Code of Conduct

SUNSHINE UNITED CRICKET CLUB CODES OF BEHAVIOUR Members, players, administrators, umpires, parents, guardians and supporters of the Sunshine United Cricket Club who partake in the playing, administration and support of cricket within the associations (VTCA; WSC&CCA; WRJCA) in which our teams compete are bound by their rules, by-laws and codes of conduct. The following Codes of behaviour are to be read in conjunction with the Victorian Metropolitan Cricket Union (VMCU) Member Protection By-Laws. GENERAL CODE OF BEHAVIOUR As a person required to comply with these Codes, you must meet the following requirements in regard to your conduct during any activity held or sanctioned by a Community Cricket Peak Body, a Region, an Affiliated Association or an Affiliated Club:

1. Respect the rights, dignity and worth of others.
2. Be fair, considerate and honest in all dealings with others.
3. Be professional in, and accept responsibility for your actions.
4. Make a commitment to providing quality service.
5. Operate within the rules of the sport including state guidelines that govern Cricket Victoria, the Community Cricket Peak Bodies, the Regions and Affiliated Associations and Clubs.
6. Do not use your involvement with a Community Cricket Peak Body, a Region or Affiliated Club and Association to promote your own beliefs, behaviours or practices where these are inconsistent with those of Community Cricket Peak Bodies, Regions and Affiliated Associations and Clubs.
7. Demonstrate a high degree of individual responsibility especially when dealing with persons under 18 years of age, as your words and actions are an example.
8. Avoid unaccompanied and unobserved activities with persons under 18 years of age, wherever possible.
9. Refrain from any behaviour that may bring the sport of cricket, a Community Cricket Peak Body, a Region or Affiliated Club and Association into disrepute.
10. Provide a safe environment for the conduct of the activity.
11. Show concern and caution towards others who may be sick or injured.
12. Be a positive role model.
13. Understand the repercussions if you breach, or are aware of any breaches of this Code of Behaviour.
14. Act at all times to protect and promote the sport of cricket in accordance with the Spirit of Cricket.

SENIOR PLAYER CODE OF BEHAVIOUR In addition to the General Code of Behaviour, it is expected that senior players representing the Sunshine United Cricket Club would:

1. Play by the rules and abide by the Spirit of Cricket.
2. Never argue with an umpire. If you disagree, have your captain or coach approach the umpire during a break or after the game.
3. Control your temper. Verbal abuse of officials and sledging other players, deliberately distracting or provoking an opponent are not acceptable or permitted behaviours in cricket.
4. Work equally hard for yourself and your teammates.
5. Be a good sport. Applaud all good play.
6. Treat all participants in cricket as you would like to be treated yourself.
7. Co-operate with your coach, teammates and opponents.
8. Respect the rights, dignity and worth of fellow players, coaches, officials and spectators.
9. Refrain from conduct that could be regarded as sexual or other harassment.
10. Care and respect the Club uniform and equipment.
11. Be frank and honest with your coach concerning illness and injury and your ability to train and play fully.
12. Conduct yourself in a responsible manner relating to language, temper and punctuality.
13. Co-operate with coaches and staff in relation to programs that adequately prepare you for competition.
14. Be honest in your attitude and preparation to training.  Work equally hard for yourself and your team.
15. Maintain a high standard of personal behaviour at all times.
16. Do not engage in practises that affect sporting performance.

JUNIOR PLAYER CODE OF BEHAVIOUR In addition to the General Code of Behaviour, it is expected that junior players representing the Sunshine United Cricket Club would:

1. Play by the rules and within the Spirit of Cricket.
2. Never argue with an umpire. If you disagree, have your captain, coach or manager approach the umpire during a break or after the game.
3. Control your temper. Verbal abuse and/or physical abuse of players and officials will not be tolerated.
4. Work equally hard for yourself and your teammates. Your team’s performance will benefit and so will you.
5. Be a good sport. Applaud all good plays whether they are made by your team or the opposition.
6. Treat all participants as you would like to be treated yourself.
7. Co-operate with your teammates, coaches and administrators. Without them there would be no competition.
8. Participate because you enjoy it, not just to please parents and coaches.
9. Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every young person regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion.
10. Do not engage in practises that affect sporting performance eg: alcohol, tobacco and drug use.
11. Respect and acknowledge the contribution of those who create the opportunity for you to play.

COACH CODE OF BEHAVIOUR The Committee of the Sunshine United Cricket Club endorse and adopt the following WRJCA Code of Behaviour in relation to the conduct of our coaches, particularly when dealing with the younger players of our Club:

