Athlete Safety and Well-being Come First

Private pitching lessons. Post-practice sports massage. A text message between a coach and an athlete.

What do all of these potentially have in common?

They’re one-on-one interactions between a child and an adult.

Sport should be a fun, positive experience. Yet, as a parent or guardian, you only have so much control over your child’s sport environment. By asking the right questions, you can find out if a sport program is following best practices to create a safe and supportive environment for your child.

At the U.S. Center for SafeSport, we believe athlete safety and well-being come first. We put policies in place to help parents, coaches, and the wider sport community safeguard these settings so athletes can thrive in sport and life.

Let’s explore five policies that help protect youth athletes, and which sport organizations are required to follow them.

Key policies that protect athletes.

From lacrosse practice to afternoon swim, kids are constantly interacting and engaging with adults—coaches, assistant coaches, league administrators, and parent volunteers. But what policies are in place to make sure these adult-athlete interactions are positive, respectful, and safe?

Known as the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP), these guidelines outline training requirements and limit one-on-one interactions between adults and athletes. And if your child’s sport organization is affiliated with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, it’s required to follow them.

You might be wondering if your child’s organization falls under the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. Sport organizations are considered part of the Movement if they’re affiliated with one of the 52 National Governing Bodies that fall under the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, such as USA Swimming, USA Volleyball, USA Gymnastics,

or USA Hockey. If your child’s club, league, or organization is affiliated, their coach—and the organization—should be following specific policies to protect athletes from abuse and misconduct.

Safer athletics starts with these five best practices.

Whether they’re shooting the hockey puck out on the ice or visiting the athletic trainer to get their ankle wrapped, MAAPP policies are in place to keep your child safe at every step. And these policies extend beyond the ice rink—they should be followed in any activity related to participation in sport, such as award ceremonies, team-building activities, travel, and competition.

Here are five key policies to know about:

  • One-on-one interactions. When a coach interacts with your child one-on-one, the interaction must always be observable and interruptible.
  • Parental consent. You must give consent for your child to take part in individual training sessions, receive medical care, meet with health professionals, or participate in transportation or lodging arrangements.
  • Individual training sessions. You must be allowed to watch your child’s one-on-one training sessions.
  • Athletic training and massage. When your child is being treated, a second adult must always be present in the room, and your child must be fully or partially clothed, with private body parts covered.
  • Electronic communications. If a coach is electronically communicating with your child, you (as the parent or guardian), another adult family member, or another adult (such as an assistant coach) must be included on all communication—including texts, emails, and social media.

From text-message check-ins with their coach to overnight team trips away from home, understanding these policies can help you set your child up for safer sport encounters.

But what if your child plays a sport that isn’t affiliated with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement? Asking informed questions can help you determine whether a program is proactive in its efforts to prevent and respond to abuse. Approach your child’s coach or the league administrator with the following questions to understand what policies are in place:

  • What are the criteria for volunteer and staff screening and background checks?
  • What policies are in place to prevent abuse?
  • Do the policies limit opportunities for coaches or other staff to be alone with children?
  • Do your coaches, and other staff, receive training and education about child sexual abuse and other misconduct in sport?

Above all else, sport should be a positive place where kids learn new skills and grow as athletes and children. The U.S. Center for SafeSport offers resources and tools to help parents, guardians, and coaches create safe and supportive sport environments. Explore our MAAPP At-A-Glance document for additional resources to help you recognize, prevent, and respond to abuse in sport.

If you or someone you know has experienced abuse or misconduct involving a participant of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, you can make a report to the U.S. Center for SafeSport: https://uscenterforsafesport.org/report-a-concern/ 

 

Ju’Riese Colón is the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, the nation’s only nonprofit organization committed to ending all forms of abuse in sport. As CEO, Ju’Riese leads the strategic vision and direction of the organization to ensure every athlete is safe, supported, and strengthened through support. An experienced child advocate who serves as an expert on issues related to child safety, Ju’Riese has led prevention and outreach initiatives with youth-serving organizations serving families, educators, law enforcement, and diverse communities. She earned bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and Spanish from Virginia Commonwealth University.