1 § Association’s name and domicile

The name of the Association is Suomen Valmentajat ry in Finnish. Its domicile is Helsinki and the area of operation is all of Finland. In international relations, the unofficial English title Finnish Coaches Association may be used.

2 § Purpose of the Association’s activities

The Association’s purpose is to promote sports coaching and coaches in Finland.

 3 § Nature of the Association’s activities

The nature of the Association’s activities is based on the current Finnish sports values and ethical code of conduct.

To achieve its purpose, the Association:

1. promotes the coaches’ and other coaching experts’ networking and their sense of community.
2. strengthens the coaches’ and other coaching experts’ skills by training and sharing information regarding coaching
3. promotes the coaches’ and coaching experts’ esteem and societal value through rewards and means of communication
4. promotes the publication of coaching information in Finnish
5. develops interaction and skill sharing between sports
6. influences the societal development of coaching and coaches, as well as the development work of Finnish coach education.
7. participates in international development of coaching and brings international know-how to Finland
8. works in partnership with different agents in the Finnish sports community

To support is activities, the Association may:

1. organise events, such as trainings, member events, competitions and parties;
2. accept aid, donations and testaments;
3. sell advertisement and make sponsorship deals;
4. raise funds by conducting fundraising, such as fundraisers and raffles, with the appropriate permission;
5. publish, sponsor and sell electronic publications, printed matter and recordings that are related to its field;
6. establish funds and;
7. purchase immovable and movable property that is necessary for its activities.

In addition, the Association may engage in business activities directly related to the realisation of its objectives.

4 § Commitment to work against anti-doping

The Association and its members are committed to the current anti-doping regulations of the Finnish Centre for Integrity in Sports (FINCIS), as well as those of the World Antidoping Agency (WADA) and International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) and its own sport’s international federation.

5 § Prevention of competition manipulation

The association and its members are doing everything in their power to prevent the manipulation of competition results or events.

Persons participating in the activities of the association and its organizational members, are obliged to comply with these rules through their membership or other arrangements. They may not bet themselves or attempt to bet through their representatives or in any other way participate in or influence betting on competition events of their own competitions.

6 § The Sports Arbitration Board

The Association and its members undertake to exercise the jurisdiction of the Sports Arbitration Board and to comply with its decisions. Decisions made by the Association and its community members may be appealed to the Sports Arbitration Board if the decision made falls within the competence of the Board.

7 § Association’s memberships

The Association is a member of the Finnish Olympic Committee. The Association is a member of the International Council for Coaching Excellence. In addition, the Association may become a member of other communities deemed necessary.

§ 8 Association’s membership

Persons or organizations working in sports coaching in the following membership categories can become members of the association.

Individual member

Any person working within sports coaching can become an individual member of the association.

Coaching community individual member

A person working in sports coaching who is a member and has fulfilled his membership obligations in a sport-specific or cross-sport coaching community with which the Finnish Coaches Association has a valid coaching community agreement can become a coaching community individual member of the Finnish Coaches Association.

Student member

A person working in sports coaching can become a student member of the association while attending coach education training of a sports association or another sports organization, while studying in a vocational or higher education institution leading to a degree in sports, or while being a full-time student in another study field. Student membership only applies to the year of joining and membership continues after that in another applicable membership class.

Senior Member

A person working in sports coaching who turns 70 or older in the year of operation can become a senior member of the association.

Honorary chairman and honorary member

A distinguished individual member who has served as chairman of the association can be named honorary chairman. A distinguished individual member can be named honorary member.

Organization member

An organization working in sports coaching can become a member of the association.

The member undertakes to comply with the rules of the association and the decisions made by its institutions and to pay any joining and annual membership fees. Membership fees may be different in different membership categories. Honorary chairpersons and honorary members are not charged a membership fee.

Membership is applied for with a membership application, with the exception of honorary chairmen and honorary members, who are invited to the relevant membership category. Members are approved by the board.

§ 9 Disciplinary procedure

The member also undertakes the Association’s current disciplinary rules and the values ​​and ethical code of conduct of the Finnish sports scene to which the Association is committed. A member may be subject to penalties in accordance with the Association’s disciplinary code.

The Association and its members commit themselves to the disciplinary regulations for serious misconduct and serious ethical violations which apply to physical training and sports, and to the powers and rules of the Disciplinary Board for Ethical Violations in the Sports Community and its decisions. The organization members of the association commit their own members and the persons and entities involved in their activities to the above-mentioned disciplinary regulations and to the powers, rules and decisions of the Disciplinary Board.

§ 10 Termination of Association’s membership

The membership with the Association terminates if the member

a) resigns
b) is dismissed

In addition, the organization member’s membership terminates if the decision is made to dissolve the organization.

The member may resign by addressing the Board in written form. The resignation will come into effect immediately when the resignation letter has been received.

