Is Your Coach Actively TPA Certified?
Safe and inclusive environments are those within which athletes can train and compete without fear of bullying, harassment or abuse. Tennis Canada is committed to protecting the security, safety, and health of its young people, vulnerable persons, staff and volunteers.
Tennis Canada demonstrates its commitment to safety by implementing current and comprehensive policies, delivering education and training, and by managing allegations and complaints compassionately, fairly and impartially.
If you have any safety concerns:
1. If someone is in immediate danger, call the police (9-1-1)
2. If you would like to file a complaint:
- Click here to access Tennis Canada’s independent third party reporting mechanism for organizational participants (non UCCMS participants) in Tennis.
- Click here to access The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) complaint intake form for participants subject to the UCCMS. *This only applies to all National Tennis Centre (NTC) and National High Performance Program (NHPP) Athletes, Team Coaches, Support Staff, and Billets, as well as Tennis Canada’s Board of Directors.
3. If you would like to discuss your safety concerns, please e-mail safesport@tenniscanada.com
Fostering a sport environment that is safe for all participants, at all levels of competition, is everyone’s responsibility. A safe sport environment is one that does not jeopardize an athlete’s mental, physical, emotional or sexual health and well-being but instead promotes strength, resilience and self-confidence.
Athletes, particularly those competing at high levels, may be vulnerable to attacks on their health and well-being from people they know – trainers and other athletes, for example – as well as from people they do not know – media and strangers through social media. It is essential that all participants are protected from harm through a combination of education and prevention initiatives, comprehensive and actionable policies and protocols, and compassionate and just crisis management.
If you feel at risk of immediate harm, call 9-1-1. If you are in need of support and don’t know where to turn, the following organizations may be able to provide you with guidance:
Independent Third Party for Safe Sport Concerns
Tennis Canada knows how important it is to provide a safe, secure, and independent way of reporting issues that are impacting an individual directly or that they have become aware of. Tennis Canada has enlisted the services of an Independent Third Party company called Whistleblower Security. To report a concern, please contact their 24/7/365 bilingual hotline at 1-866-921-6714.
Additionally, you may get in touch with the Independent Third Party organization Integrity Counts at their email address or via their website.
Sport Canada requires all federally funded NSOs to become a signatory of the Abuse-Free Sport Program and to identify a pool of participants. As such, Tennis Canada has identified National Tennis Centre and National High Performance Program athletes, team coaches, program staff, billets and the organization’s board of directors as its pool. We will continue to support everyone in tennis through its pre-existing and robust independent third party reporting process listed below.
Abuse-Free Sport is Canada’s independent system for preventing and addressing maltreatment in sport, working with others throughout the Canadian sport system to ensure that every participant – no matter the sport, the level, or the role – has a safe, positive and enriching experience. Under Abuse-Free Sport, The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) is responsible to administer the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) using trauma-informed processes that are compassionate and efficient, and provide fairness, respect, and equity to all parties involved. To learn more about Abuse-Free Sport, please visit abuse-free-sport.ca.
Canadian Sport Helpline
Call: 1-888-83SPORT (77678)
Email: info@abuse-free-sport.ca
Kids Help Phone
Call: 1-800-688-6868
Text “CONNECT” to 686868
Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention
Hope for Wellness Help Line
Call: 1-855-242-3310
Trans Lifeline
Call: 1-877-330-6336
LGBT Youth Line
Call: 1-800-268-9688
Canadian Centre for Child Protection
To report images of online child exploitation, visit the CyberTip website.
National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC)
Call: 1-866-633-4220, 416-340-4156
Sport’aide
Call: 1 833 211-AIDE (2433), 1 833 245-HELP (4357)
For access to educational resources on violence and abuse prevention, bullying and mental health, please explore the following:
For information on background checks, which are commonly required for volunteers or employees of most organizations, please consult the Tennis Canada Background Checks Guide.
With regards to conducting record checks on youth under the age of 18, more information is available here.
Please click on the corresponding links below for information regarding the relevant topic.
Tennis Canada Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct (the “Code”) is founded on the highest ethical standards of treating all persons with fairness and respect, ensuring the full and fair participation of all persons in the sport of tennis, and facilitating the fair, equitable, transparent and timely resolution of disputes.
Tennis Canada is committed to leading the growth of tennis in Canada by promoting an environment that is free from all forms of Neglect and Maltreatment, and that reflects its core values of teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation, excellence, and accountability.
This Code is meant to protect all individuals and identifies the standard of behaviour Tennis Canada expects of its Personnel, Athletes and Coaches, as well as the consequences of non-compliance. It is incumbent upon every individual to voluntarily comply with the Code and all of Tennis Canada’s policies as outlined in the Cover Note that are applicable to the individual. Tennis Canada encourages the Reporting of all violations of the Code, especially incidents of alleged Neglect and Maltreatment, regardless of who the offender may be. It is aligned with Abuse Free Sport and the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) to ensure a positive tennis experience for everyone in our sport.
To review our Code of Conduct, please click below:
Tennis Canada Safesport Code of Conduct – EN
Tennis Canada Code de Conduite de Sécurité dans le Sport – FR
THE UNIVERSAL CODE OF CONDUCT TO PREVENT AND ADDRESS MALTREATMENT IN SPORT (UCCMS)
The UCCMS is the core document that sets harmonized rules to be adopted by sport organizations that receive funding from the Government of Canada to advance a respectful sport culture that delivers quality, inclusive, accessible, welcoming and safe sport experiences.
The UCCMS addresses:
- common principles and a commitment to advance a respectful sport culture;
- standard definitions of various forms of maltreatment, including grooming, neglect, and physical, sexual, and psychological abuse;
- a list of other prohibited behavior such as retaliation, failure to report maltreatment, intentionally filing false allegations, misuse of power, etc.; and
- a framework for determining appropriate sanctions against such prohibited behavior.
To review the UCCMS, please click below:
Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) – EN
Le Code de conduite universel pour prévenir et contrer la maltraitance dans le sport (CCUMS) – FR