US Biathlon Safe Sport and MAAPP FAQ
(updated October 27, 2022)
Q: Who is REQUIRED to complete Safe Sport training under USBA membership policies?
A: USBA requires safe sport education and training for (a) all individuals USBA formally authorizes, approves or appoints to (1) serve in a position of authority over or (2) have frequent contact with athletes, and (b) all USBA staff. This includes all Coach and Official members, USBA staff and Board Members, Regional Coordinators and Club Administrators. Additionally, any athlete named to a national training team/group or named to an international competition team (IBU Cup, World Cup, etc.) must complete the training. Any athlete over the age of 18 who trains at an Olympic and Paralympic Training Center or Training Site will also be required to complete training. We encourage all members over the age of 18 to complete the training.
Q: If older athletes or parents are acting as coaches and regularly interacting with athletes under the age of 18 but are not technically coaches, do they need to be Safe Sport trained?
A: YES. The easiest way to make sure this is completed is to have anyone in a coaching role sign up for a US Biathlon Coach membership. All Coach and Official members must complete Safe Sport training before their membership becomes active. All USBA members have access to SafeSport training, regardless of whether it is required. Follow the Safe Sport link on our website to complete the training. See Resources below.
Q: Our club hosts races with the help of local volunteers who are over 18. Do these people need to be Safe Sport trained?
A: While we encourage as many people as possible to complete Safe Sport training, if the work these volunteers are doing is happening in “open and interruptible” settings, they are not required to be trained. If, however, a volunteer is working regularly with your club, they should be Safe Sport trained. All USBA Officials must be USBA trained.
Q: What if I’m not a USBA member and don’t have regular contact with athletes but would like to complete Safe Sport training anyway?
A: Anyone can complete the Safe Sport training by going to the Center for Safe Sport’s website www.uscenterforsafesport.org . We especially recommend all parents of athletes take the free parent course! In order to become “Safe Sport Trained” and certified, you will need to complete the full training, which is included with your USBA membership. For all others, training is $20.
Q: I completed Safe Sport Training last year, do I need to do it again?
A: The Center for Safe Sport has created a refresher course for those already trained. There are three refresher courses and in the fourth year, you’ll need to complete the full training again. For example, if you completed Safe Sport Training in 2018, you’ll do Refresher 1 in 2019, Refresher 2 in 2020, Refresher 3 in 2021, and the whole Safe Sport course again in 2022.
US Biathlon Safe Sport and MAAPP FAQ
Resources:
Full US Biathlon Safe Sport/MAAPP link and Forms for Consent:
https://www.teamusa.org/us-biathlon/resources/safesport
Safe Sport Training:
https://safesporttrained.org/
US Center for Safe Sport:
https://uscenterforsafesport.org/
For other questions, please contact Sara Studebaker-Hall, USBA Director of Operations -
sara@usbiathlon.org
Safe Sport/ MAAPP One-Sheets: