DPL TRAVEL POLICY

Palm Beach Gardens Predators has some teams that travel regularly to play in tournaments, has some teams where travel is limited to a few events per season, and some teams where there is no travel other than local travel to and from our own area. Palm Beach Gardens Predators prohibits all types of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, threats, harassment and hazing. Palm Beach Gardens Predators has established policies to guide our travel, minimize one-on-one interactions and reduce the risk of abuse or misconduct. Adherence to these travel guidelines will increase player safety and improve the player’s experience while keeping travel a fun and enjoyable experience. 

Team Travel 

Team travel is overnight travel that occurs when Palm Beach Gardens Predators or one of its teams or designees’ sponsors, coordinates or arranges for travel so that the team can compete locally, regionally or nationally. Because of the greater distances, coaches, staff, volunteers and chaperones will often travel with the players. 

  • When possible, Palm Beach Gardens Predators will provide reasonable advance notice before team travel. Travel notice will also include designated team hotels for overnight stays as well as a contact person within Palm Beach Gardens Predators or the team. This individual will be the point of contact to confirm your intention to travel and to help with travel details. 

  • Regardless of gender, a coach shall not share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangements with a minor player (unless the coach is the parent, guardian or sibling of the player). 

  • The coach or his/her designee will establish a curfew by when all players must be in their hotel rooms or in a supervised location. Regular monitoring and curfew checks will be made of each room by at least two properly background screened adults. At no time will only one adult be present in a room with minor players, regardless of gender. 

  • Team personnel shall ask hotels to block adult pay per view channels for all rooms. 

  • Individual meetings between a coach and a player may not occur in hotel sleeping rooms and must be held in public settings or with additional adults present, with at least one of those adults being the same gender as the player. 

  • Parents/Guardians who wish to stay in the team hotel are permitted. Please do not interfere with the arrangements made by Palm Beach Gardens Predators should you decide to stay in the same hotel.

  • The team will make every effort to accommodate reasonable parental requests when a child is away from home without a parent. If any special arrangements are necessary for your child, please contact the team personnel who can either make or assist with making those arrangements. 

  • No coach or chaperone shall at any time be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while performing their coaching and/or chaperoning duties. 

  • Prior to any travel, coaches will endeavor to make players and parents aware of all expectations and rules. Coaches will also support chaperones and/or participate in the monitoring of the players for adherence to curfew restrictions and other travel rules. 

  • If disciplinary action against a player is required while the player is traveling without his/her parents, then except where immediate action is necessary, parents will be notified before any action is taken, or immediately after.