Expectations of Behaviour

A. Overview
B. Orientation, Team Building and Hazing
C. Definitions
D. Creating new traditions: Orientation and team building alternatives
E. Alcohol Code of Ethics
F. Drug Education and Policy
G. Harassment and Discrimination Policy
H. Equity Policy
I. Social Networking Websites

A. Overview

As a Varsity Blue, each student-athlete is expected to adhere to behaviour that positively represents the Varsity Blues program and the University of Toronto. Student-athletes are representatives of the Varsity Blues program, and as such, are amongst the most visible students on campus and in the University of Toronto community.

While participation on a varsity team creates a unique opportunity to be a role model, mentor and spokesperson, it also brings with it significant responsibilities. The social interaction of student-athletes both on- and off-campus, can be subject to scrutiny and public knowledge. As a Varsity Blue, you are expected to be a positive role model and an ambassador of the Varsity Blues program, your team and the University of Toronto by demonstrating the pursuit of ethical sport, fair play, honesty, integrity and respect for others at all times.

As a Varsity Blue you are expected to abide by all university policies, intercollegiate program policies, team rules and policies and procedures of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA), Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and/or other sport governing bodies. As a Varsity Blue you are expected to be responsible citizens, achieving academically and performing athletically.

Other expectations include:

pursuing academic success while a student-athlete

fulfilling all team and athletic commitments throughout the year as prescribed by their head coach;

exhibiting conduct at all times which complements and enhances the university’s reputation;

not engaging in any activity that may be considered unethical or might bring the reputation of the student-athlete, the team, the Varsity Blues program or the university into disrepute;

refraining from posting or contributing material to any social networking media that negatively reflects upon the student-athlete, the team, the Varsity Blues program or the University;

treating everyone with respect regardless of gender, race, place of origin, athletic potential, colour, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs or socio-economic status;

conducting all team welcoming/orientations and social activities in a manner that reflects integrity, dignity, safety and individual rights including the right to participate voluntarily;

Abide by all OUA, CIS, and/or sport governing rules and regulations;
Shall wear approved Varsity Blues branded attire when representing the University of Toronto in competition, during award presentations & photos, and any other sanctioned University/Varsity Blues event.
follow the alcohol code of ethics, including the prohibition of consumption of alcohol on any chartered or rented vehicles; and,

refrain from all illegal or “recreational” drugs (marijuana, cocaine, hashish) and abide by the drug education and policy as outlined

All Varsity Blues student-athletes must adhere to the University of Toronto’s student code of conduct: http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/studentc.htm.

Violations of the Varsity Blues student-athletes expectations of behaviour will result in appropriate sport-related discipline as determined by the Director of Intercollegiate and High Performance Sport. It may result in but not be limited to: student-athlete individual suspension and/or team suspension.

B. Orientation, Hazing & Team Building

Coaches, staff and student leaders affiliated with the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) are committed to ensuring student-athlete orientations and transition experiences are welcoming. Part of this commitment is an effort to introduce positive team building orientation activities for student-athletes who are new to the Varsity Blues intercollegiate program.

Varsity Blues intercollegiate athletics supports only those team building activities which are constructive, educational and contribute to the intellectual and personal development of student-athletes. It unequivocally opposes hazing and any situation created intentionally to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment or ridicule.

Hazing is any act, whether physical, mental, emotional or psychological, which subjects another person voluntarily or involuntarily to anything that may abuse, mistreat, degrade, humiliate, harass or intimidate him/her, or which may in any fashion compromise his/her inherent dignity as a person.

Positive team building activities are team experiences that promote team unity and growth through exercises that support the dignity of all members of the team.

Hazing vs. Team Building¹
Hazing                                                             Team Building
• humiliates and degrades                           • promotes respect and dignity
• tears down individuals                             • supports and empowers
• creates division                                           • creates real teamwork
• creates lifelong nightmares                      • creates lifelong memories
• is shameful and secretive                          • creates pride and integrity
• is a power trip                                             • is a shared positive experience!

Hazing
• Has caused suspension of a team’s program and/or cancellation at various CIS institutions;
• Has caused a student-athlete’s institutional eligibility to be taken away;
• Has caused student-athletes to be arrested, including having to appear in court at their own expense;
• Has caused teams to be torn apart and fragmented; and,
• Has caused serious physical and psychological injuries and even death.

