Safe Sport
The SCA believes that we should be proactive in making cheerleading in our Province as safe as possible and welcoming for all participants. We know the concept of fair play extends beyond how athletes compete on the mat and behave on competition day; fair play also applies to how teams and clubs operate fairly and equitably when conflict arises.
The SCA is committed to reducing risk, eliminating barriers and creating a safe, welcoming and professional environment for all participants.
Submitting a Report
The SCA is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, healthy and inclusive sports environment where all members can participate in their sport free from abuse, maltreatment, harassment and discrimination. If you have a concern or have seen a member breach an SCA Policy, please take the most appropriate action from the list below to report this concern or violation.
Duty to Report
All SCA Participants are expected to promptly report any behavior of which they become aware that may constitute a breach of the Safe Sport Policy or contravenes the law. This includes situations where the breach is suspected, provided the SCA Participant has reasonable grounds to believe such suspicion is true.
If you have reasonable grounds to suspect that an individual is or may be suffering from emotional abuse, physical abuse, and/or sexual abuse, you should immediately report the suspicion and the information on which it is based to the local child protection agency and/or the local police department. Once you have taken the urgent action to protect a child in danger, please contact the SCA to ensure we are informed and can take any required action.
Report at the Program Level
In a situation where the alleged misconduct is less severe, and may not risk the safety, health or well-being of an athlete, the SCA encourages all members including: athletes, coaches, parents, gym owners, judges and volunteers to try and respectfully address the issue with the individual. If the first response is unsuccessful, individuals with unresolved concerns should then contact their gym manager or owner, club president, school administration or board of directors, if possible.
Report at the Provincial Level
Where the situation is more severe, reaches beyond the scope of an individual program, or if the concern directly involves the individual responsible for receiving complaints, then the concern should be reported.
Sask Sport has provided a Third Party reporting service, ITP Sport and Recreation (ITP), for all sports in Saskatchewan. The third party website is for individuals to report potential policy violations and incidents of maltreatment as defined in the SCA’s Safe Sport policy. Once a report has been filed, the appropriate individuals charged with the independant review of the report at ITP will receive it instantly. ITP will follow-up in accordance with the SCA’s policies. This process can take several months to complete.
Any Individual may report any complaint. A complaint must be In Writing and must be filed within 21 days of the alleged incident.
• To report the incident(s) as soon as possible, especially if their safety and/or the safety of others is at risk;
• To provide as much detail as possible about the alleged conduct, including the date, time, and location of the incident(s), the name of the person alleged to have engaged in misconduct, details of what happened and/or what was said, names of any witnesses, description of action taken (if any), and copies of any documents that may be relevant, e.g., a letter, email, or note that pertains to any matter in issue;
• To cooperate fully in the investigation and resolution of any concerns, incidents, and complaints;
• To uphold the strict confidentiality of all individuals involved in the matter;
• To refrain from knowingly submitting a false, malicious, or vexatious report of misconduct or complaint.
Link to the Confidential and Anonymous Reporting System
Report at Cheer Canada level
Cheer Canada should receive reports from individuals in any the following circumstances:
- concerns relating to Team Canada and Cheer Canada activities/events,
- if the individual had unsuccessful attempts to address their concerns at the first two levels,
- concerns involving multiple PSOs,
- if concerns are not related to program operations, or
- if the complaints are of a more serious nature and may involve abuse, harassment or discrimination.
Cheer Canada will use reasonable efforts to conduct the initial review and assessment in confidence, including where possible, protecting the anonymity of the Whistleblower. This includes reports, complaints, witness statements and other documents. Anonymous reports, while discouraged, can be submitted, but complaint processing may be hampered due to Canada Cheer’s inability to clarify detailed information with the person reporting the concern.
More Info on Reporting to Cheer Canada can be found on their Website.
Safe Sport Policy Manual
The Safe Sport Policy Manual has been established by the Board of Directors of the SCA to set out the processes that shall be implemented to prevent abuse against SCA participants, where coaches, teachers, administrators, supervisors, employees, volunteers, and adult participants hold positions of
power in these relationships.
SCA Safe Sport Policy Manual
Cheer Canada Suspension List
Sask Sport Resources
Sask Sport strives for sport in Saskatchewan to be as safe as possible and welcoming for all participants.
Keeping sport healthy, safe and fun has been a priority of Sask Sport for decades and we work with our membership and partners to fulfill that goal, on and off the field.
Sask Sport has policies and resources available that assist both sport organizations and participants in addressing complaints and preventing all forms of disputes and maltreatment. From common sport disputes to serious complaints, related to bullying, abuse, harassment, discrimination Sask Sport can help.
Sask Sport Website
Rule of Two
The goal of the Rule of Two is to ensure all interactions and communications are open, observable and justifiable. Its purpose is to protect participants (especially minors) and coaches in potentially vulnerable situations by ensuring more than one adult is present. There may be exceptions for emergency situations.
Rule of Two
Rule of Two in a Virtual Setting
The Responsible Coaching Movement
The Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM) is a call to action for sport organizations, parents, and coaches to enact responsible coaching across Canada – on and off the field of play.
Visit the Coaches Association of Canada Website for more info!
Safe Sport Training
Safe, inclusive sport environments help make sport rewarding and enriching for all. Safe Sport Training gives you the knowledge and skills to create those environments by recognizing, addressing and preventing maltreatment in sport.
Safe Sports Participant Training
