Safesport

Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies

These models are directed by US Center for Safesport required information for all approved Kidsports (KS) coaches.


Prevention Components of One on One Interactions

  • This policy shall apply to:
    • Adult members at a facility that is either partially or fully under the jurisdiction of KS.
    • Adult members who have regular contact with amateur athletes who are minors;
    • Any adult authorized by KS to have regular contact with or authority over an amateur athlete who is a minor; and
    • Adult staff and board members of KS.
    • Collectively “Applicable Adult/Coach” for the purposes of this policy.
  1. Observable and interruptible
    1. One-on-one interactions between a minor athlete and an Applicable Adult (who is not the minor’s legal guardian) at a facility partially or fully under our jurisdiction are permitted if they occur at an observable and interruptible distance by another adult.
    2. One-on-one interactions between minor athletes and an Applicable Adult (who is not the minor’s legal guardian) at a facility partially or fully under our jurisdiction are prohibited, except in the circumstances described in subpart d of this section and under emergency circumstances.
  2. Meetings
    1. Meetings between Applicable Adults and minor athletes at a facility partially or fully under our jurisdiction may only occur if another adult is present, except under emergency circumstances. Such meetings must occur where interactions can be easily observed and at an interruptible distance from another adult.
    2. If a one-on-one meeting takes place in an office at a facility partially or fully under our jurisdiction, the door to the office must remain unlocked and open. If available, it will occur in an office that has windows, with the windows, blinds, and/or curtains remaining open during the meeting.
    3. Meetings with mental health care professionals and health care providers. If a mental health care professional and/or health care provider meets with minor athletes at a facility partially or fully under our jurisdiction, a closed-door meeting may be permitted to protect patient privacy provided that: (1) the door remains unlocked; (2) another adult is present at the facility; (3) the other adult is advised that a closed-door meeting is occurring; and (4) written legal guardian consent is obtained in advance by the mental health care professional and/or health care provider, with a copy provided to our organization.
  3. Individual training sessions
    1. Individual training sessions between Applicable Adults and minor athletes are permitted at a facility partially or fully under our jurisdiction if the training session is observable and interruptible by another adult.
    2. It is the responsibility of the Applicable Adult to obtain the written permission of the minor’s legal guardian in advance of the individual training session if the individual training session is not observable and interruptible by another adult. Permission for individual training sessions must be obtained at least every six months. Parents, guardians, and other caretakers must be allowed to observe the trainings

Social Media & Electronic Communications

  • This policy shall apply to:
    • Adult members at a facility that is either partially or fully under the jurisdiction of KS.
    • Adult members who have regular contact with amateur athletes who are minors;
    • Any adult authorized by KS to have regular contact with or authority over an amateur athlete who is a minor; and
    • Adult staff and board members of KS.
    • Collectively “Applicable Adult/Coach” for the purposes of this policy.
  1. Content
    1. All electronic communication originating from Applicable Adults to minor athletes must be professional in nature.
  2. Open and transparent
    1. Absent emergency circumstances, if an Applicable Adult with authority over minor athletes needs to communicate directly with a minor athlete via electronic communications (including social media), another Applicable Adult or the minor’s legal guardian will be copied.
    2. If a minor athlete communicates to the Applicable Adult (with authority over the minor athlete) privately first, said Applicable Adult should respond to the minor athlete with a copy to another Applicable Adult or the minor’s legal guardian.
    3. When an Applicable Adult with authority over minor athletes communicates electronically to the entire team, said Applicable Adult will copy another adult.
    4. Minor athletes may “friend” the organization’s official page.
  3. Request to discontinue
    1. Legal guardians may request in writing that their minor athlete not be contacted through any form of electronic communication by the organization or by the Applicable Adults subject to this policy. The organization will abide by any such request that their minor athlete not be contacted via electronic communication, absent emergency circumstances.
  4. Monitoring
    1. The organization monitors its social media pages and removes any posts that violate the organization’s policies and practices for appropriate behavior. The organization will inform the legal guardian of a minor athlete of any prohibited posts, as well as the organization’s administrator.

