Club Policies and Procedures

The Soccer Club policies and procedures are guided by the Kensington Flemington Junior Sports Club policies.

The full range and detail of the KFJSC policies can be found at www.kfjsc.com.au/general-policies/

The Soccer Club has adopted these policies and expects players, coaches, supporters and officials to abide by them. The Soccer Club has modified some of the policies to suit its circumstance and expects all people to be aware of the following.

Grading and Team Selection – Statement of Purpose

To be a community based junior sports club run primarily by parents for the development and enjoyment of young people and to provide an environment that is safe, friendly and inclusive for all.

Create a culture that:

• Seeks to positively develop all players’ self-esteem
• Emphasises the importance of learning cooperative skills within a team environment
• Promotes a sense of good sportsmanship and respect for others
• Is accessible to all regardless of ability or background
• Encourages all players to develop their sporting skills to their fullest potential
• Promotes active, healthy living amongst young people

Selection Guidelines / Process ( For Players, Parents, and Coaches ) Purpose

To select teams based on players’ abilities, skill level and age in order to place them in a team environment/grade in which they can develop their football skills, enjoy playing and be challenged. In placing players, consideration will be given to maximising on field playing time with as few substitutions as possible.

Players will be placed into teams with coaches that can best meet their needs and demands based on the Teams and Player Selection sections detailed below.

Selection Committee

The Selection Committee will comprise of:

Technical Director, T3 Coach or T3 Head Coach (whichever is applicable), relevant age group team coaches.

Teams

Team selection will:

• Place players in their correct age group as a starting premise;
• Determine the number of teams that can be formed in an age group from the number of players available.

Depending on age groups, each team should have a squad that reflects the playing numbers of the age group. 7 players on the pitch (three subs), squad of 10. 9 players on the pitch (4 subs), squad of 13. 11 players on the pitch (5-6 subs), squad of 16-17 players. This is to allow for a bench and absences due to illness, injury and other commitments and to try and minimize the
borrowing of other players.

• If an age group does not have an appropriate number of players for a straightforward allocation of teams (for example, more than is manageable for one team, but insufficient for two teams) then consideration will be given to allowing players to play up or down an age group to create teams with manageable numbers across the Club.
• In considering whether a player should play up or down an age group, consideration should be given to ‘basis for player selection’ outlined below. The players and parents or carers in question will have the circumstances and reasons explained to them by the Selection Committee and are involved in the final decision.
• When there are sufficient numbers for two teams in an age division, players will be allocated to the appropriate team as outlined below in ‘player selection’.
• Starting point for the following year is point 1 above, which is your correct age group.

PLAYER SELECTION

In assessing the appropriate team for a player the following are key considerations:

• Age group.
• Core skills: 1v1, 1st touch, running with the ball and striking the ball.
• Knowledge and understanding of soccer.
• Motivation/reason(s) for playing: social, competition, development of skills.
• Availability for games throughout the season.
• Availability to attend training.
• Occasionally there will be confidential issues raised by a player which will be relevant to their team allocation.

Once players have been allocated in a team usually that is their team for the season. Some movement may be required in the first few weeks as player numbers settle.

Football Victoria does not allow a player to move down a grade within an age group when they have played five games in that division. For example, having played five games in U12Bs, that player cannot play in U12Cs or lower for the rest of the season.

Grievances

Players or parents who have questions or concerns about the application of this selection policy with respect to their team selection should discuss this matter with their allocated coach or team manager. If the concern cannot be resolved, the coach will discuss the concern with the Technical Director. If this issue cannot be resolved then the issue will be heard by the Grievance
Committee.

The KJCC President or Vice President will head the Grievance Committee along with at least one committee member who is not involved with the team and player concerned.

In accordance with the Junior Sports Club’s policy, matters referred to the Grievance Committee will be heard within seven days and shall determine the appropriate resolution to the matter.

If the parties cannot reach a resolution, the dispute may be escalated to the Junior Sports Club Association Committee for consideration and resolution. This committee will hear and determine any appeal within seven days from receipt of referral.

Codes of Conduct

As our club continues to grow and grading teams becomes a necessity, it is important we all have a commitment to conduct ourselves in true Kensington Flemington Junior Sports Club spirit of respect.

We ask for all our members to remember that junior sport teaches great life skills of compromise and flexibility and provides opportunities to develop and extend skills and friendship groups while working together for the benefit of the team and club.

