SC Youth Soccer Creating a Culture of Safety August 7 th 2010 Risk Management Presentation Presented by: Michele Jenkins

Red Flags Keep Us Safe We see something dangerous and a red flag goes up – we think that’s not safe!

What Are Soccer’s Red Flags? Your team rents a 15-passenger van to go to a tournament. The coach invites a couple of key players over to watch World Cup. Players move a goal to get ready for practice. A Dad starts a team Website to help keep everything running smoothly. Practice is canceled – by a text message

What Are Soccer’s Red Flags? Your team rents a 15-passenger van to go to a tournament. – – Federal law prohibits the sale of 15- passenger vans for school related transport of high school aged and younger students. – – Loading the van moves the center of gravity back, increasing the risk of rollovers.

What Are Soccer’s Red Flags? The coach invites a couple of key players over to watch World Cup. – – Is another adult present? – – Is this a team activity? – – Clear boundaries need to be kept between social and team activities.

What Are Soccer’s Red Flags? Players move a goal to get ready for practice. – – 2 children were killed by falling goals in Arizona last year. – – Only trained, designated adults should move a goal. – – Players should be educated to never move a goal.

What Are Soccer’s Red Flags? A Dad starts a team Website. – – Many of these team web sites can be used by those who would prey on our children to identify, single out, and make contact with a victim – whether at home or during soccer events. – – Are guidelines followed concerning the posting of pictures and information?

An Example of Too Much Information! 10/2/ Important information There will not be practice tomorrow (Wednesday). Thursday is a game in Novi. The game begins at 5:30pm. Please have your daughter there between 4:15pm and 4:30pm. They are wearing the black uniform. There may be practice on Friday depending on how Thursday goes. If you have not paid your August payment, please so immediately, the next statements are coming soon! (Game/Practice sites were listed in another area on the site) 9/29/ Practice on Sunday!!!!! Congratulations on the convincing win over Brighton! Also, if Ashley use to text your daughter changes in the schedules, please have her resend Ashley her number. Her phone died and we were unable to retrieve the numbers. Ashley's cell is Please me to let me know you received this, if there is someone you know that may not check their , please let them know.

What Just a Name Can Mean A unique name from a roster and a quick search: Her first, last name, and approximate age based on her team. Her jersey number and a team photo with her image. Googling her name a press photo was found on an unrelated article which confirmed which player she was in the team photo. Her parents first names, last names, and where they worked. Her school, teacher's name, and school address and schedule. A phone number to contact her mother. A photo of her father and her mother from the father's Facebook website.

What Are Soccer’s Red Flags? Practice is canceled – by a text message. – – Texting is expedient, but it is not professional. – – This is how young people communicate with each other. – – Who is included in the text? Every player? Parents?

Red Flags Keep Us Safe HOW DO WE CREATE RED FLAGS FOR OUR SOCCER COMMUNITY?

Start By Knowing the Biggest Risk One out of every 4 girls and one out of every 6 boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18. Pedophiles are drawn to places where they can interact with youth. All youth sports are such places. Coaches are also vulnerable. It is vital that no coach, trainer or adult be alone with a player or act in a way that could jeopardize their good name.

Set Standards No coach should ever be alone one-on-one with a player – – Make sure that the coaches, parents and players understand and abide by this rule – – By making this rule unbendable and absolute you protect both the player and the coach – – If a trainer or coach is working with an individual player, make sure the work is done in an open area where others are present.

Set Standards Encourage professionalism – – Decide what barriers you want to keep in place Should all s & texts be group messages and/or include parents? Requirements for a parent/second adult to attend social functions? Convey expectations – – How do you want coaches to represent your team/club/league?

Set Standards Develop vigilant parents – – Parents are your eyes and ears; they may be the first to see an unsafe situation or relationship – – Make parents aware of the club standards. Let them know the “rules.” – – Have a whistle-blower policy in place and reassure parents that if they come to you, you will take them seriously and protect them and their family from any backlash.

Set Standards Practice goal safety: – – Teach coaches to check goals before every practice and game – home or away! – – Establish a regular schedule of goal inspection. – – Make sure goals are anchored at all times. – – Goals should be chained to a fence, chained together or stored in a safe, locked place when not in use. – – Put warning labels on goals. – – Remove nets when not in use.

Set Standards Consider all Risk Management areas. Do you need to have: – – A written travel policy that takes into account adult-to-player ratio, transportation guidelines, who is driving, hotel safety, etc. – – A written financial policy. – – A website policy and/or a means of putting all website under a League or Club umbrella.

Risk Management Must Work From the Top Down and From the Bottom Up

You Want to Create a Culture of Safety Where Everyone Can Spot The Red Flag

Communicate! From the Top Down: – – Get the word out. Use coaches’ meetings, parents’ meetings, your website and, even, written parents’ and coaches’ manuals. – – Be visible. Introduce yourself to players and parents. Attend practices and games. Ask questions. Start a conversation. – – Consider exit interviews if a team loses players for no apparent reason.

Communicate! From the Bottom Up: – – Empower your coaches, staff, admins and parents. Make it clear they can bring forward any concern – or complaint. – – Listen and make sure that they know they’ve been heard. Take action if necessary. – – Consider a club moderator, a safe person who is there to listen.

Risk Management isn’t easy. It’s rarely black and white. It’s often many shades of grey.

But, it’s one of the most important things we do. It keeps our coaches, staff, admins and players safe.

Red Flags Keep Us Safe Create a culture of safety so that our red flags are visible to everyone!