SUN VALLEY DEVO TEAM POLICIES
SafeSport is a national sporting community initiative to recognize, reduce and respond to misconduct in all sport disciplines. The six primary types of misconduct are bullying, harassment, hazing, emotional misconduct, physical misconduct, and sexual misconduct, including child sexual abuse.
We acknowledge that sports, such as cycling, allow athletes a chance to perform – on and off the bike. Unfortunately, participating in our sport can also be a high-risk habitat for misconduct and abuse. For example, studies indicate that as many as 1 in 8 athletes will be sexually abused within their sport. Misconduct is a critical issue in sport, and one which we all need a game plan to prevent.
All of us involved in sport, from coaches, to athletes, to parents, to officials, play a role in reducing misconduct and abuse in sport. SafeSport provides resources for all members of the sports community – organizations, coaches, parents and athletes – to understand what misconduct is, implement ways to reduce it and identify plans to respond to it.
Educational information links & documents
SafeSport: https://usacycling.org/resources/safesport
Training: https://usacycling.org/resources/safesport/usac-policies
MAAPP: https://usacycling.org/resources/safesport/minor-athlete-abuse-protection-policies
WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY
For the safety of our riders and to encourage stewardship of our local trails, Sun Valley Devo may need to cancel programming due to inclement weather. If we cannot ride due to inclement weather, programming will be canceled NO LATER THAN 11:00 pm the morning of programming and, given that Sun Valley Devo is a bike TEAM, there will be no alternative activities offered.
We will never cancel programming the night before because the forecast may change overnight. Additionally, we pay close attention to weather maps, radars, and several other resources when making these challenging decisions. Please know that when we cancel programming, it is not an easy decision, and we will always have a 50/50 chance of getting it right.
If we do cancel, there will be NO REFUNDS DUE TO WEATHER, as this is beyond our control. If possible we will try to re-schedule to make up for canceled practices
AIR QUALITY POLICY
When wildfires ignite, they release tiny particulate matter called PM2.5. When inhaled, these tiny particles can get lodged deep inside the throat and lungs causing a host of negative health impacts. Evidence shows that kids, whose immune systems aren’t fully developed yet, might be at a greater risk of experiencing diminished lung function later in life. Therefore, when smoke is present in the Wood River Valley, our primary goal is to protect the health of our participants and coaches. The following guideline is based on the Air Quality Index (AQI) and will be utilized to mitigate potential health risks:
· AQI 0-100: No restrictions
· AQI 100-150: Aerobic threshold (zone 3 and 4) activities will be avoided. We will focus on light breathing activities including, skills, drills, bike games, pump track, and dirt jumps.
· AQI 150+: At this level, the air is considered very poor/hazardous, and exercising outside is not recommended. SV Devo reserves the right to cancel programming.
Like our bad weather policy, if we are forced to cancel due to poor air quality, notification will be given no later than 11:00 pm the morning of programming. We will never cancel programming the night before based on the AQI forecast.
MISSED SESSIONS POLICY
We strongly discourage missing sessions with Sun Valley Devo for the following reasons:
· When an athlete is away, he/she loses fitness and returns to the group in a totally different place than they were before they left.
· It becomes a safety issue when we have athletes who can’t complete a ride in a reasonable amount of time. This jeopardizes the ability of the coach to avoid exposure when bad weather is imminent.
· We want every day to be a positive experience on the bike and when sessions are missed, especially on a regular basis, that is not going to be a positive experience for anyone.
We rely heavily on registration fees when creating our budget for the year and paying our highly qualified, well-trained coaches well for their immense passion and energy is a top priority for us. We appreciate your understanding of this matter and of course, please feel free to contact us if you have special circumstances that need to be considered.
Regarding extended absences due to sickness, family vacation, other camps, and/or activities please be sure that your child understands that when he/she returns to SV Devo there is a high probability that he/she will be in a different group. Here’s why…we saw firsthand these past three seasons that the riders who were consistent in their commitment to riding throughout the summer had amazing progress. Those who missed weeks with no riding lost fitness and struggled to keep up with their group. If you are questioning this policy, I’d like you to please ask yourself this question: How does this affect the experience of your child and the rest of the group’s safety?
Please know that our intentions here are not to be exclusive and that we do understand that kids and families have other summer commitments. If your child will be missing a couple of weeks throughout the summer session due to other camps and/or family vacations that is okay and we can work with your schedule. Typically Wood River Valley kids are tough and bounce back quickly so we just ask that you make the best effort possible to schedule trips around days that your child’s group is scheduled to ride. We want to set your child up for success and missing any practice sessions can impact the overall goal of the program.
In the case of injury, all remaining registration fees for the season will be either refunded or can be used as a credit for the next season. SV Devo will not issue refunds due to repeated disrespectful behavior. We do our very best to create an environment that is safe and supportive for all our riders. We simply cannot jeopardize the safety and progress of the group due to an athlete continually not listening to coach instruction. We will go above and beyond to work with behavior issues however if there is no change in the athlete’s negative behavior, we will ask that the rider take a break from training with SV Devo and join us again when the structure of our programming is developmentally appropriate.
SUN VALLEY DEVO TEAM BEHAVIOR POLICY
The Sun Valley Devo Team identifies the physical and emotional safety of our athletes and coaches as priority number one. Additionally, we place great emphasis on teamwork, kindness, and cooperation within our groups. Any athletes found to consistently jeopardize these priorities through inappropriate behavior will be subject to the following process:
First offense – The coach(es) will identify the behavior and bring it to the attention of the athlete. The behavior in question will be clearly and rationally discussed using positive language. At this time, the coach(es) and the athlete will collaborate on a constructive solution moving forward. The coach(es) will also bring awareness of the situation to the athlete’s parent(s). The coach(es) will meet with the athlete in the future for a report and seek assurance that we are continuing to work towards, or have reached a favorable and fair resolution.
Second Offense – A second offense will be brought to the attention of the athlete by the coach(es) and reported to the Sun Valley Devo Director(s). At this time, a meeting will be scheduled between the athlete, coach(es), parent(s). With a continued positive and encouraging tone, this meeting will serve to identify the ongoing problem, re-establish expectations, develop a solution strategy, and discuss the consequences of further disruptions. After this meeting, consistent monitoring and communication between all parties will be crucial to a favorable outcome.
Third Offense – With a third offense, the Sun Valley Devo Director reserves the right to remove the athlete from programming for a duration of (2) sessions without additional warning. This suspension will provide the athlete and their parent(s) sufficient time to reassess their actions and future commitment to being part of the Sun Valley Devo team. During this period, efforts to avoid a fourth offense will be highly accelerated. Programming fees will not be refunded for missed sessions due to disciplinary actions.
Fourth Offense – Historically, we have very rarely found an athlete to be in this standing, but upon a fourth offense, the Director reserves the right to remove the athlete from the program for the remainder of the season. Dismissal from the program is the worst-case scenario for everyone involved. We are confident through consistent and effective communication between athlete, coach(es), parent(s), and director(s) this outcome is completely avoidable and reserved for the most extreme behavioral disruptions. This athlete will be allowed to apply for re-entry into the program the succeeding season, and if accepted, will start the season on probation for a predetermined period. Programming fees will not be refunded for missed sessions due to disciplinary actions.
* In the event of extreme misconduct, that severely compromises the safety of the group, the Sun Valley Development Team reserves the right to forgo the four-step process in favor of immediate and possibly permanent dismissal from the program. In this case, programming fees will not be refunded.