Spirit Volleyball Travel Policy

 

Travel will be a standard aspect of our competitive season and Spirit Volleyball has established policies to guide our travel, minimize one-on-one interactions and reduce the potential of misconduct.  Adherence to these travel guidelines will increase athlete safety and improve the competitive experience while keeping travel a fun and enjoyable experience

 

Local and team travel

 

We distinguish between travel to training, practice and local competition, and team travel involving a coordinated overnight stay.

 

Local Travel

Local travel occurs when Spirit Volleyball does not sponsor, coordinate, or arrange for travel.  For local travel, athletes or their parents/ guardians (for minor athletes) are responsible for making all travel arrangements.  In these instances it is the responsibility of the athlete or their parents/ guardians (for minor athletes) to ensure the person transporting the athletes maintains all safety and legal requirements, including but not limits to, a valid driver’s license, proper insurance, well maintained vehicle , and compliance with all state laws

 

In an effort to minimize one-on-one interactions, Spirit Volleyball staff members, coaches and/or volunteers, who are not also acting as a parent, should not drive alone with an unrelated athlete and should only drive with at least two other athletes or another adult at all times, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the athlete’s parent or guardian in advance of travel.  In any case where a staff member and/or volunteer is involved in the athlete’s local travel a parental release is required in advance.  Efforts must be made to ensure that staff and/or volunteers are not alone with an athlete or participant, by, e.g. picking the athletes up in groups.  

 

Coaches, staff members and volunteers who are also an athlete’s guardian may provide shared transportation for any athlete(s). We encourage guardians to pick up their athlete first and drop off their athlete last in any shared or carpool travel arrangement.  We also recommend completing a shared travel declaration form signed by the parents/guardians of any minor athlete who is being transported as part of such a carpool arrangement. 

 

Team Travel

Team travel is overnight travel that occurs when Spirit Volleyball sponsors coordinates or arranges for travel so that our teams can compete locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally.  Because of the greater distances, coaches, staff, volunteers and chaperones will often travel with athletes.  Hoverer, no coach, staff member or volunteer will engage in team travel without the proper safety requirements in place, including valid drivers’ licenses, proper insurance, well-maintained vehicles and compliance with all state laws.

 

For team travel, hotels and air travel will be booked in advance by Spirit Volleyball.  Athens will share rooms, with 2-4 athletes assigned per room depending on accommodations.  Spirit Volleyball will also notify hotel management should any special arrangements be warranted.  For instance, we will ask hotels to block pay per view channels and we will request an additional large room or suite so that our members and athletes may socialize as a group.  Meetings do not occur in hotel rooms, and we will reserve a separate space for adults and athletes to socialize.  

 

We encourage family members who wish to stay in the team hotel to do so.  If family members do not stay in the team hotel, we encourage all athletes to call parents and guardians regularly and allow for any unscheduled calls by either the athlete or parent/guardian.

 

The nature of our sport and competitions structure means that individual athletes may sometimes need to travel overnight without other athletes.  Under these circumstances, encourage minimizing on-on-one time between a coach and athlete by:

 

1. Traveling with an additional coach or chaperone

2. Inviting parents/ guardians to travel with their athlete (for athletes under age 18)

 

For individual travel we attempt to provide alternative guidelines. Depending on the nature of the travel and competition, these guidelines may include: 

 

1. Compressing the travel schedule to reduce the number of nights athletes are away from home

2. Providing regular organizational check-in calls to the traveling athletes and coach

3. encouraging more frequent and unscheduled check0in phone calls initiated by parents/guardians (for minor athletes)

4. Complying with reasonable parental requests when a child is away from home without a guardian

 

When only one athlete and one coach travel to a competition, the athletes must have his or her parents’ or legal guardian’s written permission in advance to travel alone with the coach.

 

Travel Notification

When possible, Spirit Volleyball will provide reasonable advance notice before team travel.  Notice will include date, location and duration of competition.  Travel notice will also include designated team hotels for overnight stays as well as contact person within Spirit Volleyball.  This individual will be the point of contact to confirm your intention to travel and to help with travel details.

 

Spirit Volleyball will post specific travel itineraries when they become available.  These will include a more detailed, hour-by-hour itinerary as well as contact information for team travel chaperones. 

 

Coach and staff responsibilities

During team travel, coaches and staff members will help athletes, fellow coaches and staff members adhere to policy guidelines, including without limitation, the Travel Policy, Locker Rooms and Changing Areas Policy and Reporting Policy 

 

If a coach or staff member transports an athlete or other organization member in their private car for team travel, a copy of the coach’s or staff members’ valid driver’s license is required.

 

When not practicing, training, completing or preparing for competition, coaches and staff will monitor the activities of athletes, fellow coaches and staff during team travel.  Coaches and staff will:

 

1. prepare athletes for team travel and make athletes aware of all expectations.  Supplemental information will be given to parents/guardians of athletes who are considered inexperienced travelers, new or relatively new to team travel, or who are under the age of 14

2. familiarize themselves will all travel itineraries and schedules before the initiation of team travel

3. conform to, and monitor for others’ adherences, the Athlete Protection Policy and all policies during team travel

4. encourage minor athletes to participate in regular, at least daily, scheduled communication with their parents/guardians

5. help athletes be on time for all team commitments (as possible)

6. assist with team travel logistical needs ( as possible)

7. support chaperones and/or participate int he monitoring of athletes for adherence to curfew restrictions set based on age and competition schedule as listed in travel itinerary

8. ensure athletes are complying with hotel room restrictions based on gender or age bracket requirements

9. make certain that athletes are not alone in a hotel room with any adult apart from a family member; this includes coaches, staff and chaperones

10. not use drugs or alcohol in the presence of minors or be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while performing their coaching duties

11. immediately report any concerns about physical or sexual abuse, misconduct, or policy violations

12. notify parents before taking any disciplinary action against a minor athlete if the athlete is traveling without his or her parents.

 

Chaperone Responsibility 

Chaperones accompany team travel to ensure the the athletes, coaches, staff and volunteers adhere to Spirit Volleyball’s policy guidelines.  While these include the travel policy, it also includes all other relevant policies continued in Spirit Volleyball’s participant safety handbook . 

 

If a chaperone has not undergone a criminal background check and Spirit Volleyball’s awareness training, the chaperone will not be permitted to have any one-on-one interactions with athletes or other youth participate.  If a chaperone has undergone a criminal background check and awareness training he or she may have appropriate one-on-one interactions as outlined in Spirit Volleyball’s Participant Safety Handbook

 

If a chaperone will be operating a private car for team travel, a copy of the chaperone’s valid driver’s license is required.

 

Chaperones will monitor the activities of all coaches, staff members, volunteers and athletes during team travel.  Specifically, chaperons will:

 

 

1. familiarize themselves will all travel itineraries and schedules before the initiation of team travel

1. conform to, and monitor for others’ adherences, the Athlete Protection Policy and all policies during team travel

2. encourage minor athletes to participate in regular, at least daily, scheduled communication with their parents/guardians

3. help athletes be on time for all team commitments (as possible)

4. assist with team travel logistical needs ( as possible)

5. support chaperones and/or participate int he monitoring of athletes for adherence to curfew restrictions set based on age and competition schedule as listed in travel itinerary

6. ensure athletes are complying with hotel room restrictions based on gender or age bracket requirements

7. make certain that athletes are not alone in a hotel room with any adult apart from a family member; this includes coaches, staff and chaperones

8. not use drugs or alcohol in the presence of minors or be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while performing their chaperone duties