U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to athlete health, welfare and safety and adheres the requirements of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and the U.S. Center for SafeSport in its efforts to promote a safe and secure environment for athletes.

The following document provides information about key areas of health and safety and provides links to sections of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard website where more detailed information may be found.

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Athlete Safety Policy, as well as its other policies and guidelines, are aimed at protecting all participants in our sports and apply to all individuals participating in our sports including the following: members, staff, contractors, coaches, officials, trainers, medical, board of directors, volunteers, and athletes.

A.    Prohibited Conduct

Please refer to the SafeSport Code for prohibited conduct, which includes bullying, hazing, harassment (including sexual harassment), emotional misconduct, physical misconduct, and sexual misconduct. Those terms are further defined in the SafeSport Code.

B.    Jurisdiction over subject matters

The U. S. Center for SafeSport has exclusive jurisdiction over the following matters:

1. Sexual Misconduct, including without limitation child sexual abuse and any misconduct that is reasonably related to an underlying allegation of Sexual Misconduct;
2. Criminal Charges or Dispositions involving Child Abuse or Sexual Misconduct;
3. Misconduct Related to Reporting, where the underlying allegation involves Child Abuse or Sexual Misconduct;
4. Aiding and Abetting, when it relates to the Center’s process;
5. Misconduct Related to the Center’s Process;
6. Other Inappropriate Conduct, as defined in the SafeSport code.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has discretionary jurisdiction over the following matters:

1. Non-sexual Child Abuse;
2. Emotional and physical misconduct, including stalking, bullying behaviors, hazing, and harassment;
3. Criminal Charges or Dispositions not involving Child Abuse or Sexual Misconduct;
4. Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy or other similar Proactive Policy violations.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will address matters outside of the jurisdiction of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and matters for which the U.S. Center for SafeSport has declined to exercise its discretionary jurisdiction.

C.    Training 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard requires the following individuals complete training provided by the U.S. Center for SafeSport:

Individuals associated with Member Clubs

• Adult athlete members of Member Clubs, except Short Term Athlete Members due to their limited participation and Master Athletes who do not i) have regular contact with minor athletes or ii) have authority over minor athletes

• Adult members (who are not athletes) of Member Clubs who i) have regular contact with athletes or ii) have authority over athletes

• Employees and Board Members of Member Clubs

• Individuals providing services to Member Clubs, including but not limited to contractors, volunteers, interns, who i) have regular contact with athletes or ii) have authority over athletes

Individuals associated with U.S. Ski & Snowboard

• Adult athlete members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, except for Short Term Athlete Members due to their limited participation and Master Athletes who do not i) have regular contact with minor athletes or ii) have authority over minor athletes 

• Employees and Board Members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard

• Individuals providing services to U.S. Ski & Snowboard, including but not limited to, contractors, volunteers, interns, who i) are regularly at the Center of Excellence or ii) have regular contact with athletes or iii) have authority over athletes

U.S. Ski & Snowboard requires athletes who will become 18 years of age during the upcoming membership year, complete the U.S. Center for SafeSport training on or before their 18th birthday, provided that such athletes under 18 have the consent of their parents or legal guardians.

D.    Reporting Inappropriate Behavior or Misconduct

If you suspect that an athlete is experiencing misconduct of a sexual nature, call the SafeSport hotline at 720-531-0340 or CLICK HERE to complete an online reporting form to notify the U.S. Center for Safesport. Reports may be made anonymously.

Every U.S. Ski & Snowboard member must report suspected violations of the SafeSport Code, including the following:

• Child Abuse
• Sexual Misconduct
• Physical Misconduct
• Emotional Misconduct
• Stalking, Bullying, Threats, and Harassment (including sexual harassment)
• Hazing
• Aiding and Abetting
• Willfully Tolerating Misconduct
• Retaliation for reporting conduct or for providing information related to a report
• Violation of Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies

The above terms are further described in the SafeSport Code.

Conduct which does not involve sexual conduct but which may violate one of the categories of prohibited conduct must be reported.  You may report the conduct to either:

The U.S. Center for SafeSport
Hotline:  720.531.0340
Report:   CLICK HERE

OR

U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Report: CLICK HERE

E.      Criminal Background Checks

U.S. Ski & Snowboard requires criminal background checks to be carried out in accordance with the USOPC Background Check Policy. Please CLICK HERE for specific information regarding the background check requirements and policy.

F.      Enforcement

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will enforce the Athlete Safety Policy consistent with the SafeSport Code and the U.S. Center for SafeSport policies.

G.     Retaliation

U.S. Ski & Snowboard prohibits retaliation against anyone who reports misconduct or provides information about misconduct. Retaliation includes threatening, intimidating, harassing, coercing or any other conduct that would discourage a reasonable person from engaging or participating in the complaint processes when the action is reasonably related to the report or engagement with the process. Retaliation may be present even where there is a finding that no violation occurred.

Please refer to the Minor Athlete Abuses Prevention Policies, Local Travel and Team Travel, pages 12, 13 and 14, for mandatory requirements for housing and travel. Some of those requirements are referenced below in an abbreviated form, along with other preferable practices for athlete lodging and travel.

The purposes of the MAAPP is to establish appropriate boundaries between adults and minor athletes. MAAPP requires interactions between adults and minor athletes should be open and interruptible.

Mandatory Requirements from MAAPP

• An adult and a minor athlete should not travel together alone in a vehicle
• An adult should not share a sleeping room in a hotel, condominium or other facility with a minor athlete
• Exceptions for the above can be made with parental consent that complies with MAAPP

Guidelines

• All club practices and projects should be open to observation by parents
• One coach and a least one other adult should be present at all practices and other club activities
• Coaches should not invite athletes to their homes without the consent of the athlete’s parent
• All travel plans should be shared with athletes and parents as soon as possible
• During overnight team travel, athletes should be paired with other athletes of the same gender and of similar age. A coach or other responsible adult should be located in any hotel, condominium, house or other facility where athletes are housed
• During overnight team travel a curfew should be set and communicated to athletes and parents. Coaches are responsible to monitor and enforce the curfew
• Athletes and coaches (other club employees) shall not share hotel rooms

Please refer to the Minor Athlete Abuses Prevention Policies, Social Media and Electronic Communications, page 12, for mandatory requirements for communication with minor athletes. Some of those requirements are referenced below in an abbreviated form, along with other preferable practices for communication.

The purposes of the MAAPP is to establish appropriate boundaries between adults and minor athletes. MAAPP requires interactions between adults and minor athletes should be open and interruptible.

Mandatory Requirements from MAAPP

• Devices cannot be used to record video or sound in a locker room, changing area or similar area
• When an adult communicates with a minor athlete via email, text message, or other electronic communication, another adult (not an athlete) or parent must be copied
• Adults should not use private messages with minor athletes on Facebook, Instagram or similar social media platforms, unless another adult (not an athlete) is included on the message
• One-on-one phone calls between adults and minor athletes are discouraged, and if necessary, should be short and for the purpose of exchanging logistical information. Longer phone calls should include more than one adult
• Adults’ Facebook and Instagram pages should be public if minor athletes “friend” or “Like”

Guidelines for Social Media and Electronic Communications

• Communications should be professional in nature and for the purpose of communicating logistics, team information and organizational activities
• Public “team” or “business” Social Media accounts that can be “joined”, “followed” or “friended” by minor athletes and their parents may be used to communicate about team activities. All electronic communications on public “team” or “business” accounts should be non-personal in nature and for the purpose of communicating information about organizational activities or for motivational purposes

Please click on the logo below to view the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies.