NYC Impact Travel Policy

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NYC Impact prohibits all types of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment, and hazing, all as described in the USA Volleyball SafeSport Handbook. NYC Impact has developed policies to guide our travel, minimize one-on-one interactions and reduce the risk of abuse or misconduct. Adherence to these travel guidelines will increase player safety and improve the player’s experience while keeping travel a fun and enjoyable experience.

We distinguish between travel to training, practice and local tournaments (“local travel”)

and team travel involving an overnight stay (“team travel”).

 

LOCAL TRAVEL

• Local travel occurs when NYC Impact does not sponsor, coordinate, or arrange for travel. Players and/or their parents/guardians are responsible for making all arrangements for local travel. The team and its coaches or administrators are not responsible for arranging or coordinating local travel. It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to ensure the person transporting the minor player maintains the proper safety and legal requirements, including but not limited to: a valid driver’s license, automobile liability insurance, a vehicle in safe working order, and compliance with applicable state laws.

• The employees, coaches and/or volunteers of NYC Impact or one of its teams, who are not also acting as a parent, should not drive alone with an unrelated minor player unless accompanied by one or more additional persons.

 

TEAM TRAVEL

• Team travel is overnight travel and lodging (possible multiple nights) that occurs when NYC Impact participants sponsors, coordinates, or arranges for travel so that our teams can compete locally, regionally, or nationally. Because of the greater distances, coaches, staff, volunteers, and chaperones will often travel with the players.

• When possible, NYC Impact will provide reasonable notice before team travel is to occur. Travel notices will also include designated team hotels for overnight stays as well as a contact person within the team or its employees/volunteers. This individual will be the point of contact to confirm your intention to travel and to help with travel details.

• REGARDLESS of gender, a coach will NOT share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangements with ANY minor player unless the coach is the parent, guardian, or sibling of the minor player.

• The coach or his/her designee will establish a curfew by when all players must be in their hotel rooms or in a supervised location. Regular monitoring and curfew checks will be made of each room by at least two properly background screened adults. At no time, should only one adult be present in a room with minor players, REGARDLESS of gender.

• Team personnel will ask that hotels block all adult and/or other pay per view channels.

• Individual meetings between a coach and a player may not occur in a hotel sleeping room and must be held in a public setting or with additional adults present, with at least one of those adults being the same gender as the player.

• Family members who wish to stay in the team hotel are permitted and encouraged to do so.

• The team will make every effort to accommodate reasonable parental requests when a child is away from home without a parent. If any special arrangements are necessary for your child, please contact the team personnel who can either make or assist with making those arrangements.

• NO coach or chaperone shall, at any time, be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while performing their coaching and/or chaperoning duties.

• In all cases involving travel, parents have the right to transport their minor player if they so choose. However, so that costs remain the same, the tournament fee schedule will not change for that player unless prior arrangements are made and the associated flights and/or other transportation costs have not yet been paid for by the team.

• Prior to any travel, coaches will endeavor to make players and parents aware of all expectations and rules. Coaches will also support chaperones and/or participate in the monitoring of the players for adherence to curfew restrictions and other travel rules.

• If disciplinary action against a player is required while the player is traveling without his/her parents, then except where immediate action is necessary, parents will be notified before any action is taken, or else immediately after.

• The employees, coaches and/or volunteers of NYC Impact or one of its teams, who are not also acting as a parent, should not drive alone with an unrelated minor player unless also accompanied by one or more additional persons.

• All players are expected and required to respect the privacy of their teammates as well as all others.

• All players must use ONLY the hotel rooms/halls with interior entrances. At no time is any player allowed to enter or exit through any side doors or hallway doors that lead directly outside and are separate from the main hotel entrance.

• All players are required to respect the hotel, its employees, and its facilities, at all times as well as keeping within a quiet atmosphere while inside the hotel.

• Travel dress code will be discussed and decided upon before each travel tournament. All players are expected and required to follow the established dress code during travel.

• During travel, all players MUST wear seatbelts if available and remain seated during travel.

• Players must stay in assigned hotel rooms. At no time are players allowed to make their own room ‘switches’ and/or arrangements. If changes must be made, they will be made by the coach and/or chaperone and by formal request of the involved players.

• Players are NOT permitted to order room service at any time.

• Players and their parents/guardians will be responsible for all incidental charges, damages, or thievery problems at the hotel.

• ALL players are required to participate in meals as a group or in groups of no less than three players. At NO time is any player allowed to dine by themselves.

 

ADDITIONAL PLAYER REQUIREMENTS

• Regardless whether the team is traveling or else the team is competing in a local tournament; ALL players are expected to remain with their teammates at all times during the trip/event. At NO time are players allowed to leave the competition venue, hotel, restaurant, or any other place at which the team has gathered, without the expressed permission and knowledge of the coach or chaperone.

• When visiting public places such as shopping malls, movie theaters, etc., players will stay in groups of no less than three persons. NO PLAYER will be left out of this rule! We are a team and are expected to act as such.
   

CODE OF CONDUCT

• Team members will display proper respect and sportsmanship towards coaches, officials, administrator, teammates, fellow competitors, and the public at all times.

• Team members and staff will refrain from any illegal or inappropriate behavior that would detract from a positive image of the team or be detrimental to its performance objectives.

• Players are to refrain from inappropriate physical contact and the use of inappropriate language. The possession or use of alcohol or tobacco products by any athlete is prohibited.

• The possession, use or sale/distribution of any controlled or illegal substance or any form of weapon is strictly forbidden.

• Team members are reminded that when competing at tournaments or other club related functions, they are representing both themselves and NYC Impact.

• Athlete behavior must positively reflect the high standards of the club.

• ALL PLAYERS are expected and required to be ON TIME. Showing up right before the competition starts or we are supposed to leave to travel is NOT being “On Time”!

 

Failure to comply with the Code Of Conduct as well as any of the “Travel Policies” as set forth in this document may result in disciplinary action. Such discipline may include, but may not be limited to:

1. Dismissal from the tournament.

2. Immediate return home at the player’s and/or parent’s expense

3. Disqualification from future tournaments.

4. Financial penalties;

5. Dismissal from team; and/or

6. Penalties set forth in the USA Volleyball Participant Code of Conduct, which may include a lifetime ban.