1. Operate within the rules and Spirit of Cricket and teach your players to do the same.
2. Remember that young people participate for pleasure and winning is only part of the fun.
3. Never ridicule or yell at a young player for making a mistake or not coming first.
4. Be reasonable in your demands on players’ time, energy and enthusiasm.
5. Avoid overplaying the talented players; all young players need and deserve equal time, attention and opportunities.
6. Ensure that equipment and facilities meet safety standards and are appropriate to the age and ability of all players.
7. Display control and respect to all those involved in Cricket. This includes opponents, coaches, umpires, administrators, parents and spectators. Encourage your players to do the same.
8. Show concern and caution toward sick and injured players. Follow the advice of a physician when determining whether an injured player is ready to recommence training or competition.
9. Obtain appropriate qualifications and keep up to date with the latest Cricket coaching practices and principles of growth and development of young people. Be honest and ensure that qualifications are not misrepresented.
10. Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every young person regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion.
11. Promote a climate of mutual support among your players. Encourage players to respect one another and to expect respect for their worth as individuals regardless of their level of play.
12. Encourage and facilitate players’ independence and responsibility for their own behaviour, performance, decisions and actions.
13. Determine, in consultation with the players, what information is confidential and respect that confidentiality.
14. Provide feedback to players in a caring sensitive manner to their needs. Avoid overly negative feedback.
15. Refrain from any form of personal abuse towards your players.  This includes verbal, physical and emotional abuse.  Be alert to any forms of abuse directed toward your players from other sources while they are in your care.  (Abide by Community Cricket Member Protection By-law).
16. Refrain from any form of harassment towards your players. Treat all players fairly within the context of their sporting activities, regardless of gender, race, place of origin, athletic potential, colour, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, socio-economic status, and other condition. (Abide by Community Cricket Member Protection By-law).
17. Be acutely aware of the power that you as a coach develop with your players in the coaching relationship and avoid any sexual intimacy with players that could develop as a result.
18. Avoid situations with your players that could be construed as compromising. Any physical contact with a young person should be appropriate to the situation and necessary for the player’s skill development.
19. At all times use appropriate training methods which will benefit the players and avoid those which could be harmful.  Ensure that the tasks, trainings, equipment and facilities are safe and suitable for age, experience, ability and physical and psychological conditions of the players.
20. Ensure the players time spent with you is a positive experience.  All players are deserving of equal attention and opportunities. Provide training and game opportunities that ensure everyone has a reasonable chance to succeed and to improve/acquire skills and develop confidence.
21. Actively discourage the use of performance enhancing drugs, the use of alcohol and tobacco and illegal substance. (Abide by the Cricket Victoria Anti-Doping Policy).
22. Recognise individual differences in players and always think of the player’s long-term best interests.
23. Set challenges for each player which are both achievable and motivating.
24. Respect the fact that your goal as a coach for the player may not always be the same as that of the player.  Aim for excellence based upon realistic goals and due consideration for the participant’s growth and development.
25. At all times act as a role model that promotes the positive aspects of sport and of Cricket by maintaining the highest standards of personal conduct and projecting a favourable image of Cricket and of coaching at all times.
26. Recognise your player’s rights to consult with other coaches and advisers.  Cooperate fully with other specialists (eg. sports scientists, doctors, physiotherapists, etc).
27. Do not exploit any coaching relationship or information gained through Cricket Victoria Programs, to further personal, political, or business interests.
28. Encourage players and coaches to develop and maintain integrity in their relationship with others.

PARENT/GUARDIAN CODE OF BEHAVIOUR In addition to the General Code of Behaviour, it is expected that parents/guardians of players representing the Sunshine United Cricket Club would comply with the following:

1. Do not force an unwilling child to participate in Cricket.
2. Children are involved in Cricket for their enjoyment, not yours.
3. Encourage children to play by the rules and in the Spirit of Cricket at all times.
4. Focus on the child’s efforts and performance rather than winning or losing.
5. Never ridicule or yell at a child for making a mistake or losing a game.
6. Respect officials’ decisions and teach children to do likewise.
7. If you disagree with an umpire or coach raise the issue through the appropriate channels.
8. Respect the rights, dignity, and worth of every young person regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion.
9. Be in communication with administrators, coaches, players, and umpires.  Teach children to do likewise. Remember without these volunteers we do not have a Club.
10. Be mindful of the fact that wherever your child is playing, you are as much an ambassador of the Club as the player. Your behaviour reflects on the Club as much as your child’s.
11. CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL

• Consumption of alcohol is NOT PERMITTED at any junior game in the WRJCA competitions (U/11; U/13; U/15).
• The Club has decided that the consumption of alcohol can only take place within the confines of the Clubrooms at Selwyn Park for any junior games in the VTCA junior competitions (U/18).

SPECTATOR CODE OF BEHAVIOUR In addition to the General Code of Behaviour, it is expected that spectators and guests visiting the Sunshine United Cricket Club would comply with the following:

1. Most players (in particular children) participate in Cricket activities for fun.  They are not participating for the entertainment of spectators only.
2. Applaud good performance and efforts by all players.
3. Respect the umpires’ and coaches decisions.  If there is a disagreement, follow the appropriate procedure in order to question the decision.
4. Never ridicule a player for making a mistake during a competition
5. Condemn the use of violence in any form, be it by administrators, coaches, players, umpires or parents/guardians.
6. Show respect for your team’s coach, the umpire and opponents.  Without them, there would be no game.
7. Encourage players to play according to the rules, the official decisions and the Spirit of Cricket, and develop your own knowledge of the rules.
8. Demonstrate appropriate social behaviour by not using foul language, and not harassing administrators, coaches, players or umpires.
9. Support the use of age-appropriate development activities and modified rules.
10. CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL

As the Sunshine United Cricket Club has a restricted Liquor Licence, please adhere to all requests made by the Club in relation to the consumption of alcohol at Selwyn Park. Particularly in relation to junior games, please take note:

• Consumption of alcohol is NOT PERMITTED at any junior game in the WRJCA competitions (U/11; U/13; U/15).
• The Club has decided that the consumption of alcohol can only take place within the confines of the Clubrooms at Selwyn Park for any junior games in the VTCA junior competitions (U/18).

Downloadable version of our Codes of Conducted