The Board may dismiss a member from the Association if the member acts contrary to the current values and ethical code of conduct of the Finnish sports scene to which the Association is committed or acts contrary to the Association’s purpose, violates the Association’s rules or the Association Board decisions, or another distinguishing ground otherwise exists. A member may also be expelled from the Association had they failed to pay fees related to the products, services provided by the Association or participation fees to an event. The decision to dismiss a member takes effect immediately and will be sent to the member concerned in written form or otherwise in evidence.

Before the measures to dismiss a member can be taken, the Board of directors will, in written form or otherwise demonstrably, require the infringing member to provide a written statement within thirty (30) days under the threat that the matter will otherwise be resolved without investigation.

A member is entitled to appeal the decision to the Sports Arbitration Board within the time limit specified in the Board's rules. If the decision is not appealed within the time limit, it will come into force.

§ 11 General Meetings

The highest decision-making power of the Association is exercised by the General Meeting of the Association. The Association has two annual meetings, of which the Spring General Meeting is held in March-April and the Autumn General Meeting in October-November. The place and time of the meeting is determined by the Association’s Board.

The Association’s Board decides whether a meeting can be attended via mail or other means of telecommunication or by using other technical aids during or before the meeting.

The invitation to the General Meeting must be sent to the members at least two (2) weeks before the meeting by email or by announcing it in the Association’s own magazine, electronic newsletter or on its website.

The Board or the Association meeting convenes an additional General Meeting of the Association if it deems it necessary or if at least one tenth (1/10) of the members eligible to vote so request from the Board in written form. The invitation to additional meetings, which must be convened within one (1) month of submitting the request, is notified to the members two (2) weeks prior to the meeting in the same manner as the invitation to the the General Meeting of the Association.

Members who have paid their membership fees by the time of the meeting, as well as honorary chairmen and honorary members, have the right to vote at the General Meeting of the Association. Each member has one vote at the General Meeting of the Association. The person representing an organization member must have a power of attorney. A person can represent only one organization member at the meeting with a power of attorney. The decision of the association's meeting will be the opinion supported by more than half of the votes cast. In the event of a tie, the vote of the chairman of the meeting will decide, but in the case of elections, a lottery will be held.

The following matters are handled at the Spring General Meeting of the Association:

1. opening of the meeting
2. selecting the chairman, secretary, two examiners of the minutes and, if necessary, two vote counters
3. noting the attendees and members eligible to vote
4. establishing the legality and quorum of the meeting
5. approving the agenda for the meeting
6. presenting the financial statements, the annual report and the auditors' report
7. deciding on the approval of the financial statement and granting discharge to the Board of directors and other responsible persons
8. handling the other matters mentioned in the meeting invitation
9. closing the meeting

The following matters will be discussed at the Autumn General Meeting:

1. opening of the meeting
2. selecting the chairman, secretary, two examiners of the minutes and, if necessary, two vote counters
3. noting the attendees and members eligible to vote
4. establishing the legality and quorum of the meeting
5. approving the agenda for the meeting
6. approving the strategy, income and expenditure estimate, and the amount of the membership fee for the next calendar year
7. selecting the chairman of the Board and other members
8. selecting one or two auditors and deputy auditors
9. approving disciplinary rules or amendments thereto
10. appointing a disciplinary body when its term of office changes
11. handling the other matters mentioned in the meeting invitation
12. closing the meeting

If a member of the Association wishes to have a matter handled at the Spring General Meeting or at the Autumn General Meeting of the Association, the member must notify the Board in written form at least two (2) months before the meeting so that the Board has time to handle it and include it in the invitation.

§ 12 Board

The Association is led and the matters of the Association are handled by the Board, which includes the chairman elected at the Autumn General Meeting and five to seven (5-7) other members. The term of office of the chairman and members of the Board is two years, with half of the Board resigning annually.

The Board elects a deputy chairman from among its members and employs a secretary, treasurer and other necessary functionaries from among or from without its members. The Board may set up the necessary institutions to assist.

The Board convenes at the invitation of the chairman or, in his absence, the deputy chairman, when they deem it necessary or when at least half of the members of the Board request it.

A quorum is reached when at least half of the Board’s members, including the chairman or vice-chairman, are present. The decision will be the position supported by the majority of members. In the event of a tie, the chairman has the casting vote.

§ 13 Signing authority for the Association

The chairman and the chief executive officer alone or vice chairman together with a member of the Board may sign on behalf of the Association.

§ 14 Accounting period

The Association’s accounting year is the calendar year.

§ 15 Changing the rules and dissolving the Association

The decision to amend the rules and dissolve the Association must be made at a meeting of the Association by a majority of at least three-quarters (3/4) of the votes cast. The invitation to the meeting must mention the amendment of the rules or the dissolution of the Association.

Upon the dissolution of the Association, its funds will be used to advance the purpose of the Association in the manner determined by the meeting deciding on the dissolution. If the Association is abolished, its funds will be used for the same purpose.

NOTE! These are unofficial translations of the statutes of Finnish Coaches Association

Updated 19.1.2023