Safe Sport Resources

Suspension List

Suspension List (EN / FR)

Rule of two

Rule of Two – Infographic (EN / FR)

Rule of Two in a Virtual Setting (EN / FR)

Report a concern or violation

Canada Cheer is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, healthy, and inclusive sports environment where all members can participate in their sport free from abuse, maltreatment, harassment, and discrimination. If you have a concern or have seen a member breach a Cheer Canada Policy, please take the most appropriate action from the list below to report this concern or violation. For more information regarding Cheer Canada’s policies please visit https://cheercanada.ca/about/bylaws-policies

Duty to Report

All Cheer Canada Participants are expected to promptly report any behavior of which they become aware that may constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct Policy or contravenes the law. This includes situations where the breach is suspected, provided the Cheer Canada Participant has reasonable grounds to believe such suspicion is true.

If you have reasonable grounds to suspect that an individual is or may be suffering from emotional abuse, physical abuse, and/or sexual abuse, you should immediately report the suspicion and the information on which it is based to the local child protection agency and/or the local police department. Once you have taken the urgent action to protect a child in danger, please contact Cheer Canada to ensure we are informed and can take any required action.

Report at the Program Level

In a situation where the alleged misconduct is less severe, and may not risk the safety, health or well-being of an athlete, Canada Cheer encourages all members including: athletes, coaches, parents, gym owners, judges and volunteers to try and respectfully address the issue with the individual. If the first response is unsuccessful, individuals with unresolved concerns should then contact their gym manager or owner, club president or board of directors, if possible.

Report at the Provincial Level

Where the situation is more severe, reaches beyond the scope of an individual program, or if the concern directly involves the individual responsible for receiving complaints, then the concern should be reported to the provincial sport association in accordance with their policies and procedure.

Report at Cheer Canada level

Cheer Canada should receive reports from individuals in any the following circumstances:

  • concerns relating to Team Canada and Cheer Canada activities/events,
  • if the individual had unsuccessful attempts to address their concerns at the first two levels,
  • concerns involving multiple PSOs,
  • if concerns are not related to program operations, or
  • if the complaints are of a more serious nature and may involve abuse, harassment or discrimination.

Cheer Canada will use reasonable efforts to conduct the initial review and assessment in confidence, including where possible, protecting the anonymity of the Whistleblower. This includes reports, complaints, witness statements and other documents. Anonymous reports, while discouraged, can be submitted, but complaint processing may be hampered due to Canada Cheer’s inability to clarify detailed information with the person reporting the concern.

Submitting a Report

Independent Third Party Reporting

A key component of a safe environment is the existence of an independent dispute resolution mechanism where complaints, allegations and breaches of Cheer Canada conduct policies can be received and heard.

An independent third party is an individual external to Cheer Canada who is responsible for providing expert, objective, external facilitation of complaints in accordance with Cheer Canada’s safe sport policies.  

Cheer Canada has retained Sport Dispute Management Inc. led by Jahmiah Ferdinand-Hodkin (she/her) to provide the independent third-party services to Cheer Canada’s community.  Any individual who has witnessed, experienced, or received information regarding maltreatment of any kind can contact Jahmiah for information about the complaint process (complaints@sportdispute.com) or submit a complaint online ( EN / FR ).  

For more information regarding Sport Dispute Management and the complaint process, please see their website here. 

When reporting a complaint through the independent third-party process, you can expect that:

  • All reports will be kept entirely confidential, in line with the wishes of the person making the complaint. This includes confidentiality from Cheer Canada staff.
  • Complaint will be followed up on in a timely manner.
  • The Independent Third Party is available to support persons making a complaint through the process and will provide information on each step of the process.
  • Complaint will be taken seriously, and rigorously examined.
  • Complaint will be managed in a trauma-informed manner.
  • Complaints will be managed in French or English, according to your preference.

Should any complaint or concern come to the attention of Cheer Canada, it will be forwarded to the Independent Third Party.

