Club Respect

Accountability in sports clubs. It’s an issue we’re focusing on more and more. Why? Because club committees and leaders are fed up with dealing with issues of poor sideline behaviour – week-in, week-out. Often, it’s abuse coming from the same person.

Most clubs are ill equipped to deal with the complaints and the confrontation, or threat of confrontation, and well, it’s hardly what anyone signed up for as an unpaid volunteer at their kids club.

While club’s are ultimately responsible for the behaviour of people at their club, sometimes the issues are just so far beyond what’s acceptable within their code of conduct.

The issues and complaints go higher up and get heard by a sports tribunal. Sometimes, the police are involved.

Well publicised league tribunals, like the AFL and NRL, have a certain theatre about them, with extensive video reviews from multiple angles. But I’m more curious about how it all plays out in the local leagues – the heartland of community sport.