Safesport

What is Safesport?

Athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers have the right to participate in a safe and inclusive training and competitive environment that is free of abuse, harassment or discrimination. The Canadian Tenpin Federation (CTF) is committed to embracing the principles of True Sport and putting in place processes, procedures and policies to help create a safe environment for all participants. Our objective is to ensure greater participation at all levels of the sport by creating, maintaining and promoting a safe and welcoming sport culture through Education, Prevention and Response guided by our policies and procedures.

If you have any questions regarding safe sport practices and education within tenpin bowling, please reach out to Canadian Tenpin Federation  safesport@tenpincanada.com or Executive Director cinnes@tenpincanada.com

Abuse-Free Sport

The Canadian Tenpin Federation (CTF) has access to services provided by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which serves as the central hub for Abuse-Free Sport, the new independent program to prevent and address maltreatment in sport in Canada.

Abuse-Free Sport is part of the growing national movement to remove all forms of harassment, discrimination, and abuse from Canadian sport at all levels. It works to prevent maltreatment from grassroots all the way up to international, high performance sport. CTF, as a program signatory, is an active part of this movement and will continue to be moving forward.

Response

How to Report Abuse

CTF has always, is currently, and will continue to be committed to creating a safe and positive sport environment that is free of any types of maltreatments for all of its participants, from grassroots to high performance.

If you have experience abuse or have been witness to it within the sport of tenpin bowling, please contact the Canadian Sport Helpline by phone or text at 1-888-83SPORT (77678), or by email at info@abuse-free-sport.ca. This resource is available 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Reporting is critical in creating and maintaining a safe environment for all participants. As such, independent, third-party complaint management is a directive of Canada’s Safe Sport movement.

For concerns/complaints, or to report or discuss incidents or abuse or harassment of any kind related to National Team programs and CTF events/activities, there are two mechanisms which are used depending on the nature of the complaint and the jurisdiction of the respondent. The table below provides some detail as to which independent authority would receive the complaint. Again, for any questions, please refer to our policies or contact the Canadian Sport Helpline to help guide you through the process.

What National (UCCMS) Participants Individual (as defined by CTF policy)
Alleged UCCMS breach (allegations of maltreatment and discrimination in sport) Abuse-Free Sport Independent Third Party
Any other misconduct allegation under CTF policies Independent Third Party
 Independent Third Party

CTF has contracted ITP Sport as our Independent Third Party (ITP). They may be reached directly via 1 866-921-6714 or using an online form,  https://app.integritycounts.ca/org/itpsport. Either contact is confidential and will only be accessed by the Independent Third Party.

To further understand the guiding principles of Safesport, view this document: Annotated Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent Abuse and Maltreatment in Sport.  Further below, in the Helpful Links section,  you will find a link to the complete (unabridged) document as well.

Education

The Canadian Tenpin Federation (CTF) is committed to creating a safe and inclusive sporting environment. To support these objectives, the following training is available for all participants. CTF is requiring that all UCCMS participants complete the safe sport training module provided by the Coaching Association of Canada or the Respect Group Activity Leaders training.

CAC Safe Sport Training

The module is free and only takes 90 minutes; it provides participants with the tools and resources to recognize, address, and prevent maltreatment in sport. It aligns with UCCMS and Sport Canada’s requirements for safe sport education.

Visit the safe sport training module here: https://safesport.coach.ca/

The organization is also requiring that any national coach and/or judge complete the safe sport training and provide an up-to-date background check.

Respect in Sport Training

For any Canadian Tenpin Federation registered participant, unless directed by your NSO, “Respect in Sport” training is available on a voluntary basis and strongly recommended for coaches, any support staff, officials, volunteers, as well as parents across the country, on a user-pay basis.
For more information and previews on all of the Respect in Sport programs, including for Activity Leaders, and for Parents, as well as many other topics, go to:
https://www.respectgroupinc.com/respect-in-sport/

Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders
For: Coaches, Team Leaders, Managers, Officials, Club Volunteers
No cost when you use the code BFC-H4A6J2X .
Duration: 2.5 hours online, does not have to be completed in one sitting
Coaches with a NCCP number will receive 3 PD points upon completion

Instructions on where/how to Access the Course:
English
French

There are several other courses/programs for which we have access codes.
Please note, when there is no access code for a program, or we have exhausted the existing access codes, there may be a cost involved.

