club policies

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For recreational program registrations (Learn-to-Play, Development, Camps, etc), excluding Academy teams, our cancellation policy is as follows: 

• If a cancellation is made more than 30-days from the start of the program, a full refund less the $25.00 admin fee will be processed.
• If a cancellation is made between 14 and 30 days from the start of the program, a full program credit less a $25.00 admin fee will be processed and can be redeemed towards any TOP Sports program with no expiration.
• If a cancellation is made between 7 and 14 days from the start of a program, a 50% program credit less a $25.00 admin fee will be processed and can be redeemed towards any TOP Sports program with no expiration.
• If a cancellation is made less than 7-days from the start of a program, no refund or credit will be applied.

No refunds will be offered once the program has begun, or offered for missed classes or sessions regardless of when the cancellation was made. Program credits are non-transferable, non-refundable, and do not expire. Program credits cannot be used towards Academy team registration fees.

Refund/Cancellation Fee

All refunds & cancellations are subject to a $25.00 administrative fee per registration, regardless of when the cancellation is made.

Academy Team Refund Policy

To ensure that we are providing the best experience possible and maximizing the quality of our programs, Academy team registration fees are non-refundable and cannot be credited, transferred, or changed once registration is complete.

Due to the resources, scheduling, and limited roster spots available on Academy teams, no refunds or credits will be provided if a player withdraws from the program, or for any schedule conflicts, missed practices, missed games, or missed tournaments. 

In the event of a medical issue or injury preventing participation, a Doctor's note must provided confirming that the child is unable to participate in sports for at least 50% of the season, and a credit will be provided.

To maintain proper supervision of the whole session, our coaches are unable to leave the field or ice at any time for any reason and will not be able to take your child to the bathroom or fill their water bottles. If your child is in the care of another parent, they are responsible for helping your child with any of these issues.

We strongly encourage all players to use the bathroom before arriving at a program as bathrooms are not available at some facilities. Our coaches are NOT permitted to take children to the bathroom at any time. Parents/guardians must accompany their children to and from the bathroom.

TOP Academy team players will ALWAYS be held to a high standard of respect and behaviour. By playing for a TOP Academy team, athletes commit to always doing the following:

1. Being disciplined and focused.
2. Work as hard as possible.
3. Have a good attitude & be a good teammate.

Additionally, all TOP Academy athletes are expected to:

1. Treat themselves, their families, their teammates, their coaches, and their community with the utmost respect and integrity at all times.
2. Lead by example and commit to helping others.
3. Be resilient, and never, ever, give up.

Regardless of skill level, opportunity, or circumstance, the above attributes can be achieved no matter what. If our athletes are able to give us these things, we will take care of the rest.

TOP Academy is committed to providing a fun, harassment-free environment for all players, coaches, and parents. Any parent that violates the TOP Sports' Code of Conduct or behaves in an inappropriate manner will be immediately instructed to leave the field/rink, and a coach-parent conference will be arranged after the practice or game. If the behaviour persists the parent may be permanently banned from attending all TOP Academy practices and games. 

Youth sports should be focused on the enjoyment and improvement of all players, not providing an outlet for the ego of parents. Any behaviour contrary to this belief will be dealt with quickly and harshly. This is a zero-tolerance policy.  

TOP Sports' is committed to providing a safe, positive, and respectful sport environment for all parents, players, coaches, and referees. Any player that violates the Code of Conduct may be subject to immediate dismissal from the TOP Sports program without warning, and will not receive a refund for the program or registration fees.

These terms include, but are not limited to:

• Displays of aggressive or rude behaviour.
• Use of abusive or aggressive language.
• Displays of offensive, racist, sexist, or abusive language or actions.
• Any harassment, bullying, or verbal abuse of any kind.
• Any physical abuse of any kind.

Please note the above terms are subject to a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY, and warnings will not be issued.

We are committed to maintaining the health, well-being, and safety of all our participants. Safety is a top priority for those participating in any sport, and TOP Sports recognizes the increased awareness of concussions and their potential long‐term effects. 

This policy is intended to be a tool to assist in proper management of those who have a concussion or are suspected of having a concussion.  

TOP Sports encourages the prevention of concussions using valuable education programs and enforcement of the rules of the game.

This includes, but is not limited to:  

• The reduction of violence in the game. 
• The reduction of head contact.
• The reduction of hitting from behind.  Education of all participants on prevention and recognition of head injuries and responsible return to play. 
• Encouraging respect and fair play.

If a player is suspected of having a concussion;

• They will be removed from play immediately, regardless if the concussion occurred during play or not. The player will not be permitted to return to play that day. 
• If there are doubts, TOP Sports' staff will err on the side of caution and assume that a concussion has occurred.
• The player will be referred to a physician for diagnosis as soon as possible.
• Once a player is diagnosed with a concussion or is experiencing "concussion-like symptoms", they will not be permitted to return to play or practice until all of the return to play requirements are met.

For an overview of the proper steps to take after suffering a concussion, please refer to Parachute Canada's Concussion Guidelines here.