Massages & Rubdowns / Athletic Training Modalities

  • This policy shall apply to:
    • Adult members at a facility that is either partially or fully under the jurisdiction of KS.
    • Adult members who have regular contact with amateur athletes who are minors;
    • Any adult authorized by KS to have regular contact with or authority over an amateur athlete who is a minor; and
    • Adult staff and board members of KS.
    • Collectively “Applicable Adult/Coach” for the purposes of this policy.
  1. Massage or rubdown/athletic training modality
    1. Any massage or rubdown/athletic training modality performed at a facility or a training or competition venue must be conducted in an open and interruptible location.
    2. Any massage of a minor athlete must be done with at least one other adult present and must never be done with only the minor athlete and the person performing the massage or rubdown/athletic training modality in the room.

Locker Rooms and Changing Areas

  • This policy shall apply to:
    • Adult members at a facility that is either partially or fully under the jurisdiction of KS.
    • Adult members who have regular contact with amateur athletes who are minors;
    • Any adult authorized by KS to have regular contact with or authority over an amateur athlete who is a minor; and
    • Adult staff and board members of KS.
    • Collectively “Applicable Adult/Coach” for the purposes of this policy.
  1. Non-exclusive facility
    1. If our organization uses a facility not fully under our jurisdiction (for, e.g., training or competition or similar events) and the facility is used by multiple constituents, Applicable Adults in categories 1 through 4 are nonetheless required to adhere to the rules set forth herein
  2. Use of recording devices
    1. Use of any device’s (including a cell phone’s) recording capabilities, including voice recording, still cameras and video cameras in locker rooms, changing areas, or similar spaces at a facility under our organization’s jurisdiction is prohibited. Exceptions may be made for media and championship celebrations, provided that such exceptions are approved by the KS and two or more Applicable Adults are present.
  3. Undress
    1. Under no circumstances shall an unrelated Applicable Adult at a facility under our organization’s jurisdiction intentionally expose his or her breasts, buttocks, groin, or genitals to a minor athlete.
  4. One-on-one interactions
    1. Except for athletes on the same team, at no time are unrelated Applicable Adults permitted to be alone with a minor athlete in a locker room or changing area when at a facility under our partial or full jurisdiction, except under emergency circumstances.
    2. If our organization is using a facility that only has a single locker room or changing area, we will designate separate times for use by Applicable Adults, if any.
  5. Monitoring
    1. Our organization regularly and randomly monitors the use of locker rooms and changing areas at facilities under our jurisdiction to ensure compliance with these policies

Local Travel

Local travel consists of travel to training, practice, and competition that occurs locally and does not include coordinated overnight stay(s).

  • This policy shall apply to:
    • Adult members at a facility that is either partially or fully under the jurisdiction of KS.
    • Adult members who have regular contact with amateur athletes who are minors;
    • Any adult authorized by KS to have regular contact with or authority over an amateur athlete who is a minor; and
    • Adult staff and board members of KS.
    • Collectively “Applicable Adult/Coach” for the purposes of this policy.
  1. Transportation
    1. Applicable Adults who are not also acting as a legal guardian, shall not ride in a vehicle alone with an unrelated minor athlete, absent emergency circumstances, and must have at least two minor athletes or another adult at all times, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the minor athlete’s parent/legal guardian in advance of each local travel.
  2. Shared or Carpool Travel Arrangement
    1. We encourage parents/legal guardians to pick up their minor athlete first and drop off their minor athlete last in any shared or carpool travel arrangement.

Team travel

Team travel is travel to a competition or other team activity that the organization plans and supervises.

  • This policy shall apply to:
    • Adult members at a facility that is either partially or fully under the jurisdiction of KS.
    • Adult members who have regular contact with amateur athletes who are minors;
    • Any adult authorized by KS to have regular contact with or authority over an amateur athlete who is a minor; and
    • Adult staff and board members of KS.
    • Collectively “Applicable Adult/Coach” for the purposes of this policy.
  1. Team/competition travel
    1. When only one Applicable Adult and one minor athlete travel to a competition, the minor athlete must have his/her legal guardian’s written permission in advance and for each competition to travel alone with said Applicable Adult.
  2. Hotel rooms
    1. Applicable Adults shall not share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with a minor athlete (unless the Applicable Adult is the legal guardian, sibling, or is otherwise related to the minor athlete). However, a parent/legal guardian may consent to such an arrangement in advance and in writing. Furthermore, a parent/legal guardian may consent in advance and in writing to the minor athlete sharing a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with an adult athlete.
  3. Meetings
    1. Meetings shall be conducted consistent with the organization’s policy for one-on-one interactions (i.e., any such meeting shall be observable and interruptible)