Any change can be challenging and KJSC wants to be very transparent about our selection policy. This policy has been developed to provide a fair, consistent and manageable system for determining team selection.

Bullying Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that no bullying occurs in our club.

Bullying includes any deliberate form of:

• Verbal abuse
• Cyber abuse (electronic or digital communication)
• Physical aggression or ‘humour’ which humiliates, intimidates, insults, excludes, threatens, harasses and/or ‘puts down’ another.

It is not OK for a player or member of the Club to:

• Gang up on another player or member of the Club and exclude them
• Tease a player or member of the Club, call them names, talk about them behind their back
• Publish online someone’s private, personal information or spread rumours online
• Send insulting or threatening text messages, instant messages or emails
• Forward or share unflattering or private images without permission.

Bullying is unacceptable to the Club. The following protocols are designed to prevent bullying and, where it arises, allow it to be dealt with swiftly in order to minimise harm to the individual (s) and team morale.

Individuals witnessing bullying or hearing about bullying must report it to their team manager. The team manager will be required to act in accordance with the protocol set out below.

Any person experiencing this or witnessing it or being told about it has a duty to report it to the manager. Reporting is everybody’s responsibility, not just the person(s) experiencing the bullying.

The manager will speak with the person who is bullying and draw their attention to the policy. They will be asked to apologise to the person(s) they bullied. They will also be warned that should any future incident of bullying occur further sanctions will apply.

Where the behaviour persists and any further incident of bullying or harassment occurs (in whatever form), in addition to again apologising to the person(s) directly involved, the player concerned will be required to:

(a) Publicly apologise to the team (for letting them down) at the next training session; and
(b) Miss at least one match.

Where this fails to alter bullying behaviour the player will be suspended and called before the club’s management committee. If the person(s) directly involved is a parent or club official, the matter will be directed to the KJSC committee and dealt with as a grievance.

Gender Respect and Responsiblity Policy

This policy recognises that KJSC has an important role to play in the promotion of gender equality.

The Club recognises the role of junior sport in the broader community, including its ability to influence attitudes and behaviour and we, therefore, have a responsibility to play our part in leading on the issues of gender equality.

KJSC aims to create a respectful and inclusive culture, on and off the playing field, and by doing so help increase the participation and satisfaction, of members of our club and, the local community.

As a junior sports club, we are committed to delivering a sporting experience that is safe, fair and inclusive for all, whether one is a player, parent, supporter, volunteer or any other person who engages with KFJSC’s sporting codes.

The Club will not tolerate:

• Behaviour that does not respect gender equality.
• Sexist language and humour.
• Promotion of gender stereotypes.
• Derogatory language and/or discriminatory behaviour about gender and/or sexuality.
• Behaviour that supports gender and sexuality exclusion.

The Club is committed to:

• Encouraging greater participation of girls in junior sport.
• Encouraging more women to participate in the operations of each code and in the running of the Club.
• Challenging traditional gender roles for boys and girls in sport.
• Promoting the positive representation of girls/women and boys/men in junior sport.

The Club is committed to ensuring that players and members of the Club who have been subjected to disrespectful conduct, sexual harassment, assault or threatening behaviour have their grievance dealt with.

Working with Children Policy

The Working with Children Policy is to maintain an environment where children feel safe, and in which the parents and guardians have confidence that the safety of children is assured. In particular, the Working With Children Check is to help protect the children at KJSC.

Add that it is mandated by Football Victoria, not just a club policy.

The objectives are:

• To prevent adults who pose a risk to children from working as team officials or committee members.
• To utilise a system that is recognised as a standard of care within the State of Victoria.
• To maintain an up-to-date database of all adults involved at the KJSC as team officials or Committee members.

All adults who are members of the Kensington Flemington Junior Sports Club and KJSC and who are involved as team officials or Committee members must have a current Working With Children Check.

All adults are encouraged to apply for a Working With Children Check at the time their children register as members. This is to ensure they have a current valid check at the time of commencing their role as a team official or Committee member.

A list of all such adults shall be maintained by KJSC. This list must be kept current and forwarded to the secretary of the Association Committee when requested.

It is the responsibility of the relevant KJSC Committee to ensure that all team officials and Committee members are aware of and understand this policy.

It is the responsibility of the KJSC Committee to remove any adult from their role if they do not have a current Working With Children Check registered with the Secretary of the Association.