C. Definitions

Subtle Hazing: Behaviors that emphasize a power imbalance between new members and veterans of the group or team. Too often they are mistakenly accepted as “harmless.” Most often they involve ridicule, embarrassment and humiliation, and could even be considered as harassment. Some new members seem to expect such treatment and endure it for the sake of acceptance.²

Some examples (but not limited to):
Deprivation of privileges granted to other team members; requiring new members to perform duties not assigned to other members; socially isolating new members; identifying, or classifying new members as a “rookie” on clothing or other identifiers; name calling; implied use of alcohol required; requiring new members to refer to other members with titles (e.g., Mr., Miss), while they are identified with demeaning terms (rookie, fresh meat, dogs); expecting certain items to always be in one’s possession; deception

Harassment Hazing: Behaviors that cause emotional anguish or physical discomfort that puts unnecessary stress upon the victims (e.g., verbal abuse and threats, etc.).³

Some examples (but not limited to):
Consumption of alcohol and/or illegal drug substances required; verbal abuse and/or threats or implied threats;
asking new members to wear embarrassing or humiliating attire; stunt or skit nights with degrading, crude or humiliating acts; expecting new members to perform personal service to other members, such as carrying books, errands, cooking, cleaning, etc.; sleep deprivation; sexual simulations; expecting new members to be deprived of maintaining a normal schedule of bodily cleanliness; expecting new members to harass others.

Violent Hazing: Behaviors that have the potential to cause physical and/or emotional harm.⁴
Some examples (but not limited to):
Forced or coerced alcohol or other drug consumption; beating, paddling or other forms of assault; forced or coerced ingestion of vile substances or concoctions; burning; water intoxication; expecting abuse or mistreatment of animals; public nudity; Expecting illegal activity; Exposure to cold weather or extreme heat without appropriate protection

Initiations are defined as an induction to a team/group through special ceremonies that hold meaningful relevance. An initiation that asks the student-athlete to sacrifice his or her values and participate in humiliating and endangering activities is misguided.⁵ Initiations are prohibited in the Varsity Blues program.

Perpetrators: Individuals who exercise their power and control over the newest members through subtle harassing or violent hazing that humiliates, degrades and/or endangers.⁶

Passive Participant: An individual member of the hazing group who stands by and watches the hazing activity perpetrated upon another victim and chooses not to do or say anything that would or could change the course of action. The passive participant becomes as much of the problem as the perpetrators themselves, makes them a contributor and perpetuates the hazing culture.⁷
1-7 Source: NCAA Policy on Hazing

Be a Green Dot! The University of Toronto is part of a new social movement across North America.
It empowers individuals to engage in social interaction that prevents and/or diverts a dangerous situation, rather than be a passive bystander. A green dot is one small step towards a community in which violence is not accepted and loses its power. Your green dot will depend on the situations you’re in, but everyone can do something towards preventing violence.

If you are in a situation that you feel has the potential for violence, think of a green dot in terms of the “Three Ds”:
DIRECT: Suggest a change in behaviour. Get a person out of a dangerous situation.
DELEGATE: Get someone to take care of a person who is at risk of violence. Find help.
DISTRACT: Create a distraction that will interrupt the flow of potetial violence.
‘No one has to do everything. Everyone has to do something.’

For more information on the Green Dot movement, visit: http://www.healthandwellness.utoronto.ca/greendot.htm

D. Creating New Traditions

Traditions are important, and are intended to hand down honourable customs. They instill a sense of value and pride in the existing members. It is imperative for coaches and team leaders to establish meaningful traditions that are time-honoured through positive team building events. “Rookie” parties/events are not acceptable. Instead, here are some ideas:

Establish mentors for new student-athletes.
Design and complete a community service project pre-season.
Attend a team-building ropes course to build unity among new and veteran players.
Establish a ceremonial presentation of game uniforms to new players before the first contest.
Hold a “meet the parents and families of new players day” before the first contest.
Establish a tradition of recognizing each new student-athlete’s birthday with a pizza party.
Have senior players call new players before they arrive on campus as a welcoming gesture.
Have holiday-time phone calls from the captain to all new first-year players.
Take the team hiking, canoeing, rafting or bowling.
Compete with each other in other team games such as dodgeball or ball hockey, splitting the team equally between new members and returning members.
Go to a Blues Game with your team! Blues supporting Blues!
Have your team visit the children’s ward in a hospital, a nursing home or a homeless shelter
Share your team building experience with other Varsity Blues teams and swap ideas.

E. Alcohol Code of Ethics

In order to develop a positive culture at the University of Toronto regarding alcohol, student-athletes need to be leaders with regards to educating themselves and others about the use of alcohol.

Research has shown that for every one ounce of alcohol consumed, it take two hours for the liver to process. Hence, in the quest for excellence, both on and off the playing field, student-athletes need to make smart choices and realize the long-term athletic, career and health benefits of choosing not to drink alcohol or to drink responsibly after the legal age of 19 in Ontario. Furthermore, illegally possessing, distributing, selling or being under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is inconsistent with the core values of the university community.

