When it comes to our responsibility as an organization, there is nothing more important than protecting our athletes and participants. Helmets, shin guards and face masks have long been employed to protect the physical well-being of those who play softball from the possibility of injury that goes with playing our game. But what about protecting them from something else, something far more sinister? Lately the news has been filled with stories of abuse and misconduct, stretching from the glitz of Hollywood to college campuses and Olympic training centers. When will it end? I say it must end now.
I am proud to say that USA Softball began educating its coaches and conducting background checks at a time when doing those things were the exception, not the rule. We did it for one reason, because it was the right thing to do. We take protecting our members very seriously and are proud to have been among the leaders when it comes to those types of initiatives. Some criticized us, saying that money was the motivation behind our actions. Meanwhile they sat back and allowed anyone to join their ranks and attempted to use our requirements against us.
Now, the reality of what can happen when a blind eye is turned has come to light. The despicable actions of certain individuals and the subsequent public testimony by the brave athletes who were victims has placed athlete safety in the forefront of the minds of the public and those in charge, which is where it should have been all along. Sadly, it took those horrors to bring home the reality of what COULD happen and indeed what DID happen.
This has led to the creation of SafeSport. The SafeSport initiative was passed by Congress in 2017. Out of this initiative the U.S. Center for SafeSport was created. Funding for the Center comes from the National Governing Bodies (NGB’s) of the Olympic Sports, which includes USA Softball. The mission of SafeSport is to make athlete well-being the centerpiece of our nation’s sports culture and emphasize that all athletes deserve to participate in sports free from bullying, hazing, sexual misconduct or any form of emotional or physical abuse.
SafeSport provides Education and Outreach, as well as a reporting platform where individuals can report allegations of misconduct confidentially. Upon receiving a complaint, SafeSport, not the NGB, conducts the investigation and issues the discipline. In fact, if allegations of misconduct are reported to an NGB like USA Softball we are mandated to report it to SafeSport, and not take any further action. This ensures that an unbiased third party makes the decision, not the respective NGB.
While we are saddened by the reasons for the creation of SafeSport, USA Softball welcomes this type of transparency and supports the process wholeheartedly. No athlete, male or female, young or old, should ever have to endure any kind of abuse. Sports should be a way to build character, camaraderie and teach the values of teamwork and good sportsmanship. It should not be a place where those who seek to perpetrate crimes of abuse feel comfortable. In fact, it is our hope that Congress takes it a step further and mandates that ALL sports organization become part of the SafeSport initiative, not just the NGB’s.
Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the SafeSport web site, which can be found at SafeSport.org. Know your rights and do not hesitate to report any conduct that falls within the scope of SafeSport reporting. It is my sincere hope that we can rid the world of sports of the type of individual that seeks to hurt our athletes and by working together I know we can make it happen.
