USA Track & Field | Safe Sport at USATF FAQs (2024)

Click any question below to be taken directly to theUSATF-provided response.

Governance

1. What is Safe Sport?
2. Why did USATF institute a Safe Sport program?
3. Who determines how an individual who violated Safe Sport policies is disciplined?
4. What is USATF's responsibility to enforce Safe Sport discipline sanctions?
5. What is the responsibility of USATF affiliated associations, organizations, or activities as it relates to Safe Sport?

Reporting

1. How do I know if I'm supposed to report? What am I required to report?
2. How do I report a complain?
3. Am I required to report suspected abuse that occurred several years ago?

Training

1. What is required for me to coach/volunteer/officiate with USATF?
2. What is the SafeSport Trained Core training and refresher courses?
3. Who needs to be USATF 3-Step Safe Sport compliant?
4. Who do I contact if I'm having technical trouble with the SafeSport Course on USATF Connect?
5. How do I access the course?
6. How do I know if USATF has received my SafeSport certification?
7. How long is my SafeSport certification good for?

Governance

1. What is Safe Sport?

Athletes will perform better, soar higher, and get more from sport if they feel safe. Safe Sport seeks to create and maintain a healthy, supportive environment for all participants. Through education, resources, and training, we help members of the sport community recognize, reduce, and respond to misconduct in sport.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport is an independentnonprofit organization responsible for responding to and preventing emotional, physical, and sexual misconduct and abuse in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. The Center also serves as an educational resource for sports organizations at all levels, from recreational sports organizations to professional leagues.

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2. Why did USATF institute a Safe Sport Program?

USA Track & Field, Inc. (USATF) has always been committed to providing a safe environment for our athletes to compete and train. We believe this is paramount to the success of all our programs.

The USOPC recommended all national governing bodies (NGBs) implement the program in 2014 and it became required of all Olympic NGBs by 2015. USATF amended its existing policies to incorporate additional USOPC recommendations and comply with all aspects of Safe Sport. Coupled with the USATF Coaches Registry, our goal is to gain awareness and protect the participants in our sport at all levels.

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3. Who determines how an individual who violated Safe Sport policies is disciplined?

4. What is USATF’s responsibility to enforce Safe Sport discipline sanctions?

Federal law requires USATF to enforce sanctions and interim measures, including temporary suspensions imposed by the Center. Communicating the information to members is an important way to ensure protection of our members and participants in our sports.

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5. What is the responsibility of USATF affiliated associations, organizations, or activities as it relates to Safe Sport?

A suspended or banned individual is prohibited from participating, in any capacity, in any activity or competition authorized by, organized by, sanctioned by, or under the auspices of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the national governing bodies recognized by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, including USATF, and/or any USATF Affiliated Organization (including USATF Associations and clubs). This prohibition affects a person regardless of whether or not they are a USATF member. Event directors are responsible for ensuring that no banned or suspended person is on the competition grounds.

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Reporting

1. How do I know if I’m supposed to report? What am I required to report?

All USATF members and participants must report to the Center conduct of which they become aware that could constitute (a) sexual misconduct, (b) misconduct that is reasonably related to the underlying allegation of sexual misconduct, and (c) retaliation related to an allegation of sexual misconduct.This report must be made within 24 hours of learning about the alleged misconduct. Importantly, the obligation to report requires reporting any conduct that comes to a member’s or participant’s attention, which if true, would violate theU.S. Center for SafeSport Codeor USATFSafe Sport Handbook. Individuals should not investigate or attempt to evaluate the credibility or validity of allegations involving sexual misconduct, as a condition of reporting to the Center.

If your concern deals with physical or emotional abuse or misconduct, bullying, hazing, harassment, or any other violation of USATF’s Safe Sport Handbook, reports should be made directly to USATF.

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2. How do I report a complaint?

Please use these guidelines to help you on the first step of reporting:
If your concern deals with any of the following, please contact the U.S. Center for SafeSport to make a report.(Use theonline reporting form, call (833) 5US-SAFE, or find more information on the SafeSport website.)

