Our Commitment to Safe Sport
Gymnastics Ontario embraces our responsibility to create, foster, and preserve sport settings that ensure positive, healthy, and fulfilling experiences for all individuals. We
believe that a Safe Sport environment prioritizes the welfare, safety, and rights of every participant always.
To cultivate this environment, Gymnastics Ontario has developed Safe Sport Policies, which serves as an overarching guide for our vision of and commitment to Safe Sport and the corresponding policy, education, and advocacy initiatives that strive to further strengthen the administration and delivery of our programs, events, and services. With these policies, Gymnastics Ontario will collaborate with our Member Clubs to ensure a respectful and welcoming environment where all participants may find joy.
DEFINING SAFE SPORT
Safe Sport refers to the process and measures implemented to protect and effectively care for the health, well-being, and human rights of all participants in the Gymnastics Ontario community, especially children and youth. Individuals participating in all disciplines of gymnastics in Ontario, including athletes, coaches, officials, sport
administrators, volunteers and others should be able to engage in a sport environment free from abuse, maltreatment, discrimination and potential harm.
OUR SAFE SPORT COMMITMENTS
Creating and fostering a Safe Sport environment and culture is paramount in the administration and delivery of all gymnastics programs in Ontario. As a result, it is expected that all participants of Gymnastics Ontario will:
- Prioritize the current and future well-being of each participant above all else.
- Act in the best interests of all participants involved in our programs and activities.
- Respect, value, and champion the rights of all individuals in the gymnastics community always.
- Engage in behaviours and practices that are ethical, developmentally appropriate, and support the physical, psychological, social, and emotional welfare of participants.
- Actively encourage meaningful inclusion of individuals irrespective of their age, race, colour, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, language, religion, national or social origin, property, birth, physical or developmental abilities, athletic ability, or other status. *
- Strive to create joyful, positive, and growth-enhancing sport experiences.
- Advocate for Safe Sport environments on local, provincial, national, and international stages.
*If there are any groups omitted from this list, please advise Gymnastics Ontario and the list will be amended if appropriate.