P/C Steve Harris
This entry in our SLOG might not directly relate to sailing, but I thought I’d share this information with everyone. There’s been a lot in the news the past year about hazing, bullying, & abuse in sports. This probably isn’t a new problem, but it is one that we all need to recognize and work to eliminate. Even before the news broke on the USA Gymnastics abuses, the US Olympic Committee had already partnered with other organizations to raise awareness of these problems and work to eliminate them in sports at all levels. The result of that effort is SafeSport.
The USOC has mandated that all National Governing Bodies adopt policies implementing required SafeSport training for coaches, volunteers, officials, etc. in their organizations. US Sailing, as the NGB, instituted this requirement this past year. As a US Sailing Race Officer, I took the training. While it may seem like “just another hoop to jump through,” I found the training to be very well done, very informative, and at the very least I think it will do much to help raise awareness of an ever-growing problem plaguing all sport. It’s worth checking out. The training is free to US Sailing members (although only required for certified officials and certain regatta chairs & volunteers at this time). Those who aren’t members of an NGB can take the course for a small fee.
Click on the SafeSport logo above to learn more.
Are you the parent of a youth athlete? SafeSport has also released a FREE “Parent Toolkit” you might want to check out as well as other parent-specific resources available at athletesafety.org