Dear members,
On Saturday 13 May the presidents of each club met with KNA committee members to discuss some worrying displays of poor sideline behaviour. This is not specific to one club, but across the board at our Association and is impacting the ability of players, umpires and coaches to perform at their best, and just as importantly to enjoy contributing weekly to our sport.
In particular, parents and spectators addressing umpires or opposition players derisively, particularly when those participants are minors, is unacceptable and must be curtailed. Please remember that everyone at the Association is a volunteer and that many of them are children. All are deserving of respect from spectators.
Each club, with the full support of KNA is asking all spectators to please abide by Member Protection Policies. Keep in mind the following processes that are meant to protect all stakeholders at Ku-ring-gai:
Umpires are not to be approached under any circumstance by spectators.
Umpires have the whistle. Their decision is final in all instances.
Should an issue arise where there is dangerous play, the manager or coach of the team can request the presence of a buddy from the umpiring tent.
Formal complaints must be forwarded to the KNA secretary, knasec@kna.com.au, and will be handled as per the NNSW Complaints Policy.
Should you have any questions regarding these policies, please refer them to your club President for more detail. In the meantime, we hope to see you all at the courts enjoying our game in a respectful manner in concert with our volunteers.