Binghamton Figure Skating Club

Skater Code of Conduct

Binghamton Figure Skating Club Skater Code of Conduct

As a member of our club, all skaters must adhere to this Code of Conduct at all times.

General Guidelines

Binghamton Figure Skating Club is committed to creating a safe and positive environment for skaters’ physical, emotional, and social development and ensuring that it promotes an environment free of misconduct. This Skater Code of Conduct has been established to ensure the safety of all skaters using our ice and to ensure quality practice time for all home club, associate, non-member, and guest skaters who purchase ice from the club and who participate in all club-related activities.

  1. All skaters, regardless of whether they hold home club, associate, non-member, or guest status, must follow and uphold the tenets in this Skater Code of Conduct regarding behavior on and off the ice. All skaters are expected to exhibit good sportsmanship and be courteous toward fellow skaters, coaches, parents of skaters, U.S. Figure Skating officials, and guests.
  2. Our club is committed to promoting a positive and friendly environment for all skaters. Remember the Golden Rule: treat other people like you want to be treated, with respect.

Ice Etiquette and Safety

  1. While in lesson or practice, it is the skater’s responsibility to always be conscientious and aware of other skaters around them. Skaters in lessons or practicing their programs to music should wear a colored sash.
  2. Skaters must skate with the flow of other skaters and familiarize themselves with the most commonly used areas for jumps and spins. Skaters standing around talking, or not paying attention to rink traffic, are asked to move to the side of the rink or get off the ice.
  3. All skaters should understand and follow these priorities for who has the right of way on the ice:
    1. First priority: the only time a skater has the sole right of way is when they are skating their program to music in a lesson. When you hear another member’s music, please extend that person the courtesy of moving out of their path momentarily.
    2. Second priority: skaters in a lesson not using the music.
    3. Third priority: skaters not in a lesson, but doing an announced program or dance to music. These skaters may need to adjust their program to avoid higher-priority skaters in lessons.
  4. Advanced skaters are expected to exhibit patience toward beginner skaters of the club. Everyone on the ice shares the responsibility for skating safely with consideration for all other skaters, even when they have a higher priority.
  5. Skaters should not kick holes in the ice, eat food or chew gum on the ice, make phone calls or text on the ice, or use profanity on the ice. Skaters who make significant toe-jump holes have the responsibility to repair them.
  6. All accidents must be reported to the rink staff immediately.

Program and Music Requests

  1. Requests to play music for programs or dances should be made to the music supervisor at the session. Normally, a skater may request a particular program at most three times during any session.
  2. If there are many requests to play programs, there will be a sign-up list, and the programs will be played in order, unless a coach needs a program or dance during a lesson. A coach needing a dance or program has priority over the next skater’s program. Different coaches requesting music must take turns.
  3. If no skater or coach needs to play a program or dance, general background music will be played at a moderate sound level. The club will provide a collection of CDs or an MP3 player with a variety of such music. Any skater may submit a CD of background music for consideration by the Music Committee of the Board. The music supervisor will choose the background music. If there is no music supervisor, then a board member, coach, or adult club member may play the music according to these principles.

Guidelines for Dress and Equipment

Skaters are requested to wear figure skates on club ice sessions unless prior approval has been obtained from the Board. Requests for exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis. We are a figure skating club, not a hockey club and not a speed skating club. Protective equipment should be appropriate for a figure skating club ice session, so that, for example, wearing full hockey equipment would not be allowed. Hockey sticks with blades would also not be acceptable, but using a hockey stick handle without its blade is acceptable as a teaching tool. Hockey pucks are not allowed on the ice except for repair of a hole in the surface. Skaters may wear helmets of various kinds and other protective headgear, as long as vision and hearing are not impaired.

Unsafe or Discourteous Behavior

Unsafe or discourteous behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. The club does not tolerate intimidation of skaters, for example, skating too fast or too close to others, making faces at other skaters, or making fun of other skaters. Problems needing discussion should be taken to the side of the rink or off the ice, and all skaters should control their emotions.

Violations

Violations of any tenets will be addressed at the time they occur by a member of the club board of directors following the procedures outlined in the conflict resolution process.

First offense: the skater will be addressed verbally in private regarding the violation.

Second offense: if there is a second violation, the skater will be removed from the activity and given a written warning. A face-to-face meeting with the skater and or the skater’s parent or legal guardian may be in order.

Repeated offenses: if the skater continually violates any tenet of the code of conduct, repeat offenses will be taken very seriously by the club board of directors. Discipline may include loss of club privileges for extended periods and or revocation of club membership.

Enforcement

Any club officer or any member of the Board of Governors may enforce these rules, but we expect the coaches and skaters to understand and follow these rules themselves. If a skater has been affected by an infraction of these rules, and the skater responsible does not acknowledge or apologize for the incident, then a complaint should be filed in writing with any club officer or board member present on the ice. Complaints will be investigated by the Board, which may recommend an appropriate level of action after all affected parties have had a chance to present their side of events. If a skater’s behavior at a club session, on or off the ice, is judged unacceptable by a club officer, the skater may be asked to leave the club ice session until a hearing can be arranged. If the skater refuses to leave after being asked, the rink management may be asked for help.

Revised June 10, 2020.