• Child sexual abuse

• Sexual misconduct

• Non-consensual sexual conduct

• Sexual harassment

• Intimate relationships involving an imbalance of power

• Physical or Emotional misconduct

• Bullying

• Harassment

• Hazing

• Any other violation of USATF’sSafe Sport Handbook

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3. Am I required to report suspected abuse that occurred several years ago?

Yes. There is no statute of limitations applicable to reports made to the U.S. Center for SafeSport or to USATF.

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Training

1. What is required for me to coach/volunteer/officiate with USATF?

USATF requires a 1) current USATF membership, 2) current USATF background screen (and agreeing to acknowledgments therein), and 3) current SafeSport training (either Core training or a Refresher course, dated within the past 365 days). For new members, your USATF membership must be completed first, and will be used to access a background screen and the SafeSport courses, however, it does not matter which of the latter you complete first. Please see the Background Check FAQ for answers on background screens.

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2. What is the SafeSport Trained Core training and refresher courses?

Available on USATF Connect, the Core SafeSport training course is an online training module created by the Center. The Core training course covers Mandatory Reporting, Emotional and Physical Misconduct, and Sexual Misconduct Awareness Education topics, and takes roughly 90 minutes to complete. It includes pre- and post-quizzes and a final training certificate.

Completed annually after the Core SafeSport training, the Refresher course is a shorter, 20-minute long course designed to refresh your knowledge on misconduct in sport. Refresher courses likewise contain pre- and post-quizzes and a final training certificate. The Refresher course can also be found on USATF Connect.

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3. Who needs to be USATF 3-Step Safe Sport compliant?

The current list of those required by USATF to be background screened and to complete SafeSport training is expansive. We currently require members of the following groups to be USATF 3-Step Safe Sport Compliant: National Office Staff, Board of Directors, registered coaches, certified officials, authorized agents, club officers, National Team staff, National Committee Chairs, Association leadership, Youth Committee members, AAC Committee Members, AAC Event Leaders, all meet volunteers in an official capacity, Youth Camp staff, vendors with access to athletes.

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4. Who do I contact if I’m having technical trouble with the SafeSport Course on USATF Connect?

Questions can be directed toUSATFsafesport@usatf.org.

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5. How do I access the course?

1. Log in to USATF Connect using your email address and password.
   1. *Note: If you have one or more accounts linked to your USATF Connect profile, please select your personal account.
2. Click “View” on your profile card.
3. Select “Center for SafeSport Training” in the menu to the left.
4. Click on the blue “Add Center for SafeSport Training” button.
5. Here you will see the training course options. Select the type of training you wish to complete (please note, you will not be able to add any of the Refresher courses until your Core training is completed).
6. Once you have added the appropriate course, you will see a pop-up box with additional information to review. Click the “Add” button at the bottom of the screen.
7. Once you click “Add”, you will see a pop-up window with a link to click to begin the course.
   1. Click the “Start Training” option in the pop-up window.
8. You will enter the SafeSport training program where you will complete the training.
9. The course(s) will remain in a “Pending Approval” status until you complete the training. You may start a course, stop, logout and come back to your account to complete at any time.
10. Once you complete the training you will be issued a PDF certificate. Please save this certificate for your records. Click the “X” button once you are finished.

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6. How do I know if USATF has received my SafeSport certification?

USATF Connect will be automatically updated once you’ve completed your training. You’ll be given a chance to view your “SafeSport Trained” or Refresher course PDF certificate after you complete your training; please keep a copy of this certification for your records (you do not need to provide a copy of your training certificate to the National Office).

Remember that SafeSport training is an annual requirement. You will need to log in to your USATF Connect profile on or before your training lapses one year to renew.

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7. How long is my SafeSport certification good for?

SafeSport training is an annual requirement, meaning you will need to renew your training once every 365 days.

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