand and agree to abide to the following points, that I:

  1. Will abide to the coaches' Code of Conduct & Ethics set out in this agreement.
  2. Shall contribute back to TAS in terms of coaches' development, sports development programmes, and athletes' development in whatever way possible.
  3. Accept that TAS reserves full discretion in all matters pertaining to Coaches' selection for further education, coaches' selection for participation in overseas competitions and Major Games, and that TAS's decision on all matters is final.
  4. Shall make no statement, representation or claims for and on behalf of TAS in relations to matters mentioned therein save such as are specifically authorized by TAS.
  5. Shall on demand indemnify TAS from any liability for any loss arising directly or indirectly out of, resulting from or in connection with the provision of the coaching services by me or their use by any person. "Loss" means any claim, liability (civil or criminal), damage, injury, death, demand, expense, fee, fine, payment, proceeding, loss (including loss of profit, any indirect, special or consequential loss), compensation and/or penalty of any kind.
  6. Accept that failing to abide by this agreement and also the code of conduct may result in the removal of continuity of any of my coaches' accreditation supported by TAS previously.

  I Agree