Player Safety Initiatives — Protecting Young Athletes

The US Youth Futsal (USYF) Code of Conduct applies to all staff, volunteers, members and participants who are involved or engaged with any sanctioned US Youth Futsal program, event, activity or competition. The USYF Code of Conduct Policy is intended to provide guidance in addition to but not replace any applicable state or federal laws. At USYF, we observe high standards of conduct, and we expect all those participating with us to help maintain such high standards and assist in creating a safe environment.

All athletes deserve to play futsal and develop their skills in a positive environment which fosters their love of the game.

Zero Tolerance — It is extremely important to US Youth Futsal (USYF) that players are able to participate in sports free from bullying, hazing, sexual misconduct or any form of emotional or physical abuse.

At USYF, we are proud to work with U.S. Center for SafeSport — Safeguarding our athletes is our highest priority and is ingrained in our philosophy.  We are proud of our efforts to create a true, long-lasting positive impact on athlete wellbeing.  

The SafeSport online training covers the following subjects: sexual abuse, hazing, bullying, emotional misconduct, physical misconduct, harassment (non-sexual) as well as reporting obligations. USYF adheres to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Code of Ethics and Abuse-Prevention Standards and follows the protocols for the Sexual Abuse Prevention and Reporting Procedures.

‘‘It is incumbent upon all stakeholders in youth sport both protect youth athletes and provide a safe environment for player development.” 
Jon Parry, USYF Executive Director and Founder

Effective as of August 1st, all coaches, staff members and team officials are required to be SafeSport trained. It is imperative that everyone connected to USYF understand their responsibilities and reporting obligations as required by law. 

As coaches, team volunteers, officials or team staff members of USYF, you are eligible to take the approximate 90 minute training course for free. (You do not have to pay the $20 per person fee for the SafeSport Training Course.)

USYF, as an organization, is committed to creating and maintaining an environment where everyone who participates in USYF programs and activities can work and learn together without free from any form of abusive misconduct.

Any form of harassment; psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual harassment (verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature which is unwelcome, or where consent is coerced, manipulated or cannot be given) will not be tolerated.  Harassment may be deliberate, unsolicited and coercive.

Further details and examples of what can constitute harassment and abuse can be found in the SafeSport Code PDF below.

“A player’s safety from being abused is of paramount importance to me personally and to our entire organization,” said Parry. “We want to set the highest of standards. The online training is free for USYF coaches and staff. We are committed to providing the safest environment and raising the standards in futsal.”  Jon Parry, USYF Executive Director and Founder

The SafeSport Trained course has three modules and covers the following topics in-depth:

• Mandatory Reporting
• Sexual Misconduct Awareness Education
• Emotional and Physical Misconduct

To enroll in the free course, please click here 

You can take the course all at once, or over a period of time as SafeSport will save your progress. 

Once the SafeSport modules are completed, you will have earned a master “SafeSport Trained” certificate. Please download this and save as USYF will require you to upload your certificate in U.S. Soccer Connect. 

SafeSport Technical support:  Contact the U.S. Center for SafeSport Technical Support Help Desk at (720) 676-6417  Link: SafeSport.org.

Definition of Harassment and Abuse:

Harassment and abuse can be expressed in five forms which may occur in combination or in isolation. 

Harassment may be deliberate, unsolicited and coercive. It may be in person or online.

Harassment and abuse often result from an abuse of authority, meaning the improper use of a position of influence, power or authority by an individual against another person.

These include i) psychological abuse, ii) physical abuse, iii) sexual harassment, iv) sexual abuse, and v) neglect.

These forms of abuse are defined here as:

• Psychological abuse — means any unwelcome act including confinement, isolation, verbal assault, humiliation, intimidation, infantilisation, or any other treatment which may diminish the sense of identity, dignity, and self-worth.
• Physical abuse — means any deliberate and unwelcome act that causes physical trauma or injury.
• Sexual harassment — any unwanted and unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal or physical. Sexual harassment can take the form of sexual abuse.
• Sexual abuse — any conduct of a sexual nature, whether non-contact, contact or penetrative, where consent is coerced/manipulated or is not or cannot be given.
• Neglect — within the meaning of this document means the failure of a coach or another person with a duty of care towards the athlete to provide a minimum level of care to the athlete, which is causing harm, allowing harm to be caused, or creating an imminent danger of harm.

Harassment and abuse can be based on any grounds including race, religion, colour, creed, ethnic origin, physical attributes, gender, sexual orientation, age disability, socio-economic status and athletic ability.

U.S. Youth Futsal to Require Background Checks on All Coaches

U.S. Youth Futsal forges ahead to keep all players safe by mandating best of breed background checks for all coaches. Background checks provide a high level of confidence for parents and players— and is deserved by all families. USYF has selected REFERENCE Services (RSI) through Stack Sports/U.S. Soccer Connect for Background Checks.

As of August 6, 2018, U.S. Youth Futsal (USYF) will mandate background checks for all registered coaches and team managers as part of the organization’s focus on player safety.  

“At US Youth Futsal, we want to do everything we can to keep our players safe,” said Jon Parry, Executive Director and founder of USYF. “Our goal is to develop players and this can only truly be accomplished in a safe environment. As a parent, I know how important peace of mind is and it is important to know that USYF coaches have all been carefully screened by a comprehensive background check. As a national organization, we are proud to require that our coaches pass an in-depth background check before they coach any of our 50,000+ players.”

Organizations like USYF with coaches all over the country have a moral and a legal obligation to provide a safe environment for those that they serve. The good news is that today the majority of youth sports organizations require volunteers to undergo some form of background check. The bad news is that there isn’t a standard screening protocol that all organizations abide by and the variation.

ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S ASSESSMENT CENTER — Most child sexual abusers are men, and may be respected members of the community drawn to settings where they gain easy access to children like schools, clubs and churches. They come from all age groups, races, religions and socioeconomic classes.

Most victims know and trust their abusers. It isn’t strangers our children have to fear most.

USYF sets a high standard with their Player Safety Initiatives and we want everyone to know that all background screening companies are not the same.  

USYF has selected REFERENCE Services (RSI) through Stack Sports/U.S. Soccer Connect for Background Checks.

They expertly uncover criminal records and other important information that other companies routinely miss. REFERENCE Services’ Nationwide Criminal Search is made up of over 500 million records from over 1200+ sources, including Departments of Correction (DOC)— the search identifies state felony convictions, including incarceration. It also includes other national, international, state and federal searches, including the following U.S. Sex Offender Report.

The USYF background report identifies sex offenders by searching records in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico. With over 100,000 sex offenders in the U.S. frequently on the move, this information is critical for every employer, regardless of position or industry.

OFAC Patriot Act Search (Office of Foreign Assets Control), OIG (Office of the Inspector General) & Other Key Sources -- Included with Nationwide Criminal Report

The background check also includes a powerful high-speed search of U.S. and foreign sanctions and watch lists including the Office of Foreign Assets Control “OFAC” Patriot Act Search (Office of Foreign Assets Control) as well as the FBI Fugitive List, OIG – Department of Health & Human Services Exclusion List, Interpol Most Wanted, and a Social Security Trace which MUST be run in conjunction with the Nationwide Criminal Report.

Every organization has to decide what type of background check they want to require. Some national and state organizations restrict their background checks to just one specific area — others use less comprehensive database searches or only do them every two years. 

At USYF, we want to create the most positive player development environment possible — we want to instill a passion for the game, inspire our players and share the joy.  We can only do this when we are all in a safe environment.

We appreciate your support with this Player Safety Initiative — Thank you.