You can access any/all of the Respect in Sport courses by going to this link:
https://bfc-coach.respectgroupinc.com

Respect in Sport for Parents:  Access code is BFC-P-A7J8B9U

Gender Equity Lens:  Access code is BFC-W6C7J9Q

Keeping Girls in Sport: Access code is BFC-KGIS2-V2V3F6T

Rule of Two

One of the best ways to foster a safe environment for all those involved in sport (including athletes and Persons in Authority) is to abide by the Rule of Two. The Rule of Two states that there will always be two screened and safety-trained adults with a participant, especially a minor athlete, when in a potentially vulnerable situation (if they cannot be avoided). Vulnerable situations include medical treatments, travel, electronic communications, and closed door meetings/discussions.

For more information and to take the free Rule of Two training, click here: https://coach.ca/rule-of-two

Prevention

Policies

As part of the Canadian Tenpin Federation becoming a Program Signatory of OSIC, they have conducted a thorough review of all their policies; in conducting this review, they have adapted some of their policies to be better in line with UCCMS and adopted new ones. The changed new policies include:

Athlete Protection and Travel Guidelines

These guidelines are intended to help establish a common understanding of support considerations, tools, and resources for increasing the protection of athletes while taking part in Tenpin Bowling activities or traveling for tournaments.

True Sport

True Sport is important as the principles it lays out helps us build the sport that both we and our participants want! It works best when everyone together can commit to the True Sport principles. There are some resources below that can be used to promote the True Sport principles in your archery club.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The Canadian Tenpin Federation (CTF) is an inclusive organization and welcomes full participation of all individuals in our programs and activities, irrespective of race, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability. We strive to create a culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.

CTF will:

  • Achieve inclusion, sport equity in the administration, policies, and programs of CTF
  • Play a positive role in raising the awareness and understanding of inclusion and sport equity among its Registrants and Members

Helpful Links

Mental Health

The Canadian Tenpin Federation supports the mental health of all participants in the sport, at whichever level they participate. To perform the best on the lanes, athletes and participants must take care of their mental health off the lanes.

The Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS) is a registered charity supporting the mental health and performance of competitive and high-performance athletes, coaches, and performing artists. The CCMHS is the first Centre in Canada to offer collaborative sport/performance-focused mental health care services designed to help athletes, coaches, and performing artists achieve their performance goals while preserving their mental health and well-being. The CCMHS provides mental health services to competitive and high-performance athletes and coaches, as well as competitive performing artists. Here are the eligibility criteria:

  • Must be 16+ years of age
  • Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
  • Must participate in a sport or performance domain at a competitive or high-performance level
  • Must be experiencing mental health challenges

To learn more about the CCMHS or to reach out for support, please click here: https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/. *It must be noted that the CCMHS is not a partner of the Canadian Tenpin Federation (CTF), but is instead a resource for mental health; CTF does not control who is approved.

Kids Help Line

If you are feeling depressed or anxious, please tell someone you trust or contact the Kids Help Line at 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868.

Self-care includes your mental health; it’s not restricted to your physical health. If you want some guidance on how to create a self-care plan: https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/selfcare

Concussion Protocol

While concussions are not a common occurrence in the sport of tenpin bowling, it is important that athletes, coaches, parents, and volunteers are aware of the signs and symptoms of concussions. The Canadian Tenpin Federation (CTF) has developed its own Concussion Protocol to help guide the management of athletes and registrants who may have a suspected concussion while participating in tenpin bowling. This protocol applies whether the suspected concussion occurred within or outside the sport environment.

To read CTF’s concussion protocol: English  French