The Varsity Blues program expects all of its representatives (administrators, coaches, assistant coaches, support staff, staff members, student-athletes) to observe the following as unacceptable:

Use of alcohol before, during or after Faculty-sponsored competitive/athletic events, either at home or during road trips; Note: Situations pertaining to specific cultural norms may warrant the Head Coach/Administrator some discretion. If questions regarding appropriate behavior arise, the Director of Intercollegiate and High Performance Sport should be contacted.
Consumption of alcohol in any University of Toronto athletic facility, including but not limited to: team rooms, classrooms, labs, sport venues;
Consumption of alcohol on any university-charted or rented vehicles;
Consumption of alcohol in any Faculty-sponsored hotel room while on road trips;
Use of alcohol that interferes with scholastic success, athletic performance, personal relationships or finances;
Irresponsible use and/or being intoxicated in a public place (i.e., downtown University campus, restaurants, etc.); and,
Drinking at team building/orientation events.

F. Drug Education & Policy

The Varsity Blues program adheres to the CIS regulations for drug education and policy for all Varsity Blues athletes including:

A mandatory online drug education session for all student-athletes participating in the Varsity Blues program;
Opposed unequivocally to the use of any banned or restricted substance or methods in contravention of CIS rules and the rules of the National and/or International Sport Federations; the International Olympic Committee and the Federation du sport universitaire;
Opposed to any encouragement of the use of such substances and/or methods by individuals in positions of leadership in university sport (coaches, athletic staff, medical practitioners, sport scientists, administrators) or by the student-athletes themselves.
Provision of, or administration of banned or restricted substances and/or methods to athletes is forbidden; and,
Random testing of student-athletes in CIS sports during the competitive and off-season year.

G. Harrassment & Discrimination Policy

The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education is committed to providing a safe, non-threatening environment, supportive of productivity, as well as demonstrating a concern for the personal goals, dignity and self worth of all athletes and staff of the intercollegiate program. The Faculty’s goal is to treat every athlete and staff member fairly in an environment free of harassment and discrimination.

The University of Toronto recognizes that all members of the University community have the right to be free from harassment and discrimination on the prohibited grounds defined in the Ontario Human Rights Code. This includes but is not limited to: sexual harassment, harassment based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, creed, disability and sexual orientation.

Such harassment and discrimination has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s or a group’s work or academic performance, or of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working, living, athletic or academic environment. Discrimination is any action which has the effect of differentiating on the basis of prohibited human rights grounds, including but not limited to: race, ethnicity, religion, creed, disability and sexual orientation, resulting in inequality of opportunity, exclusion and the creation of a poisoned or toxic environment.

Student-athletes are expected to adhere to the policy guidelines regarding harassment and discrimination outlined in the Code of Student Conduct and the Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures. If you require detailed information, please visit: www.campuslife.utoronto.ca/policies.html.

If you or someone you know has been subjected to harassment or discrimination and would like to speak confidentially with a consultant or counselor, please contact the Sexual Harassment Office at 416-978-3908.

H. Equity Policy

The Faculty is committed and dedicated to inclusion and equity. In recent years, a great many steps have been taken towards greater equity in the funding available to men and women in intercollegiate sports. The Faculty continues to extend and realize opportunities for students who wish to participate.

Treat all participants equitably within the context of their sporting activities, regardless of gender, race, place of origin, athletic potential, colour, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs and socio-economic status;

Use language that conveys respect for the dignity of others (e.g., gender-neutral terms) in written and verbal communications;

Not practice, condone, ignore, facilitate or collaborate with any form of discrimination in sport; and,

Act to prevent or correct practices that are impermissible discrimination.

For more information on intercollegiate sport and equity, contact Beth Ali at beth.ali@utoronto.ca.

I. Social Networking Sites

Varsity Blues student-athletes, as members of the University of Toronto community, are permitted to have profiles on social networking websites such as, but not limited to, Facebook and Twitter. It is important that student-athletes exercise appropriate caution if they choose to participate. Users must understand that any content that they make public via such online networks or digital platforms is expected to follow accepted social behaviors.

For example:
a) no offensive or inappropriate pictures are posted, b) no offensive or inappropriate comments are posted, and/or c) any information placed on the website(s) does not violate the ethics and intent behind both the student code of conduct AND the student-athlete guidelines listed here. Student-athletes should remember that they are ambassadors of the University of Toronto and are always in the public eye. Content posted by student-athletes at other institutions or even other students on campus may not be acceptable on the profile. Questions regarding acceptable content should be directed to Mary Beth Challoner at mb.challoner@utoronto.ca.