Reports can be submitted by completing the following form. ( EN / FR )

Good Faith Reporting

A reporting person who files a Cheer Canada Code of Conduct Violation form must do so with no malice and/or information known to be false, fabricated or retaliatory in nature. Reporters must have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed does indeed indicate a violation. Knowingly submitting a false or malicious report will be viewed as a major infraction.

There will be no retaliation of good faith reports that turn out to be unsubstantiated. No reporting person shall suffer retaliation or harassment as a result of their report.

Information and resources:

https://sportintegrity.ca/safesport

https://abuse-free-sport.ca/education_library

Concussion Management

Concussion Recognition Tool (EN / FR)

Return To Sport (EN / FR)

Canadian Anti-Doping Program

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is the custodian of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP), the set of rules that govern anti-doping in Canada. The CADP consists of several components such as in- and out-of-competition testing, education, medical exemptions, and the consequences of doping violations. The CADP is compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code and all international standards.

Cheer Canada has adopted the CADP which means that you can be confident that you are part of a world-class anti-doping program that is designed to protect athletes’ rights and ensure a level playing field. Cheer Canada’s code of conduct reflect and support the CADP. For more information regarding Cheer Canada’s policies please visit: https://cheercanada.ca/about/bylaws-policies/

While the CCES administers anti-doping for the Canadian sport community, you may also be subject to the rules of your international federation. Learn more about ICU’s anti-doping policies and procedures at http://cheerunion.org/wada/safety/  

As a member of Cheer Canada, the CADP applies to you!  It is important to know that by participating in activities sanctioned by Cheer Canada, you may be selected for doping control.

Important Information

The CCES recommends that athletes take the following actions to ensure they don’t commit an inadvertent anti-doping rule violation:

Additional Resources and Information

  • The Global DRO provides athletes and support personnel with information about the prohibited status of specific substances based on the current World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List: http://www.globaldro.com/
  • Read more about the Canadian Anti-Doping Program at http://cces.ca/canadian-anti-doping-program
  • The World Anti-Doping Agency works towards a vision of a world where all athletes compete in a doping-free sporting environment: http://wada-ama.org/
  • The CCES is a proud and active member of the True Sport Movement – a movement that is based on the simple idea that good sport can make a great difference: www.truesport.ca

 

Report Doping

Cheer Canada and the CCES need your help to eliminate doping! To report doping activity, call the hotline at 1-800-710-CCES, download the app for Android here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gotethics.cces or iOS here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cces-report-doping/id1359653848?mt=8, or fill in the online form here: http://cces.ca/reportdoping

Contact

For additional resources and more about anti-doping, please contact the CCES:

 

Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders

Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders (click here)

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility

Championing Inclusion at Cheer Canada

Our Commitment

Cheer Canada is committed to championing inclusion in our sport, including advancing our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. Diverse participation strengthens cheerleading, and we are constantly evaluating our programs and policies to ensure fair access for everyone. Cheer Canada endeavours to build a culture that stands against racism, promotes equality, and celebrates every athlete’s story.

Our Partnerships and Training 

We have partnered with incredible organizations to bring impactful training directly to our members. Recently, Cheer Canada collaborated with Right To Play to host an interactive workshop focused on play-based learning and Indigenous inclusion. We also rolled out a workshop with Anti-Racism in Sport to create a dedicated space for honest conversations and actionable steps forward. Furthermore, we proudly support the Aboriginal Sport Circle and encourage all our clubs to connect with their local Indigenous sport bodies to promote culturally safe spaces.

Our Policies and Safe Sport 

We hold our community to high ethical standards. You can read our official Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy directly on our Governance page. We require all clubs, coaches, and athletes to uphold these values on and off the mat. If you experience or witness discrimination, we encourage you to speak up. You can safely and confidentially report any concerns through our independent third party. We take all reports seriously and act quickly to keep our sport safe, fun, and fair.

Useful resources: