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The International Mental Game Coaching Association is a leader in the mental game of sport education for coaches, administrators, athletes and parents. IMGCA strongly believes that sport should be a living laboratory for learning about sportsmanship, life lessons and for developing character. IMGCA has developed the IMGCA Athlete Bill Of Rights to foster healthy self-development and to encourage ethical behavior throughout the sport experience.
The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes participation in sports as a human right. The Universal Declaration includes political and civil rights, including liberty, the right to life, free speech and privacy. The Olympic Charter and the European Charter for Fundamental Rights describes how sport can build and showcase many positive values such as fairness, equality, inclusion, sportsmanship, ethics, respect, hope, pride, discipline, perseverance and others.
Sport is an incredibly potent vehicle for teaching life lessons and for building character. Sport can bring people together and overcome injustice by transcending barriers of all types.
Athletes should be afforded specific, clear rights when it comes to their participation in sport. The IMGCA Athlete Bill Of Rights enumerates the rights that should be available to all athletes.
The IMGCA Athlete Bill Of Rights is free to reprint and to post without asking us in advance. Feel free to put this in your newsletters, ezines, on walls, in locker rooms, in training areas, in classrooms, in hallways, etc. For full details about reprints:
https://www.mentalgamecoaching.com/IMGCAArticles.html#UsageGuidelines
Here now is the International Mental Game Coaching Association Athlete Bill Of Rights:
The International Mental Game Coaching Association
Athlete Bill of Rights
Bill Cole, MS, MA
Founder and President
The International Mental Game Coaching Association
- The right to investigate and attempt any sport they choose.
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The right to participate in any sport they choose.
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The right to choose to pause or terminate any sport in which they are participating.
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The right to increase or decrease the degree of intensity of their participation in any sport.
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The right to have their training and competition venues safe from environmental hazards, crime and other potential harm.
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The right to have safe, well-maintained and appropriate equipment in their sport.
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The right to participate in sports that match their interests, ability level and developmental level.
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The right to choose their level of competition.
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The right to choose the degree of sport administration and organization, ranging from unorganized, self-organized pick-up and casual recreation games to highly organized competitive sport.
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The right to be informed in advance of the rules, regulations and expectations of any team they join.
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The right to choose if they will participate in a competitive event, based on their health and injury status.
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The right to participate in sport free of abusive, toxic coaches, staff and teammates.
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The right to have a voice with regard to the degree of intensity of training.
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The right to participate in sport, free of institutional and extra-institutional political dynamics.
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The right to participate in sport, free of parental pressures.
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The right to participate in a sport that is ethical, honest, and that emphasizes good sportsmanship.
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The right to receive quality feedback from coaches so they can continue to develop their skills and game IQ.
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The right to equal opportunity to continue to improve and to advance on sports teams.
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The right to choose the ideal combination of fun / seriousness in their sport.
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The right to be treated with respect and dignity by all coaches, staff, teammates, administrators, spectators and the media.
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The right to have qualified and experienced officials and referees at their competitions.
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The right to have trained and qualified coaches.
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The right to have coaches who prioritize the athlete’s mental wellness and health.
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The right to have coaches who create a learning and high-performance culture.
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The right to have coaches who recognize individual differences and who approach each athlete in a custom manner.
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The right to have coaches who focus not only on the technical and physical and strategic aspects of the sport, but who also focus on the mental aspect.
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The right to have coaches who value sport as a forum for teaching valuable life lessons.
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The right to have coaches who understand and use the principles of intrinsic motivation more than they do extrinsic motivation.
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The right to have coaches who teach and coach the whole person, not just the athlete.
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The right to have coaches who understand that their athletes are students as well, and who make academics a priority.
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The right to have coaches who are excellent role models as people of character.
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The right to have coaches who understand the challenges that young athletes face.
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The right to have coaches who are supportive, encouraging and kind.
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The right to not be discriminated against on the basis of age, gender, religion, race, language, country of origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, body type, economic level or political affiliation.
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The right to be informed in advance of any disciplinary actions against them, including having the right to independent, neutral appeal of any decisions by coaches.
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The right to choose how their name, image, biography, and record is used by their coaches and team and others, in terms of publicity, promotions and monetization.
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The right to choose how their name, image and biography appear on social media.
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The right to equal access to financial resources such as scholarships, grants, contracts and stipends.
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The right to be introduced to leadership opportunities.
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The right to choose when and how they will retire from their sport.
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The right to participate in tryouts and showcases and to have them be operated in a fair and transparent manner.
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The right to refuse performance-enhancing drugs.
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The right to refuse being asked to perform unethical or unsportsmanlike tasks.
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The right to be educated about a healthy lifestyle, including nutrition, sleep and rest, exercise, recovery, and injury prevention and care.
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The right to access to qualified athletic trainers and sports medicine personnel.
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The right to choose whether they will accept any athletic training and medical treatment, including surgery, sports medicine, chiropractic, and medications.
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The right to access to qualified sport psychiatrists, sports psychologists, or mental health counselors.
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The right to choose if they will accept assistance from sport psychiatrists, sports psychologists, or any type of counselor.
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The right to have access to qualified and proper training that is appropriate and safe.
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The right to have coaching adjusted to accommodate both their learning style and any learning disabilities or differences.
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The right to have the proper time off from sports so they can rest, recover and rejuvenate.
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The right to have coaches who emphasize playing for the love of the game.
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The right to have coaches who assist them in securing a college scholarship, if that is their desire.
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The right to safe, healthy, convenient and adequate travel, lodging and food when traveling.
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The right to choose when and where they would prefer a post-game debrief analysis.
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The right to have coaches who form good working relationships with parents.
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The right to have coaches who understand the intricacies of motivation, and who avoid using threats and intimidation.
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The right to have coaches who emphasize character development and the growth mindset.
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The right to have coaches who realize that young children are not little adults, and who interact with them appropriately.
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The right to have coaches who remain emotionally poised during the heat of battle in competition.
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The right to have coaches who treat people fairly, but not equally, because they understand that everyone is different and unique, and that everyone needs to be motivated differently.
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The right to have coaches who treat people with respect and dignity, even when the athlete disappoints and does not perform to their potential.
Copyright © Bill Cole, MS, MA, IMGCA. All rights reserved.
This article is free to reprint and, or to post without asking us. Put these in
your newsletters, ezines, walls, locker rooms, training areas, classrooms,
hallways, etc. For full details about reprints:
https://www.mentalgamecoaching.com/IMGCAArticles.html#UsageGuidelines
Bill Cole, MS, MA, a leading authority on peak performance,
mental toughness and coaching, is founder and President of
the International Mental Game Coaching Association, https://www.mentalgamecoaching.com.
Bill is also founder and CEO of William B. Cole Consultants,
a consulting firm that helps organizations and professionals
achieve more success in business, life and sports. He is a
Wall Of Fame Honoree, an award-winning scholar-athlete, published
book author and articles author, and has coached at the highest
levels of major-league pro sports, big-time college athletics
and corporate America. For a free, extensive article archive,
or for questions and comments visit him at www.MentalGameCoach.com
or SportsPsychologyCoaching.com.
Article Source: IMGCA
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