USA Volleyball believes that volleyball has many positive things to offer those who participate. First, and most importantly, whether one is a gifted athlete or a recreational player, volleyball is FUN! It is a lifetime sport enjoyed by players from 8 to 80. Participation in volleyball is not only good exercise, but also involves team cooperation and spirit. Athletes enjoy a wide range of physical, emotional and social benefits. Sports develop general physical fitness, and physical exertion has a documented positive mental effect. Athletes have a greater sense of self-worth, demonstrate better collaboration skills, and maintain healthier peer relationships.

Unfortunately, sports, including volleyball, can also be a high-risk environment for misconduct, including physical and sexual abuse. All forms of misconduct are intolerable and in direct conflict with the values of USA Volleyball.

Misconduct may damage an athlete’s psychological well-being. Athletes who have been mistreated may experience social embarrassment, emotional turmoil, psychological scars, loss of self-esteem and negative impacts on their relationships with family, friends and the sport. Misconduct often hurts an athlete’s competitive performance and may cause enough harm for them to drop out of our sport entirely.

USA Volleyball is committed to fostering a fun, healthy and safe sport environment for all its members. We must recognize that the safety of minors lies with all those involved in the sport and is not the sole responsibility of any one person at the club, regional or national level.

Please visit the SafeSport website for more information. Bayou Regional Volleyball Association is a proud supporter of SafeSport.  

SafeSport Code SafeSport Help Line SafeSport Report a Concern

WHAT IS ABUSE AND MISCONDUCT?

You hear the terms “abuse” and “misconduct” surrounding the SafeSport program, but what exactly do these terms mean and what are the guidelines for establishing each? Below is more information, courtesy of the United States Olympic Committee SafeSport program. A critical step in addressing misconduct is being able to recognizing the specific actions that are qualified as misconduct.  

CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

  • Child sexual abuse is any sexual activity with a child where consent is not or cannot be given. This category includes all sexual contact between an adult and a child as well as sexual contact that occurs through force or threat of force. A child is any participant under the age of 18. Sexual contact between an older child and a younger child can also be abusive when a significant disparity in age, development or size makes the younger child incapable of offering consent.

BULLYING

  • Bullying is an intentional, persistent and repeated pattern of committing or willfully tolerating physical and non-physical behavior that is intended, or has the reasonable potential, to cause fear, humiliation or physical harm in an attempt to socially exclude, diminish or isolate the targeted athlete(s) as a condition of membership. It includes any act or conduct described as bullying under federal or state law.
  • Bullying does not include group or team behavior designed to establish normative team behavior or promote team cohesion. For example, bullying does not include verbal admonitions to encourage team members to train harder and push through a difficult training regimen.

HAZING

  • Hazing involves coercing, requiring, forcing or willfully tolerating any humiliating, unwelcome or dangerous activity that serves as a condition for joining a group or being socially accepted by a group’s members. It includes any act or conduct described as hazing under federal or state law. Activities that fit the definition of hazing are considered to be hazing regardless of an athlete’s willingness to cooperate or participate.
  • Hazing does not include group or team activities that are meant to establish normative team behavior or promote team cohesion. Examples include: Allowing junior athletes to carry senior athletes’ equipment into the locker room after practice; Encouraging junior athletes to arrive early and set up training equipment; Giving senior athletes first preference in team assignments, responsibilities, accommodations, facilities or equipment.

HARASSMENT

  • Harassment is a repeated pattern of physical and/or non-physical behavior intended to cause fear, humiliation or annoyance, offend or degrade, create a hostile environment; or reflect discriminatory bias in an attempt to establish dominance, superiority or power over an individual athlete or group based on gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression or mental or physical disability. It includes any act or conduct described as harassment under federal or state law.

EMOTIONAL MISCONDUCT

  • Emotional misconduct involves a pattern of deliberate, non-contact behavior that has the potential to cause emotional or psychological harm to an athlete. Non-contact behavior includes verbal and physical acts, as well as actions that deny attention or support. It also includes any act or conduct (e.g., child abuse and child neglect) described as emotional abuse or misconduct under federal or state law.
  • Emotional misconduct does not include professionally accepted coaching methods of skill enhancement, physical conditioning, team building, discipline or improving athletic performance.

PHYSICAL MISCONDUCT

  • Physical misconduct involves contact or non-contact behavior that can cause physical harm to an athlete or other sport participants. It also includes any act or conduct described as physical abuse or misconduct under federal or state law (e.g., child abuse, child neglect and assault).
  • Physical misconduct does not include professionally accepted coaching methods of skill enhancement, physical conditioning, team building, appropriate discipline or improving athlete performance.

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

  • Sexual misconduct involves any touching or non-touching sexual interaction that is nonconsensual or forced, coerced or manipulated, or perpetrated in an aggressive, harassing, exploitative or threatening manner. It also includes any sexual interaction between an athlete and an individual with evaluative, direct or indirect authority. Last, any act or conduct described as sexual abuse or misconduct under federal or state law (e.g., sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, rape) qualifies as sexual misconduct. An imbalance of power is always assumed between a coach and an athlete. Minors cannot consent to sexual activity with an adult; and all sexual interaction between an adult and a minor is strictly prohibited.

MALTREATMENT

  • Child maltreatment is the general term used to describe all forms of child abuse, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and emotional abuse.

Best Practices 

The following Best Practice Guidelines are strongly recommended for all USAV members.

  1. Parents should be encouraged to appropriately support their children’s club experience.
  2. All practices should be open to observation by parents.
  3. Two-deep Leadership: One coach member and at least one other adult should be present at all practices and other sanctioned club activities whenever at least one athlete is present. Clubs and coaches should evaluate their seasonal plans and map out how to best accomplish this strongly recommended guideline.
  4. Open and Observable Environment: An open and observable environment should be maintained for all interactions between adults and athletes. Private, or one-on-one situations, should be avoided unless they are open and observable. Common sense should be used to move a meeting to an open and observable location if the meeting inadvertently begins in private.
  5. Coaches should not invite or have an athlete(s) to their home without the permission of the athlete’s parents (or legal guardian).
  6. During team travel, when doing room checks, attending team meetings and/or other activities, two deep leadership and open and observable environments should be maintained.
  7. Athletes should not ride in a coach’s vehicle without another adult present who is the same gender as the athlete unless prior parental permission is obtained.
  8. During overnight team travel, if athletes are paired with other athletes they shall be of the same gender and should be a similar age. Where athletes are age 13 & Over, chaperones and/or team managers would ideally stay in nearby rooms. When athletes are age 12 & Under, chaperones and/or team managers may stay with athletes. Where chaperones/team managers are staying in a room with athletes, they should be the same gender as the athlete and written consent should be given by athlete’s parents (or legal guardian).
  9. When only one athlete and one coach travel to a competition, at the competition the coach and athlete should attempt to establish a “buddy” club to associate with during the competition and when away from the venue.
  10. Communications between non-athlete adult members and athletes should not include any topic or language that is sexual or inappropriate in nature. 11. Non-athlete adult members should respect the privacy of athletes in situations such as changing of clothes, showering, etc. Non-athlete adult members should protect their own privacy in similar situations.
  11. Relationships of a peer-to-peer nature with any athletes should be avoided. For example, coaches should avoid sharing their own personal problems with athletes.