5.10 Why are codes of conduct so important?

‘My daughter Sofija has loved ice skating since she could walk. When she was small, she joined our local club with her friends. The club is easy-going. They have never been too bothered about having lots of rules and paperwork – the club is there to give kids the chance to skate.

For a long time, everything was fine, but then problems started. The coaches became more and more focused on winning – almost at all costs. Some kids – even long-time squad members like Sofija – never got a chance to skate, and coaches only seemed interested in the best skaters. The tone around the club changed too – there was a lot more shouting and swearing at the kids– it was horrible.

A group of parents decided we’d do something about it – but the club had no code of conduct we could use. Because the problem was about the coaches, we could only appeal to the club chair – but they sided with the coaches. Sofija really wanted to stay with her friends, but once the coaches heard that some parents had complained, Sofija and a few others were picked on. So, we decided to find another club.’