Respect is earned.
For any activity or event at Intentional Sports, it is everyone’s responsibility to maintain the highest standards of conduct of themselves. Failure to do so undermines the general enjoyment of youth/adult sports, the referee’s authority and the integrity of the game resulting in an unnecessary hostile environment for players, referees, coaches, and parents/spectators.
Abusive or obscene language, violent play/conduct, fighting and other behavior deemed detrimental to the game will not be tolerated. This policy applies before, during and after the event – inside or outside of the facility.
Facility Rules
- Conduct within the facility should be always in the spirit of good sportsmanship.
- At no time shall spectators enter the field to speak with officials, coaches, or players. Any spectator that enters the field to confront an official or another player will be suspended from the facility.
- Should you find or lose any items please report the incident immediately to an Intentional Sports employee. Intentional Sports staff do not assume responsibility for any items lost or stolen.
- No food or drinks on the fields or courts. Outside food and drinks are not permitted in Intentional Sports. Players, coaches, and referees may bring 1 water bottle.
- No animals, with the exception of service animals, will be allowed in the facility.
- No chewing tobacco or chewing gum permitted in the facility at any time.
- No sunflower seeds or similar type products are permitted in the facility.
- No glass containers on the field or on courts.
- Video recording from the player boxes is not allowed.
- Children must be supervised at all times.
- Balls shall not be kicked, thrown, or hit against the building walls (interior or exterior) unless on the playing field. Damage caused by these actions shall be the financial responsibility of the individual, or their parents or legal guardians.
Player’s Code of Conduct
- Athletes, spectators, and guest are expected to set a superior example of sportsmanship and respect for others on the premises.
- Abusive or offensive language will not be tolerated.
- Physical violence of any kind will result in immediate removal from the venue.
- Individuals in violation of the conduct policy may be asked to leave.
Parent’s Code of Conduct
- Parents are to allow ONLY the coaches to give instruction to players during game play.
- Parents are prohibited to enter onto the field of play unless asked by the coaching staff.
- Parents are to encourage their child to work hard, develop skills and put forth an honest effort during competition.
- Parents are to act in a manner that displays their understanding that their children are involved in sports for their enjoyment, not yours.
- Parents are not to ridicule or discipline children for making mistakes or errors.
- Parents are to accept the officiating decisions as final and respect that all opposition to officiating will be handled by coaches only.
- Parents who have conflicts with the coaching staff are not to approach coaches during a game.
- Parents are to accept the coaching staff’s decisions as final regarding playing position and playing time.
Intentional Sports Child Safeguarding Policy
Policy Purpose
Intentional Sports stands committed to inspiring Chicago’s youth through the power of sports. Our mission is to provide equitable opportunities in sports, wellness, arts, and education through programming that is rooted in excellence, respect, and service. We outline our child safeguarding procedure in order to ensure that the Intentional Sports mission can be carried out safely and successfully. Thus, the purpose of this policy statement is:
- To protect children and young people who participate in Intentional Sports programming and/or enter Intentional Sports’ facility from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services; and
- To provide Intentional Sports staff and volunteers, as well as children, young people, and their families, with the principles that govern our approach to child protection.
This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Intentional Sports, including, without limitation, the board of directors, executive advisory board, organizational leadership, paid staff, volunteers, contracted workers, agency staff, and students.
Legal Framework
This policy has been created based on legislation, policy, and guidance that seek to protect children in the United States. A summary of U.S. guidance for child safeguarding can be found at https://www.usaid.gov/safeguarding-and-compliance/partners/child-safeguarding/FAQs
Intentional Sports Handbook & Supporting Documents
This policy statement accompanies the Intentional Sports Employee and Volunteer Handbook, signed by all Intentional Sports employees and volunteers, which further outlines:
Credit attributed to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and U.S. Agency of International Development for providing the literature, research, and policy framework guiding the methodology of our policy.
- Code of Conduct for Employees and Volunteers: Staff may never solicit anyone for any purpose during work. They are expected to display courtesy and consideration for everyone they meet, sharing responsibility for ensuring that Intentional Sports remains free of harassment and discrimination of any kind. Employees will perform duties in a fashion that ensures the safety of our guests, clients, tenants, and coworkers. Employees will act appropriately during emergency situations and display the highest regard for the safety of people in our surroundings, taking appropriate action to address safety or security concerns. It is important that all employees adhere to a consistent set of guidelines, always conducting themselves in a professional manner.
- Behavioral Guidelines for Children and Young People: Children and young people participating in our programs are expected to demonstrate respect, kindness, and cooperation at all times. Bullying, aggressive behavior, and any form of harassment are strictly prohibited. Participants must follow the instructions of coaches and staff and adhere to all facility rules to ensure a safe and positive environment for everyone.
- Managing Allegations Against Staff and Volunteers: Any allegations against staff or volunteers will be taken seriously and addressed promptly. Reports should be made immediately to the designated Child Protection Officer, who will conduct a preliminary assessment. If warranted, the matter will be escalated to external authorities, and the accused individual will be suspended from duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
- Dealing with Disclosures and Concerns About a Child or Young Person: If a child or young person discloses abuse or there are concerns about their welfare, staff and volunteers must report this immediately to the Child Protection Officer. Confidentiality will be maintained as much as possible, but the safety of the child is paramount, and appropriate authorities will be notified as required.
- Online Safety and Data Protection: We prioritize online safety and data protection by implementing strict guidelines for digital communication and data handling. Staff and volunteers are trained to use secure platforms for online interactions and to safeguard personal information. Children’s data is collected and stored in compliance with data protection laws, ensuring confidentiality and security.
Facility Use Agreement: All parents/caregivers (and activity participants over 18) must read our facility use agreement before registering themselves or their children for any activity at Intentional Sports. The agreement lists our photo and video recording policies, as well as reasonable standards of conduct for anyone that enters the Intentional Sports facility.
At Intentional Sports, we believe
- Children and young people should never be subjected to abuse of any kind.
- We have a responsibility to promote the well-being of all children and young people, and to operate Intentional Sports in a way that ensures the safety and security of the children and young people with any connection to our organization.
We understand
- The safety of children is paramount to the work conducted at Intentional Sports and to every organizational decision;
- Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, caregivers, and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s safety;
- All children, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religious belief, sex, or sexual orientation, have the right to be protected from harm;
- Some children may be more vulnerable than others to abuse or harm due to the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs, or other issues; and
- Extra safeguarding practices may be needed to keep children who are disproportionately vulnerable safe from abuse.
In a concentrated effort to keep all keep children and young people safe at Intentional Sports, we
- Value, listen to, and consider the voices of our child and young adult participants.
- Appoint a child safeguarding lead for both children and young adults, a secondary officer, and a senior member to ensure child safeguarding policy is carried out.
- Actively incorporate best child safeguarding practice into our policies, procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers.
- Develop, implement, and frequently update an effective safety policy and associated procedures, published on our website for public transparency.
- Provide effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training, and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures, and codes of conduct confidently and competently.
- Recruit and select staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary vetting procedures, background checks, and in-person evaluations are completed.
- Record, store and use information professionally and securely, in accordance with U.S. data protection legislation and guidance.
- Ensure that children, young people and their families know whom to contact if any concerns arise.
- Use our established child safeguarding procedures to report concerns and relevant information to appropriate agencies, and involve children, young people, parents, caregivers, and families appropriately.
- Use our procedures to effectively and appropriately address any allegations made against staff and volunteers.
- Create and maintain an anti-bullying environment and ensure that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that may arise at Intentional Sports.
- Ensure that we have effective reporting and whistleblowing measures in place.
- Ensure that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people, staff, and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance.
- Build a safeguarding culture where staff and volunteers, children, young people, and their families treat each other with respect and where they are comfortable sharing concerns.
Examples of specific policies and procedures Intentional Sports implements to keep children safe
- Requiring authorized parents/caregivers to provide government identification to validate their identity when picking up children from drop-off activities.
- Requiring said parent/caregiver to sign their child in and out of activities.
- Actively intervening to prevent bullying or hazing incidents.
- Taking attendance of children and young people after traveling to a different facility space.
- Requiring two staff members to supervise any child who steps out of an activity to use the bathroom, get water, or attend to any need.
- Verifying the identity of any person, young or adult, that enters our facility for any reason at our front desk.
- Valuing, listening to, and considering the voices of our child and young adult participants.
Contact Details
Child Safeguarding Lead
Name: Estera Cardos
Phone/email: cardos@intentionalsports.org
Secondary Child Safeguarding Lead
Name: Jack Pio
Email: pio@intentionalsports.org
Senior Child Safeguarding Lead
Name: Austin Carr
Email: carr@intentionalsports.org
To reach the Illinois Department of Children and Family Service Child Safety Hotline, call