Effective immediately, the club has a new, completely external conflict resolution/complaint management solution (Safe Sport Risk Management) that operates independently of the club. Any complaints or concerns that can't be handled by coaches or parent liaisons MUST go through this system or nothing will happen. You DO NOT contact Oakville Rangers Executives (VPs), Board Members or Staff. All complaints are handled by Safe Sort Risk Management. Please read on for more detail.
Any and all formal complains can be submitted at
https://www.safesportriskmanagement.com/
What Oakville Rangers Hockey Club members need to know
Effective immediately, the club has a new, completely external conflict resolution/complaint management solution (Safe Sport Risk Management) that operates independently of the club. Any complaints or concerns that can't be handled by coaches or parent liaisons MUST go through this system or nothing will happen. You DO NOT contact Oakville Rangers Executives (VPs), Board Members or Staff. All complaints are handled by Safe Sort Risk Management.
Safe Sport Risk Management
Safe Sport Risk Management is a professional resource specializing in unbiased investigation and mediation of incidents, accidents, and complaints that occur or arise in youth sports. This independent resource consists of professional negotiators, mediators and investigators with over 20 years of law enforcement experience.
Background and Additional Details:
Five years ago, the Oakville Rangers introduced the External Dispute Resolution Committee (EDRC). This unbiased entity was created to investigate serious issues and any complaints lodged against the Oakville Rangers Board, Executive, or Staff members to ensure thoroughness and impartiality. The EDRC does not report to the Oakville Rangers and its rulings can not be overturned by anyone within the club. Further, the EDRC has been endorsed by the OMHA Risk Management Director; is considered best-in-class, and has been lent out to other minor hockey clubs to help them through challenging issues. 'Smaller', less serious complaints were handled internally by our Internal Discipline Chair/Committee, myself, and the VPs of Rep and VPs of HL.
In the last few years, the risks, challenges, and intensity around conflict resolution have grown exponentially. Today, well over 50% of my time and the VPs of Rep and HL time is taken up dealing with these so called 'smaller' issues. Bullying; verbal abuse; threats; dirty play; social media; kids getting short-shifted; parents fighting; coach is mean; practices are poorly planned; heckling from the stands - you name it - it is coming to us constantly. Some of it is ridiculous and embarrassing and should just stop. Some of it is serious and has no place in our game. All of it requires attention and time.
The Oakville Rangers Executive and Board are volunteers who are here to grow, improve and manage the club. Instead, we are spending too much of our time working in a highly contentious, frustrating area where we are constantly criticized, accused of bias and making no one happy.
Therefore, effective immediately, ALL COMPLAINTS and conflict resolution (big or small) will be managed by an external resource called Safe Sport Risk Management (https://www.safesportriskmanagement.com/).
This new solution still requires you to do all that you can to solve your own issues by following the 24-hour rule and working with coaches/parent liaisons. However, if the matter is serious or can't/won't be handled by coaches, then you immediately contact Safe Sport Risk Management. They are external, impartial conflict resolution and investigative experts who will maintain confidentiality (deemed absolutely necessary and/or required by law). To be clear, you DO NOT contact, the ORHC VPs of HL or Rep, the Club President or Board of Directors, or any member of the Executive. Nothing will happen if you don't contact Safe Sport Risk Management (https://www.safesportriskmanagement.com/).
This conflict resolution solution is an expense that the club would prefer not to incur. However, the current situation makes clear that it is an expense that we can't afford not to have in place.
I thank you for choosing to be Rangers and I thank you for your patience during the recent labour disruption. We are working hard to get things back on track. As usual, any questions or concerns about anything, please contact me directly.