Following a diagnosed concussion, all TOP Sports' participants will be forbidden to participate in ANY sporting activities unless a Return-to-Play form has been signed by a medical doctor and submitted to the program director for review. 

For further information about the proper steps to return-to-play after a diagnosed concussion, please access the resources at Smart Teams, available here.

TOP Sports is committed to maintaining an inclusive and safe environment for all players, coaches, referees, volunteers, and parents. In accordance with our club Code of Conduct, TOP Sports' follows a very rigid "3-strike" discipline policy for all club teams, activities, and programs. 

In the event of a player, coach, volunteer, or parent acting in a way that breaches the TOP Sports' Code of Conduct, the discipline policy is as follows:

In the event of misbehaviour by a player, the following 3-strike policy will come into effect.

Players

Strike 1: Verbal Warning

• During a first incident, coaches will give a verbal warning to the player and ensure that they understand i) why the were given a verbal warning, and ii) what behaviour will constitute a second strike.

Strike 2: Temporary Removal from Practice/Game

• During a second incident, the player will be temporarily removed from the practice or game and be asked to sit out for a discretionary period of time. The senior coach on the ice/field has the sole discretion to determine how long that player will sit out. 

Strike 3: Permanent Removal from Practice/Game

• During a third incident, the player will be permanently removed from the practice or game on that day, and will be asked to leave the ice or field for the remainder of practice or game. In addition, the Head Coach or Program Director will arrange to have a direct conversation with the players' parents regarding the incidents, and further discipline may be levied.

In the unfortunate event that a player's behaviour becomes a clear distraction to their teammates, an in-person meeting will be arranged with the player, their parents, the head coach of the team, and the program director. Possible disciplinary action as a result of this situation may include the following.

• Suspension from the team or program for an appropriate amount of time with no refund.
• Removal from the team or program with no refund.

Parents

TOP Sports is committed to providing a fun, harassment free environment for all players, coaches, and parents. Any parent that violates the TOP Sports' Code of Conduct or behaves in an inappropriate manner will be immediately instructed to leave the field/rink, and a coach-parent conference will be arranged after the practice or game. If the behaviour persists the parent may be permanently banned from attending all TOP Sports' practices and games. 

Youth sports should be focused on the enjoyment and improvement of all players, not providing an outlet for the ego of parents. Any behaviour contrary to this belief will be dealt with quickly and harshly. This is a zero tolerance policy.

All individuals holding a volunteer or paid position with TOP Sports shall be subject to Criminal Record Checks which includes the Vulnerable Sector Screening and a search of the National Checks which includes the Vulnerable Sector Screening and a search of the National Sex Offender Registry.  

Individuals with outstanding Criminal Code convictions and/or pending charges for certain offences shall not be eligible to hold the positions with TOP Sports.

It is the position of TOP Sports that the Code of Conduct governs all social media forums and all members of the TOP Sports family must continue to abide by the code of conduct when participating in social media exchanges.

It is the policy of TOP Sports that harassment and bullying in any form will not be tolerated and be subject to disciplinary action.  All TOP athletes must refrain from such action and follow the Code of Conduct guidelines to report such incidents. Social Media forums have extended the definition of such infractions and have created a new term known as "cyberbullying". Online harassment, abuse and/or bullying are examples of cyberbullying and TOP Sports has a zero tolerance policy for these types of behaviour.

It is incumbent on all TOP Sports members to adhere to the Code of Conduct in all situations, including during the use of all Social Media forums and technology.  Otherwise, the appropriate measures will be taken and Code of Conduct guidelines will be followed to address such infractions.  

In the event of inclement weather or facility conditions, TOP Sports' reserves the right to cancel any practices, games, or team events with limited notice. Given the limited availability of fields and arenas, TOP Sports' is unable to reschedule or replay any practices or games which are cancelled or suspended due to weather or facility conditions. Every effort will be made to proceed with scheduled events as long as it is safe to do so.

In the event that TOP Sports' coaches and/or directors decide to cancel a practice or game due to inclement weather or facility conditions, every effort will be made to contact all affected families as soon as possible to communicate the changes.

Rain or Shine Policy

Unless the weather poses a significant safety risk, compromises the conditions of the facility, or we are forced by the facility to cancel, all TOP Sports sessions will continue as scheduled unless notified.

Lightning/Thunder

In the event of lightning or thunder during practices or games, all practices and games will be immediately halted. All parties are to quickly leave the field and seek shelter in a safe location. Players are not to return to the field - and the game will not be resumed - until 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning. Coaches/Program Directors have been advised to take a “better safe than sorry” approach concerning electrical storms and to always act with player safety in mind.

Facility Conditions

Practices or games may also be cancelled in the event of unsuitable field conditions. TOP Sports' maintains its programs by obtaining permits for a variety of fields. The owners of these fields have differing policies on when fields may not be used, but generally, if there has been significant rainfall that leaves standing water on the field, creates unsafe conditions for players or increases the likelihood of significant damage to the field, practices or games will not be played.

No refunds or credits of any kind will be offered for any missed practices or games due to weather or facility closures. TOP Sports' will always make a strong effort to ensure all practices and games are played as scheduled, but extenuating circumstances may apply in some cases.