Q. Why do I have to take SafeSport Training?
A. The U.S. Center for SafeSport (Center) was created under the law, “Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017.” The Center provides education and requirements consistent with the law, and this training is part of those requirements. The training is required by the Center. It is also a requirement to activate your U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to providing a safe and positive environment for athletes. Educating those involved in our sports creates awareness and a shared understanding of the concept of SafeSport. Join the more than 525,000 individuals who have completed the U.S. Center for SafeSport training. Do your part to prevent and respond to abuse in sports and keep athlete safety at the forefront.

Q. Who is required to complete SafeSport Training?
A. All U.S. Ski & Snowboard Members members who are turning 18 years of age during the season or older, excluding short term members and alpine masters who are not in regular contact with or in a position of authority over athletes.

Q.  May I take SafeSport training before I am 18 years of age?
A.  Yes, members who are 17 may take SafeSport training with parental consent.  There is no grace period for completing SafeSport training. U.S. Ski & Snowboard requires athletes to complete training to activate their memberships following registration.

Q. How often am I required to take SafeSport?
A. SafeSport training is required every season to activate your membership.

• The Core Center for SafeSport training is required once every 5 seasons.
• The Center’s Refresher courses are required every season following the completion of the Core Center for SafeSport training at which point the training sequence begins again.

Q. When does the training expire?
A. U.S. Ski & Snowboard requires SafeSport training once per season upon registration. Our season runs from July 1 - June 30.

Q. How long does it take to complete SafeSport Training?
A. The Core Center for SafeSport Training is required once every 5 seasons and takes approximately 90 minutes. The Center’s Refresher courses are required every season following the completion of the Core Center for SafeSport Training and take approximately 20-30 minutes.

Q. Do you take SafeSport Training substitutions?
A. Members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard must complete SafeSport training through the U.S. Center for SafeSport. No substitutions are permitted.  However, U.S. Ski & Snowboard accepts confirmation of training from USASA.

Q. I recently completed SafeSport training for another NGB. Do I have to take it again?
A. No. You only need to have one SafeSport account and can affiliate with as many National Governing Bodies (NGBs) as needed. To receive credit for being SafeSport trained for your U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership, please affiliate with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and enter your U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership number.

Q. How do I complete SafeSport Training?
A. Register or login with SafeSport https://usss.safesporttrained.org/#/public-dashboard

• Please affiliate with U.S. Ski & Snowboard with your U.S. Ski & Snowboard member ID

  • Do not include your division code (A, C, E, F, I, N, R or X) when inputting your member ID

  • You will receive a confirmation email to activate your account

  • Please check your email (including your spam/junk folder)

  • Click the link in the email message

• For technical assistance please contact the U.S. Center for SafeSport directly at the SafeSport Help Desk Portal for NGBs here: https://safesport.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/4/group/9/create/40

Q. Why does a Board Member from a Member Club need to take SafeSport Training?
A:  Protecting athletes and creating and maintaining a skiing and snowboarding community free of all forms of emotional, physical, and sexual misconduct is the responsibility of U.S. Ski & Snowboard and all of our Member Clubs.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has two main components:  1) education/training for recognizing prohibited behavior/misconduct, and 2) reporting requirements for such behavior/misconduct.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has exclusive authority over reports of sexual misconduct.  The Center has discretionary authority on a case-by-case basis over any other form of misconduct, including bullying, harassment, physical and emotional abuse.  When the Center delegates jurisdiction of investigating the report to U.S. Ski & Snowboard, it is often necessary for U.S. Ski & Snowboard to reach out to the applicable Club or Academy to assist with the investigation as well as any actions that need to be taken to address/respond to the report.  For instance, if there is a report that an athlete is hazing other athletes, the Club’s Board may be involved in the investigation and any disciplinary actions that it takes with its staff and coaches. Remember, willfully tolerating misconduct such as hazing between athletes is misconduct under the SafeSport Code.

It is important that Board Members are SafeSport Trained so that they can recognize prohibited behavior and misconduct, and assist with and take action on such misconduct when needed.

Additionally, Board members should understand reporting requirements under the law (i.e., all reports of child abuse (including sexual abuse) of a minor must be reported to local authorities).

Q. What is the SafeSport Code?
A. The SafeSport Code is issued by the U.S. Center for SafeSport. The Code describes prohibited conduct and gives definitions for bullying, hazing, harassment (including sexual harassment), emotional misconduct, physical misconduct, and sexual misconduct as well as willfully tolerating such misconduct.

Requirements for reporting misconduct are specified in the Code. The Code also describes the authority of the Center and the processes the Center follows. U.S. Ski & Snowboard encourages all members to read and become familiar with the Code and requires its members to follow the Code.

Q. Can I take SafeSport Training if I am not a member of U.S. Ski & Snowboard?
A. If you are not a member of or associated with an NGB, the U.S. Center for SafeSport comprehensive online training course is 90 minutes long and costs $20 per person. The course can be accessed here.

If you are a parent looking for resources on keeping your athlete(s) safe, you can access the Parent Training at no cost. Simply create an account at https://safesporttrained.org/#/public-dashboard, add the parent training to your bag, and you'll be able to access the training.

Q. How to do I file a Report of Misconduct?
A. The Center provides a safe, professional and confidential place for individuals to report sexual abuse and other inappropriate behavior within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements. Please make reports of Sexual Misconduct through the Center here.

Your National Governing Body, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, handles reports of non-sexual behavior. Please make reports to U.S. Ski & Snowboard either by email to usskiandsnowboardsafesport@usskiandsnowboard.org or using this form.    

Q. What is the Report of the Independent Investigation - Ropes & Gray LLP
A. On December 10, 2018, the independent investigators released a 233-page report that detailed the findings of their investigation into Larry Nassar’s abuse of hundreds of elite and Olympic gymnasts and other children since the early 1990s. The report, which was made public in its entirety, was the culmination of a 10-month investigation that included over 100 interviews—many of them with current and former USA Gymnastics and US Olympic Committee employees—and review of over 1.3 million documents, including reports, files, emails, notes, and text messages.