Young athletes are safer when all adults in any sport setting have a common basis of best practices for preventing abuse and misconduct in and around sport activities. However, league or organization administrators crafting prevention policies may wonder where to find robust, easy-to-apply guidance that reflects the operational and safety realities of today’s sporting landscape.
Fortunately, they can reference and take cues from policies the U.S. Center for SafeSport® has developed for millions of athletes and allies in over 50 sports representing the entire U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. These are the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP). Our RoadMAAPP series—six animations, each less than two minutes—will introduce you to the MAAPP and show you ways to keep young athletes safe.
MAAPP helps you navigate safer sport settings. Here's how:
- Limits one-on-one adult/minor interactions with an “observable and interruptible” standard that reduces opportunities for inappropriate conduct.
- Promotes awareness and prevention by requiring certain adults to complete SafeSport® training, so that those who affect athlete welfare can prevent, recognize, and respond to abuse.
- Increases accountability by setting reasonable, enforceable rules organizations should require of adults who have regular contact with or authority over minor athletes
The MAAPP’s standards apply not only to settings within bounds of play, but also to:
- Meetings and training sessions
- Athletic training activities, such as massages and rubdowns
- Locker rooms and changing areas
- Electronic communications
- Transportation
- Lodging
Our new MAAPP website offers specifics on how these policies work—and how they can work for you. You’ll find:
- An introduction to the MAAPP and why it matters
- Tailored guidance for parents, coaches, athletes, and administrators
- Dozens of searchable resources that break down the MAAPP at varied levels of depth and specificity
- Free role-specific virtual trainings to help you apply the MAAPP and get questions answered in real time
