Sporting agencies and anti-discrimination bodies call on sport to Play by the Rules

23/06/2009

Sporting, child protection and anti-discrimination agencies around the country have joined sporting leaders such as John Eales, Jan Stirling and Andrew Gaze to encourage community sport and recreation bodies to use a newly-revamped website, Play by the Rules, to raise awareness of their responsibilities under legislation and sport law to keep Australian sport inclusive, safe and fair.

Play by the Rules is a free website, which offers online training, information and resources for clubs and sporting organisations to ensure everyone involved in sport can do so in enjoyable, safe environments, free from discrimination or harassment.

The Executive Director of Sport and Recreation in the Northern Territory and co-chair of Play by the Rules, Steve Rossingh, believes that sports should make the online training on the site compulsory for their volunteers.

"The online training takes less than two hours and provides essential information on legal responsibilities for a range of volunteers and members of sporting clubs and organisations," said Rossingh. "We'd like to see sports promote this to all their coaches or even make it compulsory".

Anne Burgess, Deputy Equal Opportunity Commissioner in South Australia and co-chair of Play by the Rules, stressed that individuals also need to take responsibility for keeping sport fun and fair.

"Volunteer coaches, spectators and parents also need to understand their responsibilities in giving everyone a fair go in sport," said Burgess. "Respect, constant encouragement, equal opportunity for all regardless of their abilities or gender - these are sporting fundamentals that are also protected by law."

In response to feedback from the sports industry a number of features have been added to Play by the Rules including:

a new section (Got an Issue) that provides information on common issues and challenges such as team selection, girls playing in boy's teams and angry parents;
short interactive scenarios on topical sport issues including junior team selection, religious inclusion, disability inclusion, homophobia and sexual harassment;
new guidelines to support sporting personnel in areas such as, supervision for away trips and maintaining appropriate boundaries ;
state- specific information on requirements under anti-discrimination and child protection legislation including working with children checks and mandatory reporting;
comprehensive section that enables users to search by resource type, subject, agency and state.

Play by the Rules is a unique partnership between the Australian Sports Commission, Australian Human Rights Commission, all state and territory sport and recreation and anti-discrimination agencies and the Queensland Commission for Children, Young People and Child Guardian.

The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission is a Play by the Rules partner, providing training and information for clubs and schools.

Media contact at Play by the Rules, Barbara Walsh 0409 985 600.

For more information about the Commission's Play by the Rules training and information service contact Roxanne Sheehan on 03 9281 7156 or visit the Commission website.

Go to: www.playbytherules.net.au