Coach Code of Conduct
Professional expectations for coaches at Golden Jiu Jitsu. Read this before your first shadow session.
Coaching at GJJ is a paid position with real responsibilities. This document defines where those responsibilities start and end. If something isn’t covered here and you’re unsure, ask the head coach.
Attendance and Punctuality
Section titled “Attendance and Punctuality”Arrive early. If you’re opening the gym, follow the Opening Checklist timeline. If you’re not opening, arrive at least 15 minutes before class if you’re the lead coach, and at least 10 minutes before class if you’re assisting or co-leading.
Stay after fundamentals class. The expectation is two to three rounds of open rolling after class (10 to 15 minutes). You can stay longer if you want. You can kick people out after two rounds if you want to go home. But you don’t leave before those rounds are done.
Cancellations and rescheduling. If you can’t make a class you’re scheduled to coach, let the head coach know as soon as possible. Three days minimum. Life happens, and the sooner we know, the easier it is to find coverage.
Preparation
Section titled “Preparation”Read the curriculum before every class you coach. You should know the week’s primary topic, the retrieval options, and have at least one game picked out for each segment before you walk in the room. This is covered in the Fundamentals Class Structure and the Fundamentals Coaching Guide.
Teach from the curriculum. Don’t teach material that isn’t in the curriculum. If you think the curriculum is missing something important, bring it up with the head coach. The curriculum exists so students get a consistent, coherent experience regardless of who’s coaching that day. Going off-script undermines that.
New games and drills. Trying out a new game that isn’t in the game library is encouraged, but only after you’ve been coaching long enough to understand why the existing games are designed the way they are. If you try something new, evaluate it honestly afterward: Did it produce the behavior you wanted? Would you run it again? Share your notes with the head coach so we can consider adding it to the library. Don’t experiment during your first few months of coaching. Learn the system first.
Professionalism During Class
Section titled “Professionalism During Class”Be engaged the entire time. When students are playing games, you’re watching, walking the room, and giving individual feedback. Not sitting in a corner on your phone. This is covered in the Coaches Guide, but it’s worth restating here: being present and attentive is a baseline expectation, not an aspiration.
Don’t undermine other coaches. If you disagree with how another coach runs their class, talk to them privately or bring it to the head coach. Never criticize another coach to students. Never contradict another coach in front of students. If a student complains about another coach to you, listen, and then bring it to the head coach rather than validating the complaint.
Give every student your attention. Not just the ones who are fun to coach or who respond the most visibly to your cues. Walk the room. Give everyone something: one positive comment, one constructive nudge. Favoritism erodes trust.
Confidentiality. Coaches hear personal things from students: injuries, mental health, relationship issues, why they’ve been absent. That stays between you and the student. Don’t gossip about students to other students. Don’t share personal information a student told you in confidence, even with other coaches, unless there’s a safety concern that the head coach needs to know about.
Communication and Conduct
Section titled “Communication and Conduct”Discord. The gym Discord has channels that students and parents can see. What you post there reflects on the gym. Vulnerability and humor build trust, but if you wouldn’t say it in front of every student’s parent, don’t post it in a public channel. The coaches-only thread is more relaxed, but keep in mind that it’s still a professional space where we discuss students and coaching.
Representing the gym. When you’re wearing GJJ gear, visiting another gym, coaching at a tournament, or posting on social media as a GJJ coach, you represent us. That doesn’t mean you have to be corporate or fake. It means be the kind of person we’d want students and parents to see as the face of our gym. Be respectful, be sportsmanlike, and don’t pick fights (online or in person).
Substance use. Coaching while hungover happens. We get it. Coaching while actively intoxicated or under the influence of anything that impairs your judgment or reaction time is not acceptable. If you’re impaired, don’t come in. Let the head coach know and we’ll figure out coverage.
Relationships with Students
Section titled “Relationships with Students”Don’t pursue romantic or sexual relationships with students. Don’t hit on students, don’t flirt with students during class, and don’t use your position as a coach to create situations outside of the gym. The power dynamic between a coach and a student makes this a boundary worth respecting.
If a student asks you out, that’s a different situation. Consenting adults can make their own decisions. What matters is that the training environment stays comfortable and welcoming for everyone. If a relationship develops, be transparent with the head coach so we can manage any conflicts of interest (like you coaching that person’s class or being involved in their promotion decisions).
The line is intention and effort: are you making sure every student feels comfortable and welcome in the gym? If a relationship is creating awkwardness for other students, that’s a problem regardless of how it started.
Student Promotions
Section titled “Student Promotions”Don’t promote a student without getting consent from the head coach first. If you have a student you think is ready for promotion, let the head coach know and make the case. If the head coach agrees, you can be the one to hand the belt out, as long as you’re at least one belt rank higher than the belt being awarded.
Promotions are always a surprise. We do them at the end of a random class, one person at a time, never in batches. The student shouldn’t know it’s coming. This makes each promotion feel individual and earned rather than part of a scheduled ceremony.
Hygiene and Appearance
Section titled “Hygiene and Appearance”The same hygiene standards that apply to students apply to coaches. Nails trimmed. Gear washed. No stink. You don’t have to wear GJJ gear when coaching. Wear whatever is clean and comfortable.
When Things Go Wrong
Section titled “When Things Go Wrong”If you make a mistake, own it. Showed up late, forgot to read the curriculum, handled a situation poorly, said something you regret: tell the head coach. We can work through almost anything with honest communication. What we can’t work with is finding out about problems from students or parents instead of from you.
If you see another coach doing something that concerns you (boundary issues, safety problems, consistently unprepared), bring it to the head coach. Don’t let it slide. The culture we’ve built depends on everyone holding each other accountable.
For specific incident response procedures, see Incident & Safety Protocol.