Ten Steps to Abolish Abuse in Sports

Sports teams and leagues need to send the message that abuse has no place in their organization.  The most important step is to minimize the opportunity for potential abusers to get close to children. Parents, coaches and others involved in sports can work together to help keep sexual abuse out of sports by adopting the following steps:

  1. Get involved. Be there and know what your child is doing.

  2. Establish a Zero-Tolerance Policy Against Abuse. Be vocal about it and spread the message throughout your team, league and community to deter potential abusers from getting involved.

  3. Perform criminal background checks. Ferret out predators who have a prior history of violence or abuse and prevent them from participating. Doing so in conjunction with a strong Zero-Tolerance Policy also sends a strong message to those who may not have a record (yet). A good description of what background checks should cover is published by the National Recreation and Parks Association and can be found at http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=4920.

  4. Communicate with players and parents about this problem. Secrecy allows abuse to continue.

  5. Impose the Rule of Two. This is the Buddy System for adults: no activity should take place unless two adults are present; and players and coaches should never be one-on-one with each other -- for everyone's safety.

  6. Chaperone team travel and sleepovers. If you can't be there, provide your child with a way to get in touch with you at any time, by cell phone, texting or email.

  7. Set a no-hugging policy. High fives and a pat on the back or shoulder are appropriate touches between coaches and players. Full body hugs or other intimacies have no place in youth sports.

  8. Look for the warning signs of abuse. Noticeable changes in behavior may be your child's nonverbal cry for help.

  9. Monitor gifts, emails and instant messaging from coaches. Don't be afraid to be nosy if the coach appears to be singling out your child with extra attention.

  10. If your child wants to quit the team, investigate why. Is she just too busy or is the coach putting inappropriate pressure or other demands on her?

There are many wonderful coaches working with our kids, just as there are athletes whose strong bond with a good coach compels them to be the best they can be. We as parents have to do everything in our power to ensure that our coaches adhere to the highest standards and that participating in sports is the safe and positive experience it is meant to be.