Becoming a volunteer or coach at the club
As discussed at the 2025 AGM, we are looking for more volunteers to help supervise youth athletes in the two rooms we rent in the Saskatoon Field House during the Club’s training sessions. Following Sask Sport recommendations, we strive to abide by the Rule of Two, where each training room has two screened adults (ages 18+) present when youth athletes (younger than 18 years old) are training.
To become a screened adult:
- Anyone acting as a Volunteer for training room supervision (ages 18+) must take the Respect in Sport Course. It’s free! https://sasksrc.respectgroupinc.com/koala_final/ The course is valid for 5 years. Please retake the course if it’s expired. Please send your certificate to prairiefencingclub@gmail.com
- Anyone acting as a Persons in Authority (Coach, Support Role, or Referee) must take the Safe Sport Course. It’s free! https://coach.ca/sport-safety/safe-sport-training. Please send your certificate to prairiefencingclub@gmail.com
- All Volunteers and Persons in Authority over the age of 18 must provide a Criminal Record Check (with Vulnerable Sector check). https://saskatoonpolice.ca/recordcheck/ Please ask Lindsay or a member of the board to provide you with the letter stating that you are volunteer (so there is no cost for the criminal record check if the check is requested in person; there is also an online option that has a small cost associated with it
From Saskatoon Police Website: Volunteers will be required to submit a "volunteer letter" from the organization seeking your assistance. This letter must be on original letterhead and must have an original signature from the organization representative. If you do not have the required letter from the organization then the normal application processing fees will apply. Volunteer letters must be dated within 3 months, state the applicant's name and volunteer duties. If the vulnerable sector check is being requested, please include how the applicants duties will qualify for a vulnerable sector check.
- All Volunteers and Persons in Authority (all ages) must review, become familiar with and abide by the polices in the SASKATCHEWAN FENCING ASSOCIATION SAFE SPORT POLICY MANUAL https://www.skfencing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SFA-Safe-Sport-Manual.pdf
- In the event that the Rule of Two cannot be met (for example, if one of the Persons of Authority or volunteers needs to step out of the training room to get equipment or use the washroom), please make sure that lines of sight to the public are available- leave the doors open. A single coach or volunteer should not be in the equipment closet with a youth athlete, because there are poor sight lines and the room is poorly lit. Please ask youth athletes to wait in the hall or move the equipment into the hall.
- If you have any Safe Sport concerns at the club level, please immediately contact the head coach and/or a PFC Board member. If you are not comfortable contacting the head coach or a board member, please contact the Saskatchewan Fencing Association with your concerns: ed@skfencing.ca.
Thank you so much! We really appreciate any help you can give this season!