Introduction
Duxbury Futsal values player and volunteer participation tremendously. In order to ensure safety for everyone, Duxbury Futsal implements the following policies and procedures. Players and volunteers must certify that they have reviewed these policies and will abide by them in order to participate in our programs.
Membership fees shall not apply to volunteers, coaches, or staff.
Training
Duxbury Futsal Volunteers will take the CDC course on Traumatic Brain Injury for sports coaches every three years.
Limitations on Volunteering
All persons who apply to DUXBURY FUTSAL to volunteer must give consent to DUXBURY FUTSAL to conduct a criminal background check.
It is the policy of DUXBURY FUTSAL to deny membership in DUXBURY FUTSAL to any individual for whom there is reasonable cause to believe that they have engaged in sexual misconduct. For the purposes of this policy, reasonable cause shall exist when:
Criminal or civil charges have been filed against an individual alleging sexual misconduct;
The individual has been convicted of a crime involving sexual misconduct;
Written allegations of sexual misconduct against the individual of reasonable probative value have been submitted to DUXBURY FUTSAL; or
The individual has been accused of sexual misconduct and the accusations have reasonable probative value.
Membership Applicant Background Screening
DUXBURY FUTSAL adult coaches and volunteers must consent to, and pass, a formal applicant screening process before becoming a member of DUXBURY FUTSAL.
Affirmative Duty to Disclose
If a DUXBURY FUTSAL adult coach or volunteer is accused, arrested, indicted or convicted of a criminal offense against a child, it is the duty and responsibility of the DUXBURY FUTSAL member to notify DUXBURY FUTSAL.
Commitment to Safety
Overview
In the event that any DUXBURY FUTSAL coach or volunteer observes inappropriate behaviors, suspected physical or sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct, it is the personal responsibility of each person to immediately report (same day) his or her observations to local law enforcement and DUXBURY FUTSAL.
DUXBURY FUTSAL is committed to creating a safe and positive environment for athletes’ physical, emotional and social development and ensuring that it promotes an environment free of misconduct. DUXBURY FUTSAL coaches and volunteers should not attempt to evaluate the credibility or validity of child physical or sexual abuse allegations as a condition for reporting to appropriate law enforcement authorities. Instead, it is the responsibility of each person to immediately report suspicions or allegations of child physical or sexual abuse to the local law enforcement authorities and DUXBURY FUTSAL.
DUXBURY FUTSAL recognizes that the process for training and motivating athletes will vary with each coach and athlete, but it is nevertheless important for everyone involved in sport to support the use of motivational and training methods that avoid misconduct, whether that misconduct is between adult and athlete, or athlete to athlete.
Prohibited Conduct
Coaches, volunteers, and participants shall refrain from child physical or sexual abuse; bullying, harassment and hazing; and emotional, physical and sexual misconduct.
Child Abuse
Child abuse is as defined in Section 203 of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (34 U.S.C. §20341).
Sexual Abuse
a. Child sexual abuse includes sexual contact with a child that is accomplished by grooming, deception, manipulation, force or threat of force, regardless of the age of the participants, and all sexual interactions between an adult and a child, regardless of whether there is deception, or the child understands the sexual nature of the activity. “Grooming” describes the process whereby a person engages in a series or pattern of behaviors with a goal of engaging in sexual misconduct.
b. Grooming is initiated when a person seeks out a vulnerable minor. Once selected, offenders will then earn the minor’s trust, and potentially the trust of the minor’s family. After the offender has engaged the minor in sexually inappropriate behavior, the offender seeks to maintain control over him/her. Grooming occurs through direct, in-person and/or online contact.
c. Child sexual abuse involves any sexual activity with a child where consent is not or cannot be given.
d. Sexually abusive acts may include non-contact sexual acts such as verbal acts, sexually suggestive electronic or written communications, exposure or voyeurism.
Peer-to-Peer Child Sexual Abuse
Sexual contact between minors also can be abusive. Approximately 1/3 of all child sexual abuse
occurs at the hands of other children and the obligation to report extends to peer-to-peer child sexual abuse. Whether or not a sexual interaction between children constitutes child sexual abuse turns on the existence of an aggressor, the age difference between the children, and/or whether there is an imbalance of power and/or intellectual capabilities.
Misconduct (Emotional and Physical)
Misconduct refers to conduct and behaviors that are considered harmful to the psychological and physical health of athletes and other participants, regardless of age. Forms of misconduct described below – emotional misconduct, physical misconduct, sexual misconduct, bullying, harassment and hazing– are considered misconduct regardless of intent.
A. Emotional Misconduct
(1) A pattern of deliberate, non-contact behavior that has the potential to cause emotional or
psychological harm to an athlete. Non-contact behaviors include:
a. Verbal acts
b. Physical intimidation
c. Acts that deny attention or support
d. Stalking
(2) Any act or conduct described as emotional abuse or misconduct under federal or state law (e.g. child abuse, child neglect).
Exception
Emotional misconduct does not include professionally accepted coaching methods of skill enhancement, physical conditioning, team building, discipline or improving athletic performance.
Examples
Examples of prohibited emotional misconduct include, without limitation:
(1) Verbal Acts. A pattern of verbal behaviors that (a) attack an athlete personally (e.g., calling them worthless, fat or disgusting) or (b) repeatedly and excessively yelling at a particular participant or participants in a manner that serves no productive training or motivational purpose.
(2) Physical Intimidation. A pattern of physically aggressive behaviors, such as (a) throwing sport equipment, water bottles or chairs at, or in the presence of, participants; or (b) punching walls, windows or other objects.
(3) Acts that Deny Attention and Support. A pattern of (a) ignoring an athlete for extended periods of time or (b) routinely or arbitrarily excluding participants from practice.
(4) Stalking. An intentional conduct directed at a specific person that caused the person to fear for their safety or the safety of others, or to experience substantial emotional distress. This includes cyber stalking by using electronic means including but not limited to internet, social media, texts and other similar forms of contact.
B. Physical Misconduct
(1) Contact or non-contact behaviors that result in, have the potential to, or threaten to cause physical harm to an athlete or other sport participants; or
(2) Any act or conduct described as physical abuse or misconduct under federal or state law (e.g. child abuse, child neglect, assault).
Appropriate Physical Contact
DUXBURY FUTSAL adheres to the following guidelines for physical contact between volunteers, coaches, and players:
Common Criteria for Appropriate Physical Contact
Physical contact with athletes – for safety, consolation and celebration – has multiple criteria in common which make them both safe and appropriate. These include:
• the physical contact must take place in public;
• there is no potential for physical or sexual intimacies during the physical contact;
• the physical contact is for the benefit of the athlete, not to meet an emotional or other need of an adult.
Safety
The safety of our athletes is paramount and in many instances we make the athletic space safer through appropriate physical contact. Examples include:
• making athletes aware that they might be in harm’s way because of other athletes practicing around them or because of equipment in use.
Celebration
Sports are physical by definition and we recognize participants often express their joy of participation, competition, achievement and victory through physical acts. We encourage these public expressions of celebration, which include:
• greeting gestures such as high-fives, fist bumps, and brief hugs;
• congratulatory gestures such as celebratory hugs, “jump arounds” and pats on the back for any form of athletic or personal accomplishment.
Consolation
It may be appropriate to console an emotionally distressed player (e.g., a player who has been injured or has just lost a competition). Appropriate consolation includes:
• publicly embracing a crying athlete;
• putting an arm around an athlete while verbally engaging them in an effort to calm them down (“side hugs”);
• lifting a fallen athlete off the playing surface to encourage them to continue competition.
Prohibited Physical Contact
Prohibited forms of physical contact:
• asking or having an athlete sit in the lap of a coach or volunteer;
• lingering or repeated embraces of athletes that go beyond the criteria set forth for physical contact;
• slapping, hitting, punching, kicking or any other physical contact meant to discipline, punish or achieve compliance from a player;
• “cuddling” or maintaining prolonged physical contact during any aspect of training, travel or overnight stay;
• playful, yet inappropriate contact that is not a part of regular training, (e.g., tickling or “horseplay” wrestling);
• continued physical contact that makes an athlete obviously uncomfortable, whether expressed or not;
• any contact that is contrary to a previously expressed personal desire for decreased or no physical contact, where such decreased contact is feasible in a competitive training environment.
Social Media Misconduct
Social media and electronic communications can also be used to commit misconduct (e.g., emotional, sexual, bullying, harassment, and hazing). Such communications by coaches, volunteers, parents or players are not acceptable.
Reporting and Responding to Abuse and Misconduct Violations
Any report of misconduct or suspicions of child physical or sexual abuse will be taken seriously and handled appropriately. Every DUXBURY FUTSAL coach and volunteer must report suspicions or allegations of child physical or sexual abuse to both (a) the appropriate law enforcement authorities and to (b) Duxbury Futsal.
Mandatory Reporting: All adult volunteers and coaches interacting with youth athletes are mandatory reporters. Any suspected child and sexual abuse must be reported within 24 hours to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
DUXBURY FUTSAL does not investigate suspicions or allegations of child physical or sexual abuse or attempt to evaluate the credibility or validity of such allegations as a condition for reporting to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.
Reporting Procedure
How to Report: Contact local law enforcement to report child or sexual abuse. Then notify DUXBURY FUTSAL.