SafeSport and Our Commitment to Youth Protection
EMXC strives to provide a safe environment for our youth (defined here as any athlete under 18), as well as for any 18-year-old or older athletes and our adults who interact with youth. As an important part of creating a safe environment, we have developed and follow standards that address the physical and emotional safety of those participating in the training, competition, and social activities associated with our club and the sport of cross-country skiing.
To create a physically and emotionally safe environment for our athletes, coaches, and volunteers, EMXC adheres to a variety of best practices, including background checks for all coaches, board members, and volunteers who directly interact with youth athletes. We conduct our background checking through US Ski and Snowboard (USSS) membership, which also requires SafeSport training. Our athletes over the age of 18 (older Juniors) also participate in background checking and SafeSport training, through their USSS membership.
Further Ways to Protect Your Athlete
SafeSport Training for Athletes and Families
EMXC expects all families and athletes to take the online SafeSport training appropriate for your athlete’s age group. This training should be done on a yearly basis to “refresh” athletes and their families on important issues such as inappropriate discipline, behavioral misconduct (including sexual misconduct), bullying, and hazing. This brief training captures these major issues at age-appropriate levels and teaches youth how to avoid and report issues that might arise. To find your child’s age-appropriate training module, access SafeSport education.
Considering Hiring a Private Coach for your Athlete? Check their Background
EMXC does not support private coaching services for its athletes. But, on occasion, families will choose to hire a private coach for their athlete outside of the EMXC coach resources. If families choose to hire a private coach, they should remember to perform their own certification and background checks.
If you choose to hire private coaching outside of our club coaching resources, you should remember to conduct your own background check to ensure the individual you are hiring is properly qualified to provide good cross-country ski instruction (a minimum of US Ski and Snowboard L100 certification for beginner skiers and L200 for advanced skiers), and has a safe record of working with and interacting with youth. As a good start, you can:
- Search the US Center for SafeSport Disciplinary Database. The US Center for SafeSport maintains a centralized disciplinary database that tracks coach discipline across multiple sports that feed into the US Olympic system. This database does not track whether criminal charges have been brought against a coach, but does provide helpful information. We encourage you to look up any private coach on this database, as well.
- Check the US Ski and Snowboard Member Lookup. Please note that USSS members can sign up for a coach membership even without having a L100 or L200 certification. See screenshot below to determine if a coach has L100 or L200 certification.
WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING A CULTURE OF SAFETY
Creating a culture that values physical and emotional safety begins with taking the SafeSport training to better understand what a safe environment looks like, and how to identify and report risks and/or inappropriate behavior. We all need to pay attention, listen to those around us who are expressing concerns, and step up to ensure a safe environment and a respect-focused culture.
Should you need to report an incident of inappropriate behavior, please notify anyone on the EMXC Board (board@emxc.org), or report the incident directly to SafeSport on their Report a Concern page.
What is the US Center for SafeSport?
The Center, headquartered in Denver, was established by Congress under the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017. The Center is a separate and independent organization from the US Olympic Committee, and provides a central source for education, reporting, investigation, and tools for U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the other national governing bodies for sports that feed into the Olympic system. More than 525,000 individuals have completed the SafeSport Training. To learn more about education and reporting please see the following links: SafeSport education and Report a Concern.
There are two critical SafeSport Codes that apply to the EMXC Community--The Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) and the SafeSport Code. It is important that all members of the EMXC community familiarize themselves with these codes (please introduce athletes to these codes with parental guidance, in a manner that feels appropriate for their age and family situation).
The MAAPP provides detailed rules about adult/minor interactions as they pertain to the following situations:
athlete travel and lodging
one-on-one interactions with athletes
social media
locker rooms
The MAAPP provides specific policies to support athlete safety. Please read the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) so that you know your responsibilities.
The SafeSport Code, issued by the US Center for SafeSport, contains specific rules that apply to athlete safety and the reporting processes for raising concerns about infractions to the Center. You will find in the Code some of the following important information:
obligations for reporting child abuse or other inappropriate conduct
definitions of bullying, emotional misconduct, harassment, hazing, physical misconduct, and sexual misconduct
prohibition of aiding and abetting inappropriate conduct
prohibition of retaliation against anyone reporting to the Center
Please read the SafeSport Code so that you can understand your role in maintaining a safe environment within our EMXC community.