Safe Sport Program, Policy and Sources

Updated on Oct 2, 2025

A Fair and Safe Sport Program

As part of the British Columbia Table Tennis Association’s commitment to Safe Sport and inclusion, our youth athletes’ education program delivery board of directors, admin staff, and coaches, officials have completed “Commit to Kids” training through the “Canadian Center for Child Program”.  All BCTTA’s directors, employees, coaches, and volunteers are required to adhere to the “BC Universal Code of Conduct” to advance a respectful sport culture that delivers quality, inclusive, welcoming, and safe sport experiences.

All BCTTA’s directors, employees, coaches, and volunteers involved with program delivery, who work with or potentially have unsupervised access to the children, youth, or vulnerable adults, must undergo criminal record checks by the “Criminal Records Review Program “(CRRP).

BCTTA values fair, safe, open, and inclusive sport for all. To this end, in partnership with ViaSport and TTCAN (Table Tennis Canada), we promise and activate initiatives with and for our program participants.

1. Definition

Safe Sport refers to our collective responsibility to create, foster, and preserve sport environments that ensure positive, healthy, and fulfilling experiences for all individuals.

BCTTA is committed to creating a safe sport environment that is accessible, inclusive, and free of abuse, harassment, discrimination, and all forms of maltreatment.

Reporting concerns and violations to “the British Columbia Universal Code of Conduct” (BCUCC) is the responsibility of BCTTA. BCTTA will investigate all reported violations as described in the BCUCC.

The following terms have the meaning in the policy:

“Minor”—Any participant who is under the age of U19 at the time and in the jurisdiction where the alleged maltreatment has occurred. Adults are responsible for knowing the age of a minor ( a child, younger than 19).

“Participant”—Any individual who is subject to the BCUCC. Participants may become subject to the BCUCC by various means: Individuals (athletes, coaches, trainers, officials, volunteers, administrators, directors, etc.) through membership in a Federated Sport Organization (TTCAN) and /or by signing a contract with ViaSport accepting the jurisdiction of the BCUCC.  This could include a parent or legal guardian of a Minor registered in a federated sport in BC who becomes a participant and is therefore subject to the BCUCC.

“Persons in authority”— Any Participant who holds a position of authority within BCTTA including, but not limited to, ambassadors, educators, youth program delivery leads, managers, support personnel, committee members, and directors, administrators.

“Vulnerable Individuals”— A person under the age of 19 years old and/or a person who, because of age, disability, or other circumstance, is in a position of dependence on others or is otherwise at a greater risk than the general population of being harmed.

2. Purpose

The Participant Protection Policy outlines how persons in Authority shall maintain a safe sport environment for all participants.

3. Policy

3-1. Interactions between persons in authority and participants

1. 1. 1. The program environment should be visible and accessible so that all interactions between persons in authority and participants are observable.
      2. Private or one- on- one situations that are not observable by another adult or participant should be avoided. If the situations cannot be avoided, they must be observable or within earshot of another adult or participant.
      3. Vulnerable participants must not be in any situation where they are alone with a person in authority without another participant or adult present unless prior written permission is obtained from the vulnerable individual’s parent or guardian.
      4. Persons in authority may not invite or host a vulnerable individual in their home without the written permission from parents or guardians, or without parents or guardians knowing the visit.
      5. I am strongly recommended that teams or groups of participants have at least two persons in authority with them. Screened parents or volunteers may act in place of persons in authority.

3-2. Events and Activities

1. 1. 1. If a vulnerable participant is the first participant to arrive, the participant’s parent or guardian should remain until another participant or person in authority arrives.
      2. If a vulnerable participant would potentially be alone with a person in authority following a competition or practice, the person in authority should ask another person in authority or a parent or guardian of another participant to stay until all of the participants have been picked up. If an adult is unavailable, another participant, who is preferably not a vulnerable participant, should be present in order to avoid the person in authority being alone with a single vulnerable participant.
      3. Persons in authority giving instructions, demonstrating skills, or facilitating drills or lessons to an individual participant should always do so within eyesight and earshot of another person in authority.
      4. If a person in authority and a participant expect to be away from other participants for a period of time, they must inform another person I authority where they are going and when they are expected to return. Persons in authority should always be reachable by phone or text message.

