Athlete Safety
USSSA is committed to raising awareness of athlete safety in youth sports and providing athletes that compete in our sanctioned events unparalleled development and competitive opportunity in a safe environment.
In 2018, the ‘Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017’ became federal law. All athletes deserve to participate in sports free from bullying, hazing, sexual misconduct, or any form of emotional or physical abuse. Education and awareness are the most critical components to creating safe and respectful sporting environments, free of abuse and harassment.”
“Established in 2017, the U.S. Center for SafeSport (the Center) is the independent and exclusive authority directed by Congress to prevent and respond to abuse and misconduct within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. The Center is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The Center receives, investigates, and responds to reports of abuse and misconduct from individuals affiliated with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and its National Governing Bodies (NGBs). If you have reasonable suspicion of abuse or misconduct inflicted on, or by, someone in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, you can report it here: Report a Concern | U.S. Center for SafeSport. Since USSSA is not an NGB nor affiliated with the USOPC, USSSA members are not included in the Center’s jurisdiction unless they are also members of an NGB.”
USSSA has always strived to create a safe and healthy environment for all participants and their families. Under the Safe Sport Act (36 U.S.C. § 220530), USSSA is required to:
(1) establish reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one interactions between an adult and a minor amateur athlete at USSSA facilities and USSSA-sanctioned events, except under emergency circumstances;
(2) offer and provide consistent training to all adult members who are in regular contact with minor amateur athletes regarding the prevention and reporting of child abuse; and
(3) prohibit retaliation against any individual who makes a good-faith report of child abuse.
The Safe Sport Act also requires each covered individual to comply with the mandatory reporting requirements of 34 U.S.C. § 20341. See ‘What are the reporting requirements under the Safe Sport Act?’ below for details.
Individual states also have their own mandatory reporting laws, which may impose additional or different obligations. Covered individuals associated with USSSA must comply with both federal and applicable state reporting requirements.
If you have questions about USSSA’s athlete safety policies or your obligations under the Safe Sport Act, please email athletesafety@usssa.org.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS
Why does USSSA now need to do a criminal background check on me?
All adults participating in a USSSA youth program/sport who have contact with minor athletes are required to undergo a criminal background check that searches both the National Criminal Database and the National Sex Offender Registry, among other sources. These searches are due in part to insurance requirements.
Who is required to undergo a criminal background check? All participating adults that have contact with minor athletes, at minimum, will undergo a background check that searches both the National Criminal Database and the National Sex Offender Registry due to the ramifications of Senate Bill 534 (SafeSport Act) which does include insurance requirements.
- All adult coaches and managers working with youth athletes and appear on the roster.
- All adult umpires.
Who should be on the field of play or in the dugout?
Only adult coaches that appear on the roster should perform practice or be in the dugout for a game or Tournament. If all the Adult coaches on the roster are not present your child should not participate in the activity.
Who performs the criminal background check?
USSSA’s partner performing criminal background checks is JDP, one of the leading background check companies in the country for youth sports.
If I already have been background checked by another organization for employment or other volunteer purposes, can USSSA accept the results of that background check?
Unfortunately, USSSA cannot accept background check results from another organization. Even though there might be significant duplication of effort when it comes to the same sort of criminal background check required by various entities, separate organizations are not permitted to share background check reports on individuals. In addition, different entities use different criteria to judge someone’s suitability for employment, membership or service. There are no standard criteria by which search reports by various organizations are evaluated.
What searches does the criminal background check include?
- SSN ID Search
- JDP National Criminal Search + Developed Names – All Hits Confirmed at County Level Included
- JDP National Sex Offender Records Search
- County Criminal Records Search – Current County of Residence – Provided Name
What information will I be asked to provide to initiate the criminal background?
Required information:
- First and Last Name
- Home Address, City, State, ZIP Code
- Date of Birth
- Social Security Number
- Email Address
Note: Neither USSSA nor JDP is permitted to share any of the above information with any entity other than the subject of the report or as required by law.
What is the cost of a criminal background check?
