Abuse and misconduct can and do happen across all sports at all levels of play. And, it can happen anywhere, not just at your home gym or practice facility, but also on the road while traveling or staying somewhere for training, an event, or a competition.
Sometimes, organizations focus their safeguarding efforts solely on programming within their own walls. While this is important and a great start, safeguarding for stakeholders must extend to all facets of athlete interactions across their moving sporting environment.
This is because traveling, lodging, and events, while wonderful opportunities for athletes, include a myriad of risk factors for abuse and misconduct to occur. Traveling with athletes often increases the likelihood of one-on-one interactions between authority figures and athletes that are difficult to observe and intervene in. There are often unfamiliar and unsupervised settings.
There can be issues with all types of abuse and misconduct in these settings, such as grooming, peer abuse, lack of privacy, neglect, exploitation, trafficking, and online abuse. This abuse and misconduct can occur in locations such as cars, hotels, airports, and competition spaces. For example, these instances reported in the media, at a hockey camp, driving, and a hotel, are some of many that, unfortunately, highlight these risks demonstrating abuse and misconduct in sport during transportation and travel.
Organizations must step up their safeguarding on the road and take responsibility for enacting proactive prevention measures to help ensure the safety of athletes and healthy environments during travel experiences.
Complete this checklist to better protect athletes on the road:
Athlete Safety and Wellbeing
- Have an organization transportation and travel policy, and a communications and media policy (if you need help creating these for your organization, reach out to us at info@weridetogether.today)
- All stakeholders need to sign off on a safeguarding policy, the above policies, and a code of conduct (detailing acceptable vs unacceptable behavioral interactions)
- Have a designated Safeguarding Officer or Liaison traveling with athletes (all parents, staff, and athletes know who this point of contact is for the trip)
- Emergency protocols and action plans ready for unexpected situations (i.e., delays, medical emergencies, or safeguarding emergencies)
- Medical information/medications for athletes
- Signed waiver for athletes (for participation at off-site training/event/competition, for lodging and travel permissions)
- Travel information sheet provided to athletes, parents, and staff (with addresses, phone numbers, important dates/times, Safeguarding Officer point of contact, reporting information, and the Athlete Helpline)
- Conduct a risk assessment for all locations where athletes will be present (i.e., bus, hotel, restaurants, competition spaces) and conduct steps to mitigate risk (if you need help conducting this risk assessment or need a template to follow, reach out to us at info@weridetogether.today)
- Ensure staff-to-athlete ratios are appropriate to enable following the Rule of Three for the entirety of the travel/event, meaning there will always be two athletes and one staff or two staff and one athlete to make sure interactions are observable and interruptible
- If chaperones are needed, treat chaperones as volunteers; they will need to sign off on the safeguarding policy and complete a background check before accompanying athletes during travel
- Ensure the athlete's basic needs are provided for the entirety of the travel/event (food, water, shelter, and sleep)
- Establish off-limits areas and a home base for all individuals
- Online communication with athletes should be through group messages ONLY
Transportation
- Vet drivers following best practices for hiring, including a Motor Vehicle Records Check
- Vet vehicles, ensuring that vehicles have up-to-date maintenance, registration, and insurance
- Athletes are not allowed to be alone, in a vehicle, or otherwise, with a coach/staff member anywhere at any point in time
Lodging
- Determine room assignments. Athletes should only stay in rooms with athletes of their own gender and age range, and they should have their own bed
- Clear guidelines should be established regarding no guests in athlete rooms, no substances allowed, and set curfews
- Athletes are not allowed to be in a coach's/staff room, or alone with a coach/staff member, anywhere at any point in time
- Coaches/staff are not allowed in the athletes' room alone; two staff members or chaperones must be present if absolutely necessary to be in an athlete’s room; meetings should be conducted in public spaces
Download Checklist Here
References and Resources
- Taking School Athletics Teams on the Road - Is it Worth the Risk?
- Child safeguarding while travelling | Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui
- Transporting Children and Young People In Sport
- USA-Cheer-Athlete-Protection
- Truth Project Thematic Report: Child sexual abuse in sports
- FINAL REPORT Sport, recreation, arts, culture, community and hobby groups
Kathryn McClain, MSW, MBA
Program and Partnerships Director at #WeRideTogether
kmcclain@weridetogether.today
