EXPECTATIONS
Our Mission
The Vancouver Thunderbirds Track & Field Club exists to:
• Develop leaders through sport;
• Provide opportunities for athletes and coaches to realize fulfilling careers in sport;
• Make participation in all levels of track & field accessible and viable; and
• Cultivate community and facilitate memorable experiences around a shared passion.
Ultimately, we want to foster a safe and inclusive environment where everyone is empowered to strive for their best.
PARENT EXPECTATIONS
Volunteer requirements
One of the strengths of the Thunderbirds Club is our parent volunteer base. Without the volunteer efforts that members and their parents provide at fundraisers, the Club would not be able to have part-time administrative staff, and consequently coaches would be required to put greater energy into administration and less time into coaching itself. As such, the the Club expects that parents can be called upon for assistance at a minimum of two club functions per year. The more we can share the workload, the easier for all, and the more coaching your children can receive.
Pressure-free participation
The Vancouver Thunderbirds emphasizes to parents that your children participate in track and field for their enjoyment and we expect that parents will be active in espousing the philosophy of pressure-free participation for all athletes.
Sometimes, even well-intentioned parents can unknowingly put pressure on their children. It is the pressure perceived by the child that matters, not the pressure (or lack thereof) intended by the parent. Even a parent’s presence at practice can result in perceived pressure by their child, other children, and/or coaches. Therefore, parents are not allowed to attend practices nor spectate them from a distance at which their presence is felt by the athletes and coaches (as per the coach’s discretion).
Sometimes the source of pressure is from athletes themselves and sometimes from parents, and it is important for parents to support the club philosophy that athletes in grade 7 and under do not seek specific personal training – it is better to leave a young athlete wanting more track and field experience than to give them too much. The Club appreciates that parents virtually always have positive intentions, but despite this these attempts to intervene in their child’s sports activities may do more harm than good.
The car ride home
Kids participate in sports because they are fun, and because they provide an escape from the pressures of school, family and social life. Research shows that one of the primary reasons why kids drop out of sport is the impact of car ride to and from practice with their parents.
To quote former UCLA Softball Coach & 11x NCAA Div I National Champion, Sue Enquist:
“With today's youth, there is no escape. They finally had a chance to escape at their practice/competition, but now someone wants you to break it down for them. That's not an escape; that's a nightmare!
So now, they don't even want to go to their practice/game because their parent is going to want them to break it down after the game. It's not an escape. We've removed the word P-L-A-Y. Because I know when I grew up, no one was asking me what I thought about the game, I was just out all day playing. My mom wasn't like, ‘Oh, let's break it down,’ right? It was my space.”
As a Club, we believe that one of our most important responsibilities is to provide practice and competition environments that each of our athletes & coaches feel is safe and their own. When we give athletes ‘their space,’ they are freed up to perform to, and improve upon, their best. But when that space gets invaded by perceived pressure, judgement or scrutiny from others, athletes’ focus shifts out of the present moment and into worrying about the future repercussions of poor performance.
Regardless of when and where it happens, the Club believes that it should be only the coach and athlete involved in planning, implementing or critiquing training and competition. Parents should refrain from coaching, critiquing, supplementing training or breaking down their child’s athletic performance. Doing so can detrimentally impact:
The athlete’s desire to participate
The coach-athlete relationship, and possibly the parent-athlete relationship - as athlete who receives mixed advice no longer knows who to trust and may get confused; and
The coach-parent relationship – as the coach now feels undermined and disrespected.
To that end, parents should not have any interaction with the coach or athlete during practice, or once their warm up begins at a competition (beyond things like watching their backpack, safety pinning their bib on their singlet, etc).
Any parental questions / concerns or feedback regarding training or competition should always be directed to the coach directly (not through the athlete) via email or phone call. at a time outside of practice and competitions.
For information on the consequences of contravening this (or any other) policy, please see the 3 Strike Policy section below.
We appreciate that it is incredibly hard to break bad habits that are intended to be helpful, and replace them with new ones, so we have complied a list a resources that we feel can help us all align around our common goal of helping our athletes develop and strive towards their potential.
ATHLETE EXPECTATIONS
Our expectations for attendance at practice are based on the Long Term Athlete Development Model. Coaches would like to see athletes at most practices, but there are no ‘cuts’ for absences. While we are here to help athletes improve, the coaching staff understands that children have many activities. There is, however, a strong correlation between attendance and athletic improvement. For more information on attendance, consult your coach – there are different expectations for different age groups. For example, at the ‘grade 11 and over’ age group the correlation between practicing and improving becomes stronger, and the principle of training specificity is an important ingredient for success. Therefore, the expectations at this age group are more rigid than they are for our junior development athletes.
At all competitions, it is expected that club members will wear the Vancouver Thunderbirds singlet. Other pieces of clothing can be purchased, however only the singlet is mandatory. For sizing and cost and inquiries about other track and field garments, please contact John Gay (phone and email listed under ‘club contacts’).
Behavioural expectations include:
Appropriate use of language;
Enthusiastic participation in all practice activities when in attendance;
Respect for other athletes’ right to learn and participate,
Respect for coaches’ efforts and directions; and
Respect for oneself.
COACH EXPECTATIONS
Parents and athletes can expect that coaches will provide a safe environment for athletes in which to train. Further, coach conduct is governed by the same rules as athlete behavioral expectations (read above). Coaches have been trained on Safe Sport and must undergo provincial CRCs prior to coaching with the Vancouver Thunderbirds Club. The Vancouver Thunderbirds are advocates of, and commit to upholding, responsible coaching principles as defined by BC Athletics, which include the Rule of 2, Inclusion and Equity for all participants, and concussion awareness.
3 STRIKE POLICY
In the event that athletes or parents are found to contravene any club policies, the Club will generally (save for extreme violations) follow a 3 strike policy:
1. Reminder to the whole group without naming individuals
2. Direct confidential reminder to the individual(s)
3. The individual(s) will be required to sit out 1 week’s worth of practices.
Any contravention after these 3 strikes may result in longer suspensions or termination of membership at the discretion of the Club’s administration and coaching staff.
Should parents themselves be the ones contravening club policy, their child will unfortunately be required to sit out a week’s worth of practices, serve the suspension or have their membership terminated.
CLUB EXPECTATIONS
The Vancouver Thunderbirds continues to expand, and as we grow we revisit and enhance our athlete support policy. In addition to what the club provides, we are on an ongoing search for funding in the community for club athletes. The funding policy does not apply to any athlete who leaves the club before the end of the membership year, nor to athletes who have received a membership discount or are seasonal members. The current policy provides for athletes to receive the following:
Age Group Coaching Days Offered BC Age Group Championships National Age Group Championships
13 & Younger 3 / week Up to 4 events paid N/A
14 – 17 years 3 – 4 / week Up to 3 events paid Entry fee paid*
18 – 19 years 3 – 5 / week Up to 3 events paid Entry fee paid*
20+ years 5 – 6 / week Up to 3 events paid Entry fee paid*
* If athletes do not make a provincial team but do make the meet entry standard and choose to attend the National Age Group Championships as a club member, The Vancouver Thunderbirds will pay the entry fee.
*Athletes who have not committed to the volunteer efforts of the club will relinquish their right to club funding.