Gender Protocol Guidelines
Cobham Lacrosse Club offers training and match play for girls within the structure of the girls’ version of women’s lacrosse, regulated through the England Lacrosse programme. Cobham Lacrosse has developed guidelines for the Club to use should an issue on gender presentation be ongoing within the Club membership. These are set out below in four scenarios:
1. A player identifies as a boy but presents as a girl.
No action
2. A player identifies as a boy and presents as a boy at club training.
Policy required to deal with questions from players, coaches and parents at training and within the Club
Action:
· Discuss with the player’s parents/guardians the line to be taken with coaches and other girls.
· Explore with the parents/guardians how to present any proposed name change.
· Explore with the parents/guardians any request to use non-female toilets (safeguarding)
· Establish with the player’s parents/guardians how to deal with other parents’ questions.
· Set up Q&A sessions/sheets for use by players and coaches
· If the player’s parents/guardians do not agree with the Club taking a proactive approach, they should agree on a line for the Club to take in response to challenges.
3. A player identifies as a boy and presents as a boy in a girls’ team in matches
Policy required regarding the Club’s engagement with match officials / the other team
Action:
· Request player’s parents/guardians’ agreement to make external match officials aware of the situation before the match, including the Club’s support for the player.
· Failing the parents/guardians’ agreement, no proactive engagement taken but the Club will have a line agreed with the parents/guardians if the officials challenge the player’s taking part in the match.
· No need to discuss proactively with the opposition team if liaise with match officials.
· Set up agreed protocols on a member-by-member basis
4. A player identifies as a boy and presents as a boy at club and match level. Other Cobham parents/members challenge the player’s right to membership of a girl’s club.
Policy already set. Cobham Lacrosse Club Constitution (Rules) respects equality of opportunity for all accepted members
Action:
· The challenge is dismissed, but care is taken with reply to the complainant. Player’s parents notified but complainant’s privacy given respect also.
