Codes of Conduct

Code of Conduct for Parents

Mountaineering Ireland believes that parents and guardians have an important role in their child’s enjoyment and participation in activities and their continued development and involvement in our sport.

Parents and guardians should:

Be a role model for their children and maintain the highest standards of conduct when interacting with children, other parents, officials, and event organisers;
Always behave responsibly and not seek to unfairly affect the outcome of an event;
Never intentionally expose any young participant to embarrassment or disparagement by the use of flippant or sarcastic remarks;
Always recognise the value and importance of the volunteers who provide sporting/recreational opportunities for children. Do not publicly question the judgment or honesty of commissaires, coaches or organisers;
Encourage their children to compete by the rules of their sport and understand that honest endeavour is as important as winning;
Encourage good sportsmanship;
Set a good example by applauding good performances even by rival competitors.
Encourage mutual respect for teammates and opponents;
Support all efforts to remove abusive behaviour and bullying behaviours.

Code of Conduct for Leaders, Volunteers and Adults

Mountaineering Ireland recognises the key role Leaders (coaches, selectors, team managers, and other volunteers etc.) play in the lives of young/vulnerable people in sport. All Leaders should have as their first priority the young/vulnerable person’s safety and enjoyment of the sport and should adhere to the guidelines and regulations set out in this Code. Leaders should be appropriately qualified and up to date with coaching methods. All Leaders must agree to undergo a vetting check through the relevant authorities and attend safeguarding training.

Leaders should:

Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every young/vulnerable person and treat everyone equally, regardless of sex, ethnic origin, religion or ability.
Have the safety and enjoyment of young/vulnerable people as their number one priority.
Strive to create a positive environment for young/vulnerable people in their care and ensure that positive and healthy experiences are provided.
Never use physical punishment.
Understand the developmental needs of young/vulnerable people and make them aware that their participation is valued. Learning appropriate skills is important and should take precedence over too much training and competition.
Be generous with praise and never ridicule or shout at young/vulnerable climbers for making mistakes or not winning an event. We all learn by making mistakes so improvement in skills should be praised and a participants efforts treated with respect.
Give equal time and attention to all participants and avoid singling out any one participant for special attention or praise.
Act quickly and appropriately if any form of bullying is identified whether from other leaders, competitors, or parents.
Act within the rules of the sport and ensure that participants understand the rules.
Report any concerns in accordance with Mountaineering Irelands Child Safeguarding Framework.