NAJA Coaches Code of Conduct

Introduction

Natal coaches are expected to conform to ethical standards in a number of areas: humanity, relationships, commitment, co-operation, integrity, advertising, confidentiality, abuse of privilege and personal standards.

Humanity

1. A good coach will be concerned primarily with the well-being, safety, protection and future of the individual player as well as the team as a whole.
   
2. Coaches are responsible for setting and monitoring the boundaries between a working relationship and friendship with the team/individual members. The relationship between the coach and team/individual player relies heavily on mutual trust and respect. Commitment Coaches have a responsibility to declare to NAJA their commitment to performing their duties as a coach of Natal Amateur Judo Association in accordance with the constitution and rules.

Integrity/Conduct

1. Coaches must conduct themselves in a proper manner to uphold the good name of Natal Judo and to exercise their endeavors to render themselves fit to coach.
   
2. Coaches must recognise and accept the authority of the President/Chet de Mission, and any other appointed official charged with responsibility for the performance and image of South African Judo.
   
3. Coaches must not compromise their players by advocating measures that could constitute an unfair advantage. They must not adopt practices to accelerate performance improvement that might jeopardize the safety, total well-being and future participation of the player. Coaches must never advocate or condone the use of prohibited drugs, or other banned performance enhancing substances, prohibited by the International Judo Federation, AJU and NOCSA.
4. Coaches must treat fellow coaches with due respect, both in victory and defeat and should encourage their performers to act in a similar manner. A key role for a coach is to prepare performance to respond to success and failure in a dignified manner.
5. Coaches must act in a professional manner when coaching from the side of the mat, i.e.
   • To coach in a spirit of friendly rivalry and good sportsmanship and to abide by all refereeing decisions.
   • To refrain from using bad language and rowdy behaviour.
   • To be humble in victory, gracious in defeat.
6. Coaches must not encourage players to violate the rules of the sport. They should actively seek to discourage and condemn such action and encourage players to obey the spirit of the rules.

Confidentiality

1. Coach and player must reach agreement as to what is to be regarded as confidential information (i.e. not to be divulged to a third party without the express approval of the player).
2. Confidentiality does not preclude the disclosure of information about a player to persons who can be judged to have a right to know, e.g.
   • Evaluation for competitive selection purposes (injury that might preclude a player from participating in an international event);
   • In pursuit of disciplinary action involving players with judo;
   • In pursuit of disciplinary action by a sports organization against one of its members;
   • Legal and medical requirements for disclosure;
   • Recommendations to parents/family where the health and safety of players might be at stake;
   • In pursuit of action to protect a player from abuse.

Abuse of Privilege

The coach must not attempt to exert undue influence over a player/team in order to obtain personal benefit or reward.

Personal Standards

1. Coaches must consistently display high personal standards and project a favourable image of the sport of judo and of coaching to team members, their families, other coaches, officials, spectators, the media and general public.
2. The coach has an obligation to project an image of health, cleanliness and functional efficiency:
   • Coaches should never smoke whilst coaching;
   • Coaches should not drink alcohol whilst coaching, as it would affect their competence to coach, compromise the safety of the players or obviously indicate that they had been drinking (e.g. smell of alcohol on breath).

Safety

Within the limits of their control, coaches have a responsibility to ensure as far as possible the safety of the players with whom they work.

Competence

1. Advertising by coaches in respect of qualifications, training and/or services must be accurate and professionally restrained. Coaches must be able to present evidence of current qualifications upon request.
2. Coaches should regularly seek ways of increasing their personal and professional development.
3. Coaches must be able to recognise and accept their limitations and know when to refer to other more senior coaches or agencies. It is also their responsibility, as far as possible, to verify the competence and integrity of any other person to whom they refer a player.
4. Coaches have a responsibility to themselves and the players to maintain their own effectiveness, resilience and abilities. They should recognise when help is needed and whether their situation requires them to withdraw from a coaching position temporarily, or permanently.