TOP Sports' is committed to providing a safe, positive, and respectful sport environment for all parents, players, coaches, and referees. Any parent, player, or coach that violates the terms set forth in the Code of Conduct may be subject to immediate dismissal from the TOP Sports program without warning, and will not receive a refund on program or registration fees.
These terms include, but are not limited to:
Please note the above terms are subject to a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY, and warnings will not be issued.
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.
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.
TOP Sports is committed to maintaining the health, well-being, and safety of all it's participants. Safety is a top priority for those participating in any sports, 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:
If a player is suspected of having a concussion;
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.
Requirements for Sport Organizations
Rowan’s Law (Concussion Safety), 2018 makes it mandatory for sports organizations to
2. Effective July 1, 2019, establish a Concussion Code of Conduct that sets out rules of behaviour to support concussion prevention. Each year, Athletes, Coaches and Team Trainers must review and sign off on their applicable Codes of Conduct.
3. Effective July 1, 2020, establish a Removal-from-Sport and Return-to-Sport protocol.
Further information and sample templates is available online here.
The purpose of Rowan’s Law legislation is to promote culture change and make participation in amateur competitive sport safer. There are no enforcement or monitoring provisions in Rowan’s Law.
It is up to entities and individuals to ensure that they comply with the laws of Ontario.
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
Strike 2: Temporary Removal from Practice/Game
Strike 3: Permanent Removal from Practice/Game
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.
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.
Team Programs
Registration fee deposits are payable upon registration in order to confirm a roster spot on TOP Sports' teams. If a player opts to leave the program after a deposit is paid, a release will be granted but the deposit will not be refunded. Once the balance of the registration fees are paid, no refunds will be offered.
Camps & Skills Programs
Registration fees are payable upon registration in order to confirm a spot in TOP Sports' camps or skills programs. In the event of any cancellations that we have to make to camps or programs related to COVID-19 or similar, we will be offering full refunds to all families. In the event that participants request a refund for a camp, they must do so 30-days prior to the start of camp to receive a full-refund. If within the 30-day window but still more than 14-days away from the start of a camp, credit will apply if a refund request is made. If the refund request is made within 14-days before the start of a camp, no refund or credit will apply. No refunds will be offered once the program has begun, or offered for missed classes or practices regardless of when the cancellation was made.
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.
Tryouts will take place for all TOP Sports teams at the 12U age group and older.
It is not the aim of TOP Sports to make large amounts of changes in personnel year to year. The aim when picking teams will be to keep the relative skill level of the team as close as possible from top to bottom to ensure the optimal environment for everyone’s development and to maximize the experience of our players.
"I played everything. I played lacrosse, hockey, soccer, track and field. I was a big believer that you played hockey in the winter and when the season was over you hung up the skates and you played something else." - Wayne Gretzky
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