Updates for 2020-2021 Season
There are several changes to the SafeSport program effective with the
2020-2021 season. While they are highlighted below, it is the responsibility
of each individual member to understand and comply with these changes.
To Confidentially Report a SafeSport Concern:
cahasafesport@gmail.com
Include:
● Date, time, location, summary
of incident.
● Name of minor(s) athlete(s) involved.
●
Who can be contacted for more information.
● Note: SafeSport
reports are confidential. SafeSport concerns can be made anonymously, but it
can be difficult to address a reported concern when no contact information
is provided.
Updates for the
2020-2021 Season
Who is impacted?
SafeSport is year-round, it does not just apply to the travel season.
SafeSport also applies to both travel and in-house/recreational programs.
Any program that is a member of USA Hockey and provides sanctioned USA
Hockey programs or events is required to comply with SafeSport. There are no
carve-outs or exceptions.
Oversight SafeSport
compliance is now mandated in federal legislation and is regulated by four
(4) governing documents as follows:
• Federal Legislation:
The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and SafeSport Authorization
Act of 2017 (the “SafeSport Authorization Act”) adopted on February 14,
2018:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/534/text.
•
MAAPP: The U.S. Center for SafeSport’s (“USCSS”) Minor Athlete Abuse
Prevention Policies, dated January 23, 2019 (the “MAAPP”)
https://uscenterforsafesport.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Minor-Athlete-Abuse-Prevention-Policies.pdf.
• U.S. Center for SafeSport (USCSS) SafeSport Code for the
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement (the “Code” or the “SafeSport Code”)
published April 1, 2020:
https://uscenterforsafesport.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2020-SafeSport-Code-04.01.20.pdf.
• The USA Hockey SafeSport Handbook, published 6/4/2020:
https://cdn2.sportngin.com/attachments/document/3e1e-2145880/2020_SafeSportProgramHandbook_-_Final_.pdf#_ga=2.163576444.1558002212.1600146781-1489488849.1548292068.
SafeSport Training
• For an FAQ of
the current program, go to:
https://www.usahockey.com/trainingfaqs.
• Annual
training: SafeSport training is now required ANNUALLY (not every 2 years). A
refresher will be available after the full “core” course is taken. Note:
When a member goes to the SafeSport training link (
https://www.usahockey.com/safesporttraining ) it will automatically
direct to the training that member needs to complete. There is no
challenging or appealing the training record for an applicant.
•
Athletes turning 18: Athletes that are a 2003 birth year or earlier are
required to take SafeSport education before they can be rostered for the
2020-2021 season.
• Programs must offer information
regarding SafeSport to athletes and parents. The easiest thing to do is send
email communication, post on a Website, or include information in membership
agreements that directs them to the USA Hockey SafeSport Webpage:
https://www.usahockey.com/safesportprogram.
•
“Why isn’t CAHA providing ‘official’ SafeSport training anymore?”
Because the USCSS only recognizes their official online training as
“SafeSport Training”. They do not recognize any other form of training and
it does not count toward eligibility.
● USA Hockey and its
affiliates are not required to train the adult participants in their member
programs. They are only required to provide the information to direct
participants to the online training and SafeSport resources.
Accountability Every adult participant (as defined in the
legislation) who plays a specific role (coach, manager, volunteer, locker
room monitor, practice assistant, board member, administrator, etc.) is held
liable for reading, understanding and enforcing the SafeSport policies. It
is not the responsibility of the SafeSport Coordinator to train adult
participants – it is a personal responsibility to take the online training,
read the Handbook, read the SafeSport legislation, read the SafeSport Code
and read the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies.
Non-compliance There are no “opt-outs” or work-arounds for
SafeSport. As an NGB, every member program of a USA Hockey affiliate is
required to implement all of the SafeSport protocols and policies in their
programs (this includes in-house and rec programs).
Consequences SafeSport violations have the potential to result in
penalties ranging from suspension through removal of participation (for many
years or life), as well as potential monetary, civil, state and federal
action. The consequences for non-reporting of known or suspected SafeSport
violations could be levied by CAHA, USA Hockey, civil or federal courts. “I
didn’t know” is not an acceptable position or defense in a SafeSport
complaint or investigation.
Ultimate Responsibility for
SafeSport Compliance Member Clubs/Programs are responsible for the
conduct of their paid membership, not the state affiliate (CAHA) or USA
Hockey. The Program signs individual participation agreements/financial
agreements with its members and therefore is responsible for the compliance
of its members………not CAHA.
Reporting SafeSport Concerns
Reporting requirements have not changed, it is just more important than ever
that they be followed.
• SafeSport concerns can be reported
confidentially via email at any time to:
CAHASafeSport@gmail.com
•
SafeSport concerns can be reported through the Member Program to CAHA at any
time, at: CAHASafeSport@gmail.com
• SafeSport concerns can be reported directly to USA Hockey
at any time (where they will be directed back to CAHA SafeSport) at:
SafeSport@usahockey.org
•
Concerns of physical and/or sexual abuse of a minor can be reported directly
to the USCSS at:
https://uscenterforsafesport.org/report-a-concern/
•
SafeSport violations (including non-reporting) have the potential to result
in penalties ranging from individual suspension through removal of
participation (for many years or life), as well as potential monetary,
civil, state and federal action. Penalties could also be against a Member
Program, as they are the responsible party in SafeSport for their members’
actions.
USA Hockey Required Documents and Policies
There are several Zero Tolerance policies required by the MAAPP’s, the CODE
and the USA Hockey SafeSport Handbook. Templates can be found on the CAHA
Website SafeSport page, or here:
https://www.usahockey.com/resourcesanddownloads.
These required
policies must be adopted individually by each Member Program.
They must be distributed to the membership of each program and be available
to all members (the organization’s Website is a good place for them). A
program can make these policies more stringent than the USA Hockey template,
but they cannot be made less stringent.
These policies include but are
not limited to:
● Minor Athlete Travel Permission Form
(whenever another adult transports a player that is not their child)
●
Team Travel Policy
● Locker Room Policies (youth and Co-ed)
● Permission for Massages and Rub Downs of a Minor Athlete
●
Permission for Individual Training of a Minor Athlete
Focus
on: Billeting
Billeting is
governed by SafeSport. Billeting requirements are mandated
by USA Hockey and the policy can be found on the CAHA SafeSport page or on
page 24 of the USA Hockey SafeSport Handbook.
Key changes and
conditions:
● Each member program that has one or more
billeted players is required to have a named Billet Coordinator.
●
The Billet Coordinator is responsible for ensuring there is a completed CAHA
Billet Application and Policy Acknowledgement on file for all parties of
each Billet transaction. The CAHA Billet Application and Policy
Acknowledgement can be found on the CAHA SafeSport page. (An organization
may use its own supplemental application or forms, but CAHA’s application is
required).
● The Billet Coordinator is responsible for
completing the CAHA Billet Database spreadsheet each time a change is made
to it. CAHA is required by USA Hockey to audit the billet records of all
billeting organizations throughout the course of the season and this form
must be complete at all times.
● Read the CAHA Billet Policy
to review the penalties for non-compliance – they can be substantial.
●
Documents for Billet programs:
o CAHA Billet
Agreement and Policy Acknowledgement
CAHA_billet
agreement_092020.docx
o CAHA Billet
Coordinator Master Spreadsheet
CAHA Master Billet Coordinator Spreadsheet.xlsx
For questions or
more information, contact CAHA’s SafeSport Coordinator, Jaime Campbell, at:
CAHASafeSport@gmail.com.