For 2023 season, all coaches submitting the USSSA background check will be $13.50. How long does it take to complete the background check process?
The entire background check process should take 2-5 business days but for some areas of the Country that do not have all of the criminal records on a computer file could take up to 2 weeks but that is a very small percentage of the Country.
When does my criminal background check expire?
The results of your USSSA criminal background check are good through the end of the season for the sport your team plays. (August 1 of each year starts a new Season)
General Information About the Safe Sport Act
What is the Safe Sport Act?
The Safe Sport Act is shorthand for ‘The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017’ (S. 534). The overriding goal of this federal legislation, which was signed into law on Feb. 14, 2018, is the protection of young athletes.
The Safe Sport Act requires each covered individual authorized by an applicable amateur sports organization to comply with the mandatory reporting requirements of 34 U.S.C. § 20341. The Safe Sport Act also requires each applicable amateur sports organization to (1) establish reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one interactions between an adult and a minor amateur athlete, (2) offer and provide consistent training to all adult members who are in regular contact with minor amateur athletes regarding the prevention and reporting of child abuse, and (3) prohibit retaliation against any individual who makes a report of abuse.
Though USSSA is not a governing body, the implications of the Safe Sport Act extend to certain individuals authorized by USSSA. USSSA is committed to full compliance with the Safe Sport Act.
What is the U.S. Center for SafeSport?
Established in 2017, the U.S. Center for SafeSport (the Center) is the independent and exclusive authority directed by Congress to prevent and respond to abuse and misconduct within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. The Center is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
The Center receives, investigates, and responds to reports of abuse and misconduct from individuals affiliated with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and its National Governing Bodies (NGBs). If you have reasonable suspicion of abuse or misconduct inflicted on, or by, someone in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, you can report it here: Report a Concern | U.S. Center for SafeSport.
Since USSSA is not an NGB nor affiliated with the USOPC, USSSA members are not included in the Center’s jurisdiction unless they are also members of an NGB
What are the reporting requirements under the Safe Sport Act?
The Safe Sport Act’s mandatory reporting obligation applies to individuals, not to organizations. Under 34 U.S.C. § 20341, a ‘covered individual’ is an adult who is authorized by an amateur sports organization that participates in interstate or international amateur athletic competition to interact with a minor or amateur athlete at an amateur sports organization facility or at any event sanctioned by such organization.
A covered individual who learns of facts that give reason to suspect that a child has suffered an incident of child abuse, including sexual abuse, must report as soon as possible, and in no case later than 24 hours after learning of the facts giving rise to the suspicion. Reports should be directed to the appropriate law enforcement or child protective services agency in the jurisdiction where the incident occurred.
USSSA’s organizational obligations under the Safe Sport Act are to provide the reporting infrastructure, training, and anti-retaliation protections that enable its covered individuals to fulfill their personal reporting duties. USSSA takes these obligations seriously and is committed to ensuring that every covered individual has the information and resources needed to report promptly and correctly.
Individual states also have their own mandatory reporting laws, which may impose additional or different obligations. In some states, these laws include entity-level reporting requirements. Covered individuals associated with USSSA must comply with both federal and applicable state reporting requirements.
Individuals making a report should not investigate or attempt to evaluate the credibility or validity of the allegations.
What happens if I do not report abuse or misconduct that I am required to report?
Under the Safe Sport Act, a covered individual’s failure to report suspected child abuse as required by 34 U.S.C. § 20341 is a federal crime, punishable under 18 U.S.C. § 2258 by a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. In addition, a failure to report may result in sanctions by USSSA against the individual who failed to report. Individual states may impose similar, different, or more serious consequences for a failure to report under their own mandatory reporting statutes.
What if someone intentionally makes a false accusation?
The Safe Sport Act provides immunity from civil and criminal liability for individuals who make reports in good faith. There is a presumption of good faith for all reporters. The Act does not prescribe specific consequences for individuals who abuse the reporting process or knowingly falsify information, but USSSA may impose sanctions against any individual who does so. Consequences for filing a knowingly false report may also arise under applicable state law and may vary in severity.