SafeSport Act Policy

Grove City Kids Association (GCKA) shall strive to meet the requirements of Public Law 115-126 Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and SafeSport Authorization Act of 2017 (the “SafeSport Act”).

1.    Scope: This policy shall apply to Adults, including:

·      Adults at a facility under the jurisdiction of a Grove City Kids Association

·      Adult members or volunteers who have regular contact with amateur athletes who are minors

·      An Adult authorized by a Grove City Kids Association to have regular contact with or authority over an amateur athlete who is a minor

·      Staff and board members of a Grove City Kids Association

2.    Observable and Interruptible Interaction

·      One-on-one interactions between minors and an Adult (who is not the minor’s legal guardian) at our facility are permitted, if they occur at an observable and interruptible distance by another Adult.

·      Isolated, one-on-one interactions between minors and an Adult (who is not the minor’s legal guardian) at our facility are prohibited, except under emergency circumstances.

3.    Meetings

·      Meetings between Adults and minors at our facilities may only occur if another Adult is present, except under emergency circumstances. Such meetings must occur where interactions can be easily observed and at an interruptible distance from another Adult.

·      If a one-on-one meeting takes place in an office, the door to the office must remain unlocked and open. If available, it will occur in an office that (if available) has windows, with the windows, blinds, and/or curtains remaining open during the meeting.

·      Meetings with mental health care professionals

·      If a mental health care professional meets with minors at our facilities, a closed-door meeting may be permitted to protect patient privacy – provided that

·      the door remains unlocked,

·      another Adult is present at the facility,

·      the other Adult is advised that a closed-door meeting is occurring, and

·      written legal guardian consent is obtained by the mental health care professional, with a copy provided to our organization.

4.    Individual training sessions

·      Individual training sessions between Adults and minors are permitted at our facility if the training session is observable and interruptible by another Adult.

·      The Adult must obtain the written permission of the minor’s legal guardian in advance of the individual training session.

·      Parents, guardians, and other caretakers must be allowed to observe the training session.

·      Permission for individual training sessions must be obtained at least every six months.

5.    Licensed, certified professional(s)

·      Any massage or rubdown performed by an Adult on a minor athlete at our facilities or a training or competition venue is prohibited unless such Adult is a licensed massage therapist.

·      Any massage or rubdown performed at our facilities or a training or competition venue by a licensed professional must be conducted in open and interruptible locations.

·      Any massage of a minor athlete must be done with at least one other Adult present and must never be done with only the minor athlete and licensed massage therapist in the room.

·      Even if a coach is a licensed massage therapist, the coach shall not perform a rubdown or massage of an athlete under any circumstances.

6.    Use of recording devices

·      Use of any device’s (including a cell phone’s) recording capabilities, including voice recording, still cameras, and video cameras in locker rooms, rest rooms, changing areas, or similar spaces at a facility under our organization’s jurisdiction is prohibited.

·      Exceptions may be made for media and championship celebrations, provided that such exceptions are approved by the Grove City Kids Association and two or more Adults are present.

7.    Undress

·      Under no circumstances shall an unrelated Adult at a facility under our organization’s jurisdiction be undressed (disrobed or partial or full nudity where private body parts are exposed) in front of minor athletes.

8.    Isolated one-on-one interactions

·      At no time are unrelated Adults permitted to be alone with a minor in a locker room, rest room, or changing area when at a facility under our jurisdiction, except under emergency circumstances.

·      If our organization is using a facility that has access to a single set of such facilities, we will designate times for use by Adults, if any.

9.    Monitoring

·      Our organization regularly and randomly monitors the use of locker rooms, rest rooms, and changing areas at facilities under our jurisdiction to ensure compliance with these policies.

10. Non-exclusive facility

·      If our organization uses a facility not under its jurisdiction (for, e.g., training or competition or similar events) and the facility is used by multiple constituents, Adults are nonetheless required to adhere to the rules set forth here.

11. All electronic communication originating from Participating Adults to amateur athletes who are minors must be professional in nature.

·      Open and transparent

o   If a Participating Adult needs to communicate directly with an amateur athlete who is a minor via electronic communications, another Participating Adult or the minor’s legal guardian will be copied.

o   If a minor athlete communicates to the Participating Adult privately first, the Participating Adult should respond to the minor athlete with a copy to another Participating Adult or the minor’s legal guardian.

o   A Participating Adult communicating electronically to the entire team will copy another Participating Adult.

o   Amateur athletes who are minors may “friend” the organization’s official page.

·      Prohibited electronic communications

·      Participating Adults are not permitted to communicate privately via electronic communications with amateur athletes who are minors, except under emergency circumstances.

o   Participating Adults are not permitted to “private message,” “instant message,” “direct message”, or send photos via Snapchat or Instagram to a minor athlete privately.

o   Participating Adults are not permitted to maintain social media connections with minors

o   Adults are not permitted to accept new personal page requests on social media platforms from amateur athletes who are minors and existing social media connections with amateur athletes who are minors shall be discontinued

·      Requests to discontinue

o   Legal guardians may request in writing that their child not be contacted through any form of electronic communication by the organization or by the organization’s Participating Adults.

o   The organization will abide by any such request that their child not be contacted via electronic communication, absent emergency circumstances.

12. Transportation

·      The organization does not arrange for local travel.

·      Participating Adults who are not also acting as a legal guardian, shall not ride in a vehicle alone with an unrelated athlete who is a minor, absent emergency circumstances, and may only drive with at least two other minor athletes or another adult at all times, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the minor athlete’s parent/legal guardian in advance of each local travel.

13. Team/competition travel

·      When only one Participating Adult and one minor athlete travel to a competition, the minor athlete must have his/her legal guardian’s written permission in advance and for each competition to travel alone with the Participating Adult.

14. Hotel rooms
· Participating Adults shall not share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with a minor athlete (unless the Participating Adult is the legal guardian, sibling, or is otherwise related to the minor athlete).

15. Meetings

·      Meetings shall be conducted consistent with the organization’s policy for one-on-one interactions – i.e., any such meeting shall be observable and interruptible.

·      Meetings shall not be conducted in a hotel room.