Player Welfare
Child Safety & Club “Playing Up” Guidelines
At Margaret River Hockey Club, child safety is a top priority — especially when it comes to decisions about younger players "playing up" into higher age groups.
Each season, coaches, parents, and players work together to ensure the right decisions are made for player development, safety, and team needs. One of the most common questions is: "When is it appropriate for a younger player to step up into an older age group?"
To support this decision-making process, we’ve created a Playing Up Flowchart — a simple guide for coaches and parents to follow. This ensures clarity, fairness, and above all, safety for all players.
This process also helps in situations where a team is short on players. This applies across both junior and senior competitions, whether due to fixture clashes, illness, or work schedule conflicts — the pressure is on to find fill-in players to avoid forfeiting a match.
Getting this right matters — for fairness, safety, and club integrity. Please refer to the flowchart below to understand how we approach these decisions.
Player & Volunteer Support
At Margaret River Hockey Club, the wellbeing of our players, coaches, managers, and volunteers is a top priority. We are committed to upholding the governance, policies, and integrity frameworks outlined by Hockey WA, Hockey Australia, and Sport Integrity Australia.
If you ever have a concern or need guidance, there is always someone at the club ready to help.
Please explore the links and documents below for more information.
Our “Playing up” Selection Process
A "playing up" policy for junior hockey players typically requires that a player demonstrate a high level of skill and maturity, be approved by their coach and the club, and only play up in situations where there is a clear need, usually with the priority of player development and not solely to win games, while ensuring the younger player's safety and appropriate game time distribution within the higher age group.
Club Compliance
We have appointed a Club Welfare Officer, Galatee Underwood, who is trained and informed in line with the
Hockey Australia National Integrity Framework and is available to support members as needed.
We have included some helpful resources for players, parents, and volunteers — including links to relevant policies and procedures around child safety, codes of conduct, integrity, and team management.
SAFE HOCKEY
Hockey WA and Hockey Australia has zero tolerance for child abuse or neglect in any form.
All children have the right to feel safe and protected from all forms of abuse, harm, and neglect. children have the right to take part in hockey in a safe, positive, and enjoyable environment.
Hockey WA and Hockey Australia are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in hockey by providing safe and inclusive environments and ensuring that everyone involved in hockey is proportionately educated and informed of their responsibilities to protect and look after children and young people.
Visit the Safe Hockey Hub for more information.
Safe Hockey Resources
Here, you’ll find information, fact sheets, and resources to help create safer environments for children and young people in hockey. No matter your role, there’s something for everyone. Explore each section below.
Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy
The Hockey Australia Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy explains how hockey ensures a safe, positive, inclusive, and supportive environment for all young participants.
This policy helps everyone involved in hockey—children, young people, parents, carers, coaches, staff, and volunteers—understand their rights and responsibilities for keeping children and young people safe. It outlines what behaviour is acceptable and unacceptable, and what steps to take if you ever feel unsafe, upset, or harmed
