What is Safe Sport?

Safe Sport can be understood as physical and emotional safety, which includes concussion and injury prevention, and environments free from bullying, abuse, harassment, discrimination, and other forms of maltreatment

Safe Sport is the new normal and things that may have been accepted in the past may no longer be accepted today. Everyone has a responsibility to know what has changed and how their personal behaviours may have to realign. You cannot have safe sport without equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) as fundamental principles as we all work together to create safe, welcoming, and inclusive lawn bowling environments where people want to stay and belong! 

“Creating bowls communities that are accessible for all and where everyone feels welcomed and finds a safe place to be themselves and to belong!”

Bowls Alberta’s Commitment to Safe Sport

Bowls Alberta and its Member Clubs (hereafter referred to as the Organizations) have a fundamental
obligation and responsibility to protect the health, safety, and physical and mental well-being of every
individual that is involved in the Alberta Bowls community.
The Organizations take situations involving misconduct or maltreatment very seriously. For this reason,
they collectively are committed to enacting and enforcing strong, clear, and effective policies and
processes for preventing and addressing all forms of misconduct or maltreatment.
The Organizations’ policies are first intended to prevent issues from arising by communicating expected
standards of behavior. Secondly, they are intended to promote a Safe Sport environment in a manner that
allows for consistent, immediate, appropriate, and meaningful action should any issues arise.
The Organizations recognise the development of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address
Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) and the responsibilities of Bowls Canada Boulingrin (BCB) to integrate
the UCCMS into its policies. Bowls Alberta and therefore also its Member Clubs are committed to align
their safe sport policies with BCB and with the UCCMS

Prevention

 

Safe Sport Training

Bowls Alberta has Partnered with Bowls Canada, Respect Group and Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) to bring the very best in Safe Sport training to ensure a healthy, safe and respectful environment for all of our participants. 

The Respect in Sport Activity Leader

The Respect in Sport Activity Leader / Coach Program educates leaders, coaches, officials and participants (14 years and up) to recognize, understand and respond to issues of bullying, abuse , harassment and discrimination.  It is an online training that is accessible on your computer, laptop, iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile devices.  Mobile Apps available through the App Store and Google Play allow for the completion of the training even when not connected to the Internet. NCCP Coaches can have the course completion recorded on their Locker transcript through a simple opt-in process at the beginning of the training. Bowls Alberta members can access this training here.

The Coaching Association of Canada’s (CAC) Safe Sport Training

 Developed to help anyone involved in sport — whether you have direct contact with athletes or work in the background — to promote physical, psychological, and social health, in line with the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport. It is an online training that is accessible on your computer, laptop, iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile devices and takes approximately one hour to complete. Access this training for free here.

Screening

Screening is an important part of keeping all participants safe while participating in bowls activities.  Read more about Bowls Alberta’s screening policy here.

Concussion Protocol 

Bowls Alberta and its Member Clubs, the organizations, commit to the Bowls Canada Pan-Canadian approach to Concussion identification and management to help guide the management of individuals who may have a suspected concussion while participating in the sport of bowls. 

While it is recognized that lawn bowls is a low risk sport for sustaining concussions during play, our participants are not immune from head injuries.  Often associated with a severe blow to the head, leading causes also include falls and the sudden jerking motion of the head and neck (whiplash).  This means that a tripping incident at the club or a car accident in the grocery store parking lot could both result in a head injury.

It is important that our coaches and sport leaders understand the signs and symptoms of concussions that may have occurred within and beyond the boundaries of the lawn bowls green.  The Bowls Concussion Education Sheet is an excellent overview.