TO All Affiliates
FROM Suzanne Henderson, Manager – People & Culture
SUBJECT Hockey Victoria Fair go, sport! Rounds Round 12 (juniors), Round 14 & 15 (Seniors) & Round 15 (Masters)
DATE 28th June, 2013
Dear Affiliates,
In 2011, four Hockey Clubs - Camberwell, Baw Baw, Werribee and Old Carey, volunteered to assist Hockey Victoria and the Fair go, sport! project partners in piloting various initiatives within their Clubs to increase awareness of sexual and gender diversity in Hockey as part of the Fair go, sport! project.
These initiatives were extremely successful thanks to the great work undertaken by the project advocates and committees within each of the pilot clubs.
In 2013, an additional eight clubs have signed up for phase 2 of the project. These clubs are: La Trobe Uni, Doncaster, Mentone, MHSOB, Swinburne, Essendon, Essendon Ladies and Altona.
All 12 Clubs will work together to build sustainability within Hockey to generate lasting cultural change that promotes diversity, inclusion and welcoming environments. One way clubs can support this change is to become actively involved in the Fair go, Sport Round.
Hockey Victoria would once again like to celebrate and promote safe, welcoming and inclusive sporting environments, by declaring Rounds 14 (seniors), 15 (Masters) and 12 (juniors) of the 2013 Winter Competition as Fair go, sport! Rounds.
When will the Fair go, sport! Round take place?
Hockey Victoria’s Fair go, sport! Round will take place from Saturday 27th July (seniors) until Sunday 4th August 2013. The following competitions will be involved:
- Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th July: Seniors Round 14 - Monday 29th July: Masters Round 15 - Wednesday 31st July: Masters Round 15 - Friday 2nd August: Juniors Round 12 - Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th August: Seniors Round 15 What can Clubs do to support Fair go, sport!?
In your club environment over the next few weeks, affiliates of Hockey Victoria are encouraged to: Discuss the Fair go, sport! project at a committee level as well as at a team level; Show the Gus Johnston YouTube video and talk about it within your Club or Association; Familiarise yourself with Hockey Victoria’s and your Club or Association’s Codes of Conduct (Behaviour) and Member Protection policies; Appoint people within your club to become “Welcoming Officers”; Make a youtube clip, showing how inclusive and welcoming your Club is of everyone; Hold a Club forum to promote awareness of sexual and gender diversity and invite members to discuss ways, that your club can become more inclusive and welcoming for everyone e.g. review club constitution in relation to it being representative of all members, look at ways to improve facilities, ways to handle complaints, club values etc Invite the opposition in for afternoon tea or a social BBQ after the game, celebrate diversity and friendship in sport; Write an article for Club website, highlighting the benefits of having a diverse community involved in hockey; Consider writing a media release and sending it to local newspapers; Purchase rainbow socks directly from Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission. http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/index.php/component/k2/item/516-buy-your- rainbow-socks If Clubs want to wear rainbow socks during the round, they need to seek approval from Hockey Victoria – Mary Lofthouse - [email protected] Familiarise yourself with Hockey Australia’s ‘What you say matters’ communication resource for coaches; Check out the Fair go, sport! webpage and put a link to this webpage on your website; and
Contact HV is you would like to collect rainbow wristbands to wear during the round, or give to your opposition on the day.
Invite member of the Fair go, sport! Team at Hockey Victoria and Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) to attend and acknowledge your clubs Fair go, Sport!(FGS) Activities
Challenge an opposing team to a FGS Cup
Present a FGS medal to the fairest player on the ground Over the course of Rounds 12, 14 &15, we encourage the Hockey community to take photos of your teams supporting the Fair go, sport! project and email these photos to Hockey Victoria’s Communications Coordinator Aubrey Hamlett at [email protected]. Hockey Victoria will then upload the photos to the Hockey Victoria website.
Hockey Victoria’s Fair go, sport! Round is an opportunity for all clubs to celebrate Hockey’s spirit of fair play and inclusiveness and to promote their club as a safe, welcoming and inclusive sporting environment. This is a great opportunity for your club to invite your local Members of Parliament and Councillors to your club and also involve your sponsors.
Hockey Victoria would like to thank Vichealth and VEOHRC for their ongoing support of this importance initiative.
Media If you are planning any special activities as part of the Fair go, sport! Round, please let Hockey Victoria know as we may be able to assist you in promoting these activities through our media contacts. Please email Aubrey Hamlett at [email protected].
Leadership Hockey Victoria is very proud of the leadership role it is taking in promoting sexual and gender diversity in sport and I would like to thank you in advance for your support in raising the awareness of sexual and gender diversity in Hockey and promoting safe, welcoming and inclusive Hockey environments.
Yours sincerely,
Suzanne Henderson Manager – People & Culture