In today’s youth sports landscape, prioritizing athlete safety is not just best practice; it’s essential. The U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (“MAAPP”) were created to protect minor athletes from abuse and misconduct. These policies are mandatory for all Olympic and Paralympic sport organizations and all of the National Governing Bodies under them.

It’s a safe bet that your youth sports club falls under this umbrella.

What is MAAPP?

MAAPP is a set of policies designed to minimize the risk of abuse and misconduct involving minor athletes. It outlines boundaries and expectations around the interactions between your staff (admin, coaches, volunteers, etc.) and your minor players. It’s ultimately designed to prevent abuse before it happens.

MAAPP requires that adults (including players that are 18 years of age and older) with regular contact with minors receive annual training on child abuse prevention and all of the MAAPP policies. Additionally, you should offer parent education on appropriate boundaries.

What Policies does my club need to be compliant?

In addition to your regular club policies (codes of conduct, emergency action plans, extreme weather protocols, refund policies, etc.), to be MAAPP compliant, you’ll need policies on:

• One-on-one interactions between adults and minor athletes
• Electronic communications between adults and minor athletes
• Travel and lodging
• Training and education requirements

Are having these written MAAPP policies enough?

Policy alone isn’t enough. You need a designated person (such as a Risk Manager) that understands the full scope of MAAPP, coordinates your background checks and training and oversees the implementation and compliance with your policies. In addition, your club staff and Board must model, enforce and reinforce all of your club policies.

Having clear policies, education and community buy-in sends a message that the safety and well-being of your young athletes always come first.

Don’t know where to start?

Soteria Advisors helps youth organizations develop custom safety plans, including MAAPP-compliant policies. Reach out to us at [email protected] to get started today.