3-3. Communication

• • 1. For communication in any form between persons in authority and participants, all communications such as texts, messages, or emails, shall be professional in tone.

Additionally, the following guidelines must be followed:

• • • • Group messages, group emails, or collaboration pages are to be used as the regular method of communication between persons in authority and participants.
      • Persons in authority may only send texts, direct messages, or emails to individual participants when necessary and only for communicating information related to the program, issues, and activities (non-personal information). No personal texts between vulnerable individuals and a person in authority are to be sent; however, if it is necessary, it should include one other adult in the message.
      • Communication between persons in authority and participants that is personal in nature should be avoided. If such personal communication is unavoidable, it must be recorded and available for review by another person in authority and/or by the participant’s parent/guardian (i.e., if the individual is a vulnerable participant).
      • Parents/guardians may request that their child not be contracted by a person in authority using any form of electronic communication and/or may request that certain information about their child not be distributed in any form of electronic communications.
      • All communications between a person in authority and participants must be between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00 pm.
      • Communication concerning drugs or alcohol use is not permitted,
      • Communications may not include sexually explicit language, imagery, or content.
      • Person in authority should not ask participants to keep secret for them.
      • A person in authority should not become overly involved in a participant’s personal life.

3-4. Travel or out-of-province training

• • • • Groups of participants are to travel with at least two or three persons with them.
      • A person in authority should not drive a vehicle alone with a vulnerable participant unless the person in authority is the participant’s parent or guardian. If it cannot be avoided, the participant must ride in the back seat.
      • A person in authority may not share a room or be in a hotel room alone with a participant unless the person in authority is the participant’s parent/guardian or spouse.
      • Room or bed checks during overnight stays must be done by two adults, one of whom is in authority.
      • For overnight programs when participants must share a space, roommates must be age-appropriate (e.g., within approximately two years of age of one another) and of the same gender.

3-5. Close Spaces

• • • • Interactions between persons in authority and participants should not occur in any area when there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as a washroom or changing area. A second adult should be present for any necessary interaction between an adult and a participant in any such area.
      • If persons in authority are not present in the washroom or changing area, or if they are not permitted to be present, they should, to the best of their ability, be available outside the locker room or changing area and be able to enter the room or area required, e. g. communications and/or emergency.

3-6. Photography /Video

• • • • Photographs and videos should be taken in public view. Content must observe generally accepted standards of decency and be both appropriate for and in the best interest of the participant.
      • The use of recording devices in any areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as locker rooms or washrooms, is strictly prohibited.
      • If content featuring a participant will be used on any form of public media, the BCTTA release consent form must be completed before the content is recorded.

3-7. Physical Contact

• • • • A person in authority must always request permission to make physical contact from the participant in advance and clearly explain where, why, and how the physical contact will occur. The person in authority must make clear that they are requesting to touch the participant and not requiring physical contact.
      • Infrequent, incidental physical contact during a program session is not considered a violation of policy.
      • Non-essential physical contact may not be initiated by the person in authority. It is recognized that some participants may initiate non-essential physical contact such as hugging or other physical contact with a person in authority for various reasons (e.g., such as celebrating after a strong performance or crying after a poor performance).  This physical contact should always occur in an open and observable environment.

3-8. How to Report Maltreatment

If you are aware of a suspected incident of abuse, harassment, discrimination+, bullying, or maltreatment, we encourage you to reach out to the “Canadian Sport Help line” (Phone Number: 1-866-971-2777) for support. BCTTA’s board president and directors are also reachable at  bcttatournament@gmail.com, respectively.

Victims link BC: a toll-free, confidential, multi-lingual telephone and online service available across BC 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which provides information and referral services to all victims of crime and immediate crisis support to victims of family and sexual violence.

** If you, or someone close to you has been the victim of unacceptable behavior,  please use the resources below. If you think anyone has been harmed, regardless of age, please report to the Police or RCMP.

If you think a child or the youth under 19 years of  age is being abused or neglected, you have the legal duty and are required to report your concern to a child welfare worker.

Use anonymous and confidential complaints to the ITP “Integrity Counts” system, or call 1-800-758-9412.

Additional information and sources: