Travel

TRAVEL

Travel will be a standard aspect of our competitive season and CLCR has established policies to guide our travel, minimize one-on-one interactions and reduce the risk of misconduct. Adherence to these travel guidelines will increase athlete safety and improve the competitive experience while keeping travel a fun and enjoyable experience.

LOCAL AND TEAM TRAVEL

We distinguish between travel to training, practice and local competition (“local travel”), and team travel involving a coordinated overnight stay (“team travel”).

Local Travel

Local travel occurs when CLCR does not sponsor, coordinate, or arrange for travel.  For local travel, athletes or their parents/guardians (for minor athletes) are responsible for making all travel arrangements. In these instances it is the responsibility of the athlete or their parents/guardians (for minor athletes) to ensure the person transporting the athlete maintains all safety and legal requirements, including, but not limited to, a valid driver’s license, proper insurance, well maintained vehicle, and compliance with all state laws.

In an effort to minimize one-on-one interactions, CLCR coaches and/or volunteers, who are not also acting as a parent, should not drive alone with an unrelated athlete and should only drive with at least two other athletes or another adult at all times, unless otherwise agreed to by the athlete’s parent or guardian in advance of travel. Limited exceptions would include an emergency situation where there was no alternative and in the process of picking up athletes or dropping them off.

Coaches, staff members and volunteers who are also an athlete’s guardian may provide shared transportation for any athlete(s). We encourage guardians to pick up their athlete first and drop off their athlete last in any shared or carpool travel arrangement. We also recommend completing a shared travel declaration form signed by the parents/guardians of any minor athlete who is being transported as part of such a carpool arrangement.

Team Travel

Team travel is overnight travel that occurs when CLCR sponsors, coordinates or arranges for travel so that our teams can compete locally, regionally, nationally or internationally. Because of the greater distances, coaches, staff, volunteers and chaperones will often travel with the athletes. However, no coach, staff member, or volunteer will engage in team travel without the proper safety requirements in place, including valid drivers’ licenses, proper insurance, well-maintained vehicles and compliance with all state laws.

CLCR makes efforts to provide adequate supervision through coaches and other adult chaperones.

For team travel, hotels and air travel will be booked in advance by CLCR when possible. Athletes will share rooms, with 2-4 athletes assigned per room depending on accommodations. CLCR will also notify hotel management should any special arrangements be warranted. For instance, we will ask hotels to block pay per view channels and we will request an additional large room or suite so that our members and athletes may socialize as a group.

We encourage family members who wish to stay in the team hotel to do so.  If family members do not stay in the team hotel, we encourage all athletes to call parents and guardians regularly and allow for any unscheduled calls by either the athlete or parent/guardian.

INDIVIDUAL TRAVEL [for SPORT INVOLVING INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION AND TRAVEL]

The nature of our sport and competition structure means that individual athletes may sometimes need to travel overnight without other athletes. Under these circumstances, we encourage minimizing one-on-one time between a coach and athlete by:

1. Traveling with an additional coach or chaperone
2. Inviting parents/guardians to travel with their athlete (for athletes under age 18)

For individual travel, we attempt to provide alternative guidelines. Depending on the nature of the travel and competition, these guidelines may include:

1. Compressing the travel schedule to reduce the number of nights athletes are away from home
2. Providing regular organizational check-in phone calls to the traveling athlete and coach
3. Encouraging more frequent and unscheduled check-in phone calls initiated by parents/guardians (for minor athletes)
4. Complying with reasonable parental requests when a child is a way from home without a guardian

When only one athlete and one coach travel to a competition, the athlete must have his or her parents’ or legal guardian’s written permission in advance to travel alone with the coach.

TRAVEL NOTIFICATION

When possible, CLCR will provide reasonable advance notice before team travel. Notice will include the dates, location and duration of competition. Travel notice will also include designated team hotels for overnight stays as well as a contact person within ORGANIZATION. This individual will be the point of contact to confirm your intention to travel and to help with travel details.

CLCR will post specific travel itineraries when possible and will be available for parents, athletes and chaperones to contact them with any questions.

MIXED-GENDER AND MIXED-AGE TRAVEL

CLCR is made up of male and female athletes across various ages. Athletes will only share a room with other athletes of the same sex and age group. Athletes will also be grouped by age and sex for the purposes of assigning an appropriate chaperone.

Regardless of gender, a coach shall not share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with an athlete (unless the coach is the parent, guardian, sibling or spouse of that particular athlete or the parents have signed a written consent form when the coach and family are more familiar). Where an adult is registered both as a coach and an athlete member of CLCR, and is functioning primarily as a coach, he or she may share sleeping arrangements with another registered coach.

COACH AND STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES

During team travel, coaches and staff members will help athletes, fellow coaches and staff members adhere to policy guidelines, including, without limitation, the Travel Policy and Reporting Policy.

If a coach or staff member transports an athlete or other organization member in their private car for team travel, the coach’s or staff member’s valid driver’s license must be available for presentation at any time.

When not practicing, training, competing, or preparing for competition, coaches and staff will monitor the activities of athletes, fellow coaches and staff during team travel. Coaches and staff will:

1. prepare athletes for team travel and make athletes aware of all expectations. Supplemental information will be given to parents/guardians of athletes who are considered inexperienced travelers, new or relatively new to team travel, or who are under the age of 14
2. familiarize themselves with all travel itineraries and schedules before the initiation of team travel
3. conform to, and monitor for others’ adherence, the Athlete Protection Policy and all policies during team travel
4. encourage minor athletes to participate in regular, at least daily, scheduled communications with their parents/guardians
5. help athletes be on time for all team commitments (as possible)
6. assist with team travel logistical needs (as possible)
7. support chaperones and/or participate in the monitoring of athletes for adherence to curfew restrictions set based on age and competition schedule as listed in travel itinerary
8. ensure athletes are complying with hotel room restrictions based on gender or age bracket requirements
9. make certain that athletes are not alone in a hotel room with any adult apart from a family member; this includes coaches, staff and chaperones
10. not use drugs or alcohol in the presence of minors or be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while responsible for any athlete whether practice or competition
11. immediately report any concerns about physical or sexual abuse, misconduct, or policy violations
12. notify parents before taking any disciplinary action against a minor athlete if the athlete is traveling without his or her parents.

CHAPERONE RESPONSIBILITIES

Chaperones accompany team travel to ensure that the athletes, coaches, staff, and volunteers adhere to the CLCR’s policy guidelines.

If a chaperone has not undergone a criminal background check and CLCR’s awareness training, the chaperone will not be permitted to have any one-on-one interactions with athletes or other youth participants. If a chaperone has undergone a criminal background check and awareness training, he or she may have appropriate one-on-one interactions as outlined in CLCR’s Participant Safety Handbook.

If a chaperone will be operating a private car for team travel, they must have a valid driver’s license.

Chaperones will monitor the activities of all coaches, staff members, volunteers and athletes during team travel. Specifically, chaperones will:

1. familiarize themselves with all travel itineraries and schedules before team travel
2. monitor for adherences to club policies during team travel
3. encourage minor athletes to participate in regular, at least daily, scheduled communications with their parents/guardians
4. help athletes be on time for all team commitments (as possible)
5. assist coaches, staff and other volunteers with team travel logistical needs (as possible)
6. monitor athletes for adherence to curfew restrictions set based on age and competition schedule as listed in travel itinerary
7. ensure athletes comply with hotel room restrictions based on gender or age bracket requirements
8. not use drugs or alcohol in the presence of minors or be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while performing their chaperone duties
9. make certain that athletes are not alone in a hotel room with any adult apart from a family member; this includes coaches, staff and chaperones
10. immediately report any concerns about sexual and physical abuse, misconduct or policy violations to a CLCR’s board member or coach.