Coaching Standards in Cycling

Recently Twila Cruickshank from the Manitoba Cycling Association encouraged each cycling club to be excellent at maintaining coaching standards. With broken trust occurring in sporting organizations around the world, including in Canada 🇨🇦, it’s important to remember that the decision to be a coach is valued and valuable.

We love and trust our coaches. We rely on our coaches to lead our children well because they are role models. So while we require more from our coaches, it’s because we put our most precious resources in their hands.

For this reason I ask our coaches to stay up to date with their requirements. In response I commit to helping my team of coaches grow to be the best we can.

Coach Robb

Here’s Twila’s letter:T

Dear Cycling Clubs;

Here are the links to the three-part CBC News report on abuse in the Canadian sport system which many of you may have seen.

•  https://www.cbc.ca/sports/amateur-sports-coaches-sexual-offences-minors-1.5006609
• https://www.cbc.ca/sports/amateur-sport-abuse-local-clubs-1.5006510
• https://www.cbc.ca/sports/sexual-abuse-amateur-sports-canada-protecting-kids-1.5014330 

Cycling Canada was involved in the CBC investigation and provided to CBC a comprehensive overview of our existing processes and guidelines related to Responsible Coaching and safe sport. 

The Manitoba Cycling Association signed a pledge last year to ensure the safety of our coaches and athletes in Sport.  Our Coaching Standards Policy was revised last February 2018. 

Details of MCA’s coaching standards and Responsible Coaching Policy can be found here: http://mbcycling.ca/coaches-officials/cycling-nccp-courses/responsible-coaching-standards/

We encourage our clubs to also sign the Responsible coaching pledge here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CQBLVWH

For more information on the Responsible coaching initiative click here: http://coach.ca/responsible-coaching-movement-s17179

There are two things that we are asking all clubs to do:

1) Identify one point of contact in your club that can collect all of the coach paperwork for your club.  Details on how to complete your coaching requirements can be found here: http://mbcycling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Completing-your-MCA-Coaching-Standards-Requirements-06Mar18.pdfCopy of Child Abuse Registry application is attached above. 

2) Provide the MCA with a list of coaches who will be coaching for your club. Forward list to Mary Prendergast at mca.assistantcoach@gmail.com 

Information that can be passed on to your Parents:

Parents have the right to speak with the club or coach if they have any concerns. 

There are 3 Main steps recommended for Responsible Coaching within your clubs:

1. The Rule of Two

2. Background screening

3. Ethics Training

Details on these steps can be found here: https://www.coach.ca/for-parents-with-children-in-sport-p160715 Further details for parents and coaches can be found here:https://www.coach.ca/-s17179&language=en

The MCA encourages all clubs to ensure their coaches understand the coaching standards and certification requirements.  Clubs need to start the process of paperwork collection ASAP. While it’s great that Cycling has no identified cases in the CBC investigation, we are at risk like any other sport and we need to continue to take this issue seriously.  

Thank you 

Twila Cruickshank

Executive Director

Manitoba Cycling Association