As a condition of membership, all USASA members agree to abide by the SafeSport Code.

The USASA prohibits the following conduct:

• Sexual Misconduct
• Physical Misconduct
• Emotional Misconduct
• Bullying, Threats and Harassment
• Hazing
• Willfully Tolerating Misconduct

Any member of USASA who is appointed to a position of authority over, or who has frequent contact with athletes must clear criminal background screening and complete SafeSport training every two years with a refresher required every other year. Participating Adults are required to complete training concerning child abuse prevention no later than January 1, 2019, or within the first 45 days of initial membership. This includes USASA members holding a coaching, officials or judges membership.

Every USASA member must report suspected violations of the SafeSport Code. If you suspect that a child is experiencing misconduct of a sexual nature, don’t investigate yourself. Call the SafeSport hotline and local child protection authorities (Police or Child Welfare Office) and report it to the experts who have the skills to investigate the matter. If you have a doubt on whether conduct is occurring, please err on the side of reporting. Conduct which does not involve sexualized conduct but which may violate one of the six categories of prohibited conduct may be reported to to safesport@usasa.org.

SafeSport Helpline
The Center for SafeSport provides 24-hour support via the SafeSport Helpline or by calling 866.200.0796.

Reporting Suspected Violations of Sexualized Conduct
https://uscenterforsafesport.org/report-a-concern/

RAINN National Sexual Abuse Hotline
If you have personally experienced sexual abuse and need help, please contact the RAINN national sexual abuse hotline at 1-800-656 HOPE (4673) or visit https://www.rainn.org/

USOC SafeSport Programs

The USOC provides a wide range of SafeSport resources, including online education and awareness. All coaches and those in a position of authority over athletes are required to take the online SafeSport course.

USASA Background Screening

To help ensure SafeSport environment, the USASA requires all staff, club coaches, club officials and club volunteers to undergo background screening. USASA is a youth sports organization with more than 75% of its athlete members under the age of 18. In keeping with the standards of many youth sports organizations, schools, and recreational programs in the United States today, USASA has implemented a strict SafeSport policy on abuse, molestation and sexual harassment. To support this policy, the organization has implemented a background screening process to help ensure that the environment in its athletic programs at every level is as safe as possible.

This process includes all USASA employees, member coaches, judges/officials and volunteer members. It is a big undertaking for the organization. But it will help us maintain a high standard among youth sports organizations in America. The process is simple and can be managed online. There is no cost to USASA members.

USASA has selected the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) to conduct its screening. NCSI is one of the leaders in providing screening to youth-serving organizations. It works in partnership with the National Council of Youth Sports, which serves organizations representing over 52-million boys and girls.

The process will screen past convictions for sexually related and violent crime, as well as DUI. USASA has worked with NCSI to establish very specific criteria, which is listed below. 

The process for screening is simple and generally takes about five minutes. But you must have a current, or in process, USASA adult competitor, coach, judge/official or club volunteer membership to register for the screening.

USASA appreciates the cooperation and understanding of its members to help implement this program to ensure that the environment in ski and snowboard athletic programs throughout the organization is as safe as possible for young boys and girls.

Background Screening Criterion Offenses

Managing a SafeSport environment is important to USASA. Background screening of all employees, member coaches, member officials and club volunteer members is required. Convictions and pending dispositions for the following crimes will prompt a determination that an applicant “does not meet” the criteria to serve USASA.

Reportable convictions or disclosures of convictions or registrations or pending dispositions, for any of the following criminal offenses or registrations will prompt a determination that an applicant 'does not meet' the criminal background screening criteria and a red light determination will be issued:

Felonies

• Any violent felony (any crime punishable by confinement greater than one year)
• Any felony within the past ten (10) years involving cruelty to animals.
• Any non-violent felony (any crime punishable by confinement greater than one year) within the past ten (10) years not otherwise included above. (i.e., Felony theft or Controlled Substances)
• Crimes of a Sexual Nature
• Any felony or lesser crime of a sexual nature or classified as a sex offense including but not limited to prostitution, pornography, indecent exposure; and crimes in which sexual relations is an element.
• Any crime for which a conviction places the offender on a sex offender registry.

Misdemeanors

• Any lesser crime involving force or threat of force against a person within the last ten (10) years.
• Any lesser crime involving controlled substances if there was one (1) offense within the past five (5) years, or two (2) or more offenses within the last ten (10) years (not alcohol).
• Any lesser crime within the past ten (10) years involving cruelty to animals.
• Any lesser crime involving harm to a minor within the past ten (10) years not included above.
• Two driving under the influence offenses (alcohol) within the past five (5) years or more than two (2) offenses in the past ten (10) years.
  • NOTE: Criminal offenses include "Attempted Crimes" in the above classifications.

Online Resources

• SafeSport Website
• SafeSport Code
  • Noteworthy Revisions to the SafeSport Code
• Background Screening Lookup

Did You Know?

Club & Program leaders, the USOC provides online SafeSport training for your coaches, judges, officials and volunteer members.

Every USASA staff member, plus all coaches, officials, judges, and volunteer members undergo background screening before issuance of membership or employment by USASA.

Parents, you can verify the membership and background screening of any club coach, judge, official or volunteer member through the Background Screening Lookup tool or by calling USASA National Office at 800-404-9213 to ensure that the coaches, officials and volunteer members working with your child have undergone background screening.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has several rules, policies, and procedures to keep you informed and educated.

SafeSport Education & Screening

Compliance standards, legislative oversight of SafeSport education and third-party background screening now require that all USASA adult members also hold a US Ski & Snowboard membership in the same membership category they are represented in at USASA. Once SafeSport adult compliance requirements are met US Ski & Snowboard will notify USASA and your USASA membership will become active.  These new standards provide National Governing Body oversight for adult members and allow for a more transparent, secure, and safe system for our athletes. 

This shift in USASA operations supports USASA’s mission of providing positive environments for young athletes and supporting the most progressive education and safety models. Maintaining the highest standards for the safety of all USASA youth and adult stakeholders is an important part of our USASA guiding principles.  Highlighting this adjustment USASA has reduced all USASA adult membership pricing by 50% for the upcoming season. This helps to offset the additional out-of-pocket expenses for those adults who have not held both memberships in the past.

HISTORY OF SAFESPORT

In 2017 congress passed the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act. This important legislation amended both the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 and the Amateur Sports Act of 1978.

This law designated the United States Center for SafeSport to serve as the independent national safe sport organization, with the responsibility for developing policies and procedures to prevent the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of amateur athletes.

• It also required amateur sports organizations, which participate in an interstate or international amateur athletic competition and whose membership includes any adult who is in regular contact with an amateur athlete who is a minor, to:
• Comply with the reporting requirements of the Victims of Child Abuse Act
• Establish reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one interactions between an amateur athlete who is a minor and an adult
• Offer and provide consistent training to adult members who are in contact with amateur athletes who are minors
• A reporting mechanism that allows a complainant to easily report child abuse
• Audits, to ensure the policies and procedures are followed correctly
• The mechanism for background screening and monitoring Safe Sport Education

Present:
USASA has been a leader in adopting these new laws and has maintained 100% SafeSport compliant since the beginning in 2017. We are proud to be leaders in this space and continue to invest in systems and programs to protect our members, providing the gold standard in education to USASA adults in adherence to guidelines. To adhere to new guidelines, reduce duplication of background screens and keep costs reasonable for members we have maintained shared databases with US Ski & Snowboard for those individuals with memberships in both organizations.

Do I need to purchase a US Ski & Snowboard membership before I purchase my USASA membership?

The order in which you purchase your membership does not matter. The USASA membership will remain pending until all compliances have been completed and we have been notified from US Ski & Snowboard.

How will USASA know if I have completed my adult compliances?

USASA has an automated interface that will advise when your background screen and SafeSport compliances are complete.

Can I purchase a volunteer membership and have it work as a coach for adult compliance at USASA?

No. All adults must purchase a membership in their respective categories with US Ski & Snowboard to coincide with their USASA membership.

Will I be charged for multiple memberships if I am, say, a coach and a judge/official? 

No, you will only be charged the higher price membership at each organization plus any applicable U.S. Ski & Snowboard division/state dues.

If I currently buy both memberships will this be twice as much now?

Absolutely not! You will actually see a $50 decrease in out-of-pocket cost.

When can I purchase my adult membership at USASA?

All memberships will be available on July 1st, annually.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport produces abuse awareness and prevention courses, with more than a dozen courses now available to all on our SafeSportTrained.org learning portal.

The Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) limits one-on-one adult/minor interactions and sets standards for training and sport settings that prevent abuse and misconduct. Sport organizations invested in keeping young athletes free of abuse are strongly encouraged to adopt the MAAPP—now required throughout the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement.