Sport Safety

WHAT IS sport safety?

Fostering a sport environment that is safe for all participants, at all levels of competition, is everyone’s responsibility. A safe-sport environment is one that does not jeopardize an athlete’s mental, physical, emotional or sexual health and well-being but instead promotes strength, resilience, and self-confidence. 

Have a sport safety concern?

Athletes, parents, coaches, officials, and club leaders with sport safety related concerns can access resources and educational material here. If you require further information on how to file a complaint with Tennis Canada’s third-party reporting system, you can contact sportsafety@tenniscanada.com or visit the Tennis Canada Reporting and Resources website.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP with Sport Safety in TENNIS?

We all need to recognize the responsibility that we have to protect our athletes. We all play a part in creating a safe and supportive environment that fosters positive growth and personal development for athletes on and off the court. Education and awareness are the most critical components to create a safe environment free of abuse and harassment. We can all help with sport safety in tennis by encouraging our tennis organizations to adopt safe-sport education and screening requirements. Adopting these requirements is important because:

• We have an ethical and moral duty to protect our athletes.
• It is imperative that all persons in positions of authority be held to a high standard of conduct.
• It reduces the liability for coaches and club board members. Liability can extend to not only the perpetrator of the act, but also to an organization “sufficiently close” to make a claim of vicarious liability appropriate.

sport safety EDUCATION and SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

In accordance to CAC guidelines, Tennis Canada, with the support of its provincial partners, has made it mandatory for everyone who is coaching, instructing, or assisting, and who is in a position of authority in all indoor and outdoor clubs in Canada, to complete the following safe-sport education and screening requirements:

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Importance of the Rule of Two

We also strongly encourage clubs to strengthen their policies and procedures regarding child safety and to implement them in everyday practice. One of the easiest ways to do this is to educate all coaches and staff on the Rule of Two, which requires two screened and certified coaches to be present at all times with a single athlete or multiple athletes when in an enclosed space. The spirit of this rule is to ensure that both athlete and coach are not put in a vulnerable position. More information on how to implement the Rule of Two can be found here. Additional best practices for clubs can be found here.

HOW TO COMPLETE YOUR SAFE SPORT REQUIREMENTS

The TPA provides three options to help individuals complete their safe-sport requirements. It is recommended that coaches complete their safe-sport requirements through active TPA Certification that provides supplementary benefits and resources. If full TPA certification does not fit your needs, the Community Tennis Facilitator Training or the Online Safeguarding Education Program are also available for tennis club staff in a position of authority.

What if I’m already a TPA member and I still need to complete my safe sport requirements?

If you are an active, certified TPA coach and you still need to complete your safe-sport requirements, please make sure you are first signed into your TPA account and then use the links below to complete your Background Check and/or Respect in Sport Module for free: