POSITION:  Adult Coach/Adult Volunteers

Minimum Qualifications:

Desire and ability to work with children outdoors  

Ability to relate to one’s peer group  

Ability to accept supervision and guidance from Lead Coaches and Director    

Good character, integrity, and adaptability  

Enthusiasm, sense of humor, patience, and self-control

Ability to abide by the philosophies, goals, objectives of sport and character development camp

Promotion of learning: Students should acquire new knowledge or skills that will lead to long-term behavior change. This learning is not limited to the development of physical skills and should also facilitate the social, personal and psychological development of each student.

Life skills: Students should learn how to balance their life, emotional well-being, leadership, personal growth and decision-making skills.

Healthy lifestyle: Teaching students to adopt an addiction-free, physically active and long-term healthy lifestyle.

Sportsmanship: Students should learn respect and concern for rules and officials, opponents, and the spirit and customs of sport.

Citizenship: Students should acquire knowledge, attitudes, experience and skills that will prepare them to be productive and responsible members of society.

Responsible To Director

Specific Responsibilities

1. CAMPER SAFETY- Know where your campers are at all times, be cognizant of the overall safety of each camper and maintain appropriate camper-to-staff ratios while supervising activities.  Report the details of any near accidents or incidents to senior coaches, the recurrence of which may be prevented in the future through corrective action.

2. CAMPER HEALTH- Be watchful and observant of each child’s health during the day.  Promote cleanliness, good eating habits, sun protection, hydration, appropriate rest and exercise.  Report all health problems lead coach who will report to director if necessary.

3. CAMPER PARTICIPATION- Ensure appropriate participation by each camper in all camp events.  Provide reasonable options for those who, after careful consideration, request not to participate in a given activity. We encourage as much participation as possible from all campers. Ensure fairness and diversity in the selection of group activities.

4. MAINTAIN APPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIPS- Maintain and encourage appropriate relationships with campers, staff, parents, and the community. Please see detailed appropriate touch guidelines below. Campers should at no time be carried - on hip or piggy back or otherwise. If injured you may move students to safety as necessary.

Specific Responsibilities

1. Coaches will serve as a positive role model for all campers, keeping in mind one’s own behavior, language, attitude and appearance.  Specific attention will be given to appropriate dress with regard to advertising messages, social signals and personal hygiene. Please dress in appropriate athletic gear.

2. Coaches will make every effort to develop a good working relationship with all other staff members and campers. Counselors will set positive examples by sharing space and time appropriately and upholding appropriate sportsmanship.

3. Coaches will generate camp spirit by demonstrating enthusiasm in all camp activities.

4. Coaches will give attention to each camper, allowing for individual differences.

5.Coaches will arrive at camp punctually each day. Coaches will attend to punctuality with regard to the camp schedule and their commitments. in the case of emergencies the director and camp cell phone will be notified as soon as is possible.

6. Coaches will maintain professional relations with staff and campers. Details of personal relationships between staff members or others should not be brought up or displayed at camp at any time.  If, out of concern for the safety of an individual or the camp, one judges that disclosure of confidential relationship information is necessary, it should be brought to the attention of the Director, who will manage such information with appropriate discretion.

7. Coaches will encourage respect for personal property, camp equipment, the natural environment and the camp’s grounds and facilities by ensuring proper use and storage of equipment, and managing refuse and litter.   

8. Coaches will report any physical damage, hazards or other concerns and suggestions for improvement to the Lead Coach and Director as soon as possible.

Appropriate Touch Policy and Abuse Prevention Agreement:

Please note that while Covid mandates dictate: There is no physical contact with campers unless there is necessity for it. Air hugs, Air High Fives and other non-contact methods of encouragement are encouraged!

Here is our policy for appropriate touch to prevent abuse. Policy applies to coach/student, jr coach/student, coach/coach and jr. coach/coach and jr. coach/jr. coach.

1. Appropriate touch should be a response to the persons need for comforting, encouragement, or affection. It should not be based on the adult’s emotional need.

2. Volunteers or employees should not force affection on any person. Physical contact should always be with the persons consent or initiation. For example, a Coach or Jr Coach might ask, “May I give you a hug?”

3. Physical touch should generally be limited to hugs and contact with the person’s hand, shoulder, or upper back. In our current social distancing environment during the Covid 19 pandemic, touching should be limited to only necessary situations.

4. A persons verbal or nonverbal “no” should always be respected. If a person pulls away, respect the person’s wishes at all times.

5. Physical touch should be appropriate for the age of the child or youth. For example, while it is often appropriate to hold a toddler on your lap, it is inappropriate for a teenager to sit on the lap of an adult. For older youth, opt for a side hug, touching their hand, or other forms of affection that do not involve excessive body contact for extended periods of time.

6. At no time should another child/adult be touched on or near the breasts, genitals, or buttocks by anyone.

7. Anyone observing inappropriate touching or other questionable behavior by any individual toward a minor or other adult coach should immediately begin the process for reporting suspected abuse or neglect to the program director. If a child is touching an other child inappropriately - stopping the event, then correction and expectation should be made clear and director called as to decide if further action needs taken. If behavior continues after clear expectations or is severe, parent of the student acting inappropriately and the program director should be called immediately. Student should be closely monitored until parent arrives.

8. Rule of 3 - there must be 2 student with 1 instructor or 2 instructors with 1 student. At no time shall students be with 1 to 1 with an instructor.