Keeping young athletes safe.

If you're worried about someone

If someone is in immediate danger, call 111.

Otherwise, tell us. Nic Woods is responsible for safeguarding at Captain's Run, and every concern comes to him: safeguarding@captainsrun.nz. You can be an athlete, a parent, a coach or anyone else. You don't need proof, and you won't be in trouble for speaking up.

If your concern is about Nic, or you'd rather talk to someone outside Captain's Run:

• Oranga Tamariki, for concerns about a child's safety: 0508 326 459
• The Sport Integrity Commission's free, confidential dispute service: sportintegrity.nz

If you're a young person

If something doesn't feel right, it's okay to say so, even if you're not sure. Tell a parent, a teacher, an adult you trust, or us. These are free, and you can talk to them about anything:

• Youthline: call 0800 376 633 or text 234
• 1737: call or text 1737, any time
• Netsafe, for anything that happens online: call 0508 638 723

Messaging

• Before you sign up, we talk on WhatsApp. That's for getting started only. For players under 16, we talk with the parent or guardian.
• After you've signed up and paid, everyone talks through our app, whatever their age. No personal texts, social media or private calls between coaches and athletes. If a coach asks you to move somewhere else, tell us.
• Chats are stored for one year. Nobody can edit or delete them, including coaches. After a year they're deleted, unless a dispute or concern is still open. If anything is ever questioned, the record is there, which protects athletes and coaches alike.
• Nic can read any coach's chats with athletes under 18, and parents can ask to see their child's chats at any time.
• Hockey and life around it are fine to talk about. Secrets aren't. Coaches will listen, but they can't promise to keep something to themselves if someone's safety is at risk.
• Your Growth Monitor stays yours. Coaches can't read it. Only what you choose to share with us is visible.

In-person sessions

• Sessions happen in open, visible places. Parents and guardians are always welcome to watch.
• Intro sessions can be online. For players under 16, a parent or guardian joins, whether it's online or in person.
• Coaches stay out of changing rooms, and never invite an athlete to their home.
• Coaches don't drive athletes on their own. If it can't be avoided, a parent or guardian agrees first.
• We don't run overnight trips. If that ever changes, this policy changes first.
• Any physical contact is only what's needed to coach a skill, is explained first, and stops if the athlete isn't comfortable.
• No photos or video of under-18s are taken or used without a parent or guardian's permission, and never on a coach's personal device.

Our coaches

• Every coach goes through our selection process, with identity and reference checks.
• Every coach is police-vetted before they start, and again at least every three years.
• Every coach completes safeguarding training before or soon after they start, and every year after that.
• We treat every young person with respect. No bullying, no favourites, no humiliation, no pressure to train through pain or injury. No idiots applies to us as well.
• No coach has an over-familiar, intimate or sexual relationship with anyone under 18. No exceptions.

Parents and guardians

• Everyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian's consent. For players under 16, the parent or guardian makes the application.
• We confirm that consent with you directly before coaching starts. You can withdraw it at any time.
• You'll always know who's coaching your child and how to reach them.
• Under 18: the app has no supplement information at all: no protein powder, creatine or supplement advice.
• Under 16: there are also no protein targets, weigh-ins or sauna.
• 16 and 17: the app can still show how much protein to aim for from food.
• How we know their age: we ask for date of birth on the application, and the app goes by the date given at first sign-in. We don't check it against ID, so please make sure it's right. Until we have a date, the app shows the restricted version.

What happens when a concern is raised

1. We listen and take it seriously. We won't try to investigate it ourselves.
2. We keep the young person safe first. That can include stopping contact with a coach while it's looked into.
3. We write down what was said, keep it secure, and share it only with those who need to know. The chat is put on hold so it isn't deleted.
4. We go to the right people. Suspected crime goes straight to the Police. Concerns about a child's safety go to Oranga Tamariki. We tell parents or guardians, unless that could put the child at risk.

We're coaches, not counsellors. If someone needs more help than we can give, we'll help them find it.

Anything else that isn't right? See our complaints process. We review this policy every year, and after any serious concern. See also our privacy policy.

Last updated: 8 November 2026