Guidelines for Parents

The Irish Amateur Archery Association is fully committed to providing a safe and fair environment for all juvenile players.

Our first priority is the welfare of young archers. We are fully committed to providing an environment which will allow participants to perform to their best ability, free from bullying and intimidation.

The Irish Amateur Archery Association also has a duty of care for volunteers working with juveniles on behalf of the Association.The Irish Amateur Archery Association believes that parents should:

• be a role model for your child and maintain the highest standards of conduct when interacting with children, other parents and with officials or organisers.
• encourage your child to play by the rules.
• teach your child that honest endeavour is as important as winning and do all you can to encourage good sportsmanship.
• always behave responsibly and do not seek to unfairly affect the outcome.
• take care not to expose any junior archer, intentionally or unintentionally, to embarrassment or disparagement by the use of flippant or sarcastic remarks.
• always recognise the value and importance of the volunteers who provide sporting or recreational opportunities for your child.
• respect referees, coaches, organisers and others participants.
• not publicly question the judgement or honesty of referees, coaches or organisers or other archers.
• set a good example by applauding good play and achievement on both sides.
• encourage mutual respect for team-mates and opponents.
• support all efforts to remove abusive behaviour and bullying behaviour in all its forms:
  • Child to Child includes physical aggression, verbal bullying, intimidation, or isolation.
  • Adult to Child includes the use of repeated gestures or expressions of a threatening or intimidatory nature, or any comment intended to degrade the child.
  • Adult to Adult includes verbal aggression towards other adults in order to achieve a beneficial outcome for own self or own child.
  • Child to Adult includes repeated gestures or expressions of a threatening or intimidatory nature by an individual child or a group of children.

Parents Declaration

• I will respect the rules and procedures set down in the Irish Amateur Archery Association’s Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport.
• I will respect my child’s teammates, their parents, leaders, coaches, officials and judges as well as players, parents and coaches from opposing teams.
• I will encourage my child to treat other participants, coaches, selectors, and managers with respect.
• I will give encouragement and applaud only positive accomplishments whether from my child, his or her team-mates, their opponents or the officials.
• I will support my child’s coach in his or her efforts.
• I will never demonstrate threatening or abusive behaviour or use foul language.