Safe Sport
Wilton Soccer Association
Athlete and Participant Safety Policy
Wilton Soccer Association’s Mission, Vision and Belief Statements
Mission:
WSA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization guided by an annually-elected volunteer Board of Directors supported by our member families and volunteers (thank you!).
Our mission is to positively influence the growth of children and our community by reinforcing values such as sportsmanship, teamwork, integrity and respect for others through a range of fun and high quality soccer experiences.
Vision:
Wilton Soccer Association supports US Soccer’s efforts to make soccer the preeminent sport for all children, creating a lifelong passion and love for the game.
We Believe in:
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Leadership driven by fair play and sportsmanship;
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Affordable and inclusive player development;
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Commitment to education of coaches, referees and clubs;
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Promoting a fun, safe and healthy soccer environment.
Safety Above All
It is evident from our mission, vision and belief statements that our youth participant’s health, safety and well-being are driving factors in all that we do and provide to our members. From the day a young child first registers to play all the way through their final years as a teenager, Wilton Soccer Association makes every effort to provide the best possible environment.
Wilton Soccer Association Athlete and Participant Safety Policy - Standards for Organization Members
Purpose
Consistent with U.S. Soccer Bylaw 212, Organization Members are required to, among other obligations, 1) comply with applicable law and, in particular, the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (the “Sports Act”); 2) if the member recruits, trains, fields or funds soccer players, establish a risk management program to promote the safety and protect the welfare of participants; and 3) adopt policies prohibiting sexual abuse. Effective February 14, 2018, Public Law 115-126, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 (the “SafeSport Act”), amends the Sports Act, and requires applicable amateur sports organizations (as such term is defined in the SafeSport Act, 36 U.S.C. § 220530(b)) to:
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Offer and provide consistent training to adult members in regular contact with minor amateur athletes and, subject to parental consent, to members who are minors, regarding prevention and reporting of child abuse (36 U.S.C. § 220530(a)(3)); and
The purpose of the Wilton Soccer Association Athlete and Participant Safety Policy is to require an Athlete and Participant Safety/Safe Soccer program as part of each Organization Member’s risk management program and establish standards for such a program.
U.S. Soccer’s Bylaw Policy 212-3 (approved October 19, 2018)
The Connecticut Landscape
As you read the SafeSport Act and U.S. Soccer policy information the terms Applicable Entity, Covered Organization and Covered Individual are used. In a nutshell, in our soccer world, all of U.S. Soccer and all members (i.e. State Association, Youth Council Member) are considered an Applicable Entity and Covered Organizations. As a result, all clubs, town organizations, leagues, and other affiliated adults of State Associations and Youth Council Members (USYS, US Club, AYSO, SAY, USSSA, etc.) are also considered an Applicable Entity and Covered Organization.
For the purposes of Wilton Soccer Association and our member organizations (all Covered Organizations) a Covered Individual is defined as “an adult who is authorized, by a national governing body, a member of a national governing body, or an amateur sports organization that participates in interstate or international amateur athletic competition, to interact with a minor or amateur athlete at an amateur sports organization facility or at any event sanctioned by a national governing body, a member of a national governing body, or such an amateur sports organization.”
Wilton Soccer Association has adopted the definition of an “Adult”, to be “Every adult (persons 18 years old and older) associated with all organizations who may have the opportunity to have direct and unmonitored access to children.”
Matching this definition with the requirements of the SafeSport Act, all Adults as defined above are now considered Covered Individual under SafeSport are required to comply with the forthcoming policies, rules, procedures and compliance. The term “Participating Adults”, for the purposes of Wilton Soccer Association, applies to all Adults as defined in the paragraph above.
Using the above requirement of all adults who may have the opportunity to have direct and unmonitored access to children, the following individuals are required to register as Adults, satisfy Background Screening, complete all SafeSport and U.S. Soccer Abuse Prevention training, and are now considered Mandatory Reporters. This includes, but is not limited to:
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Coaches (all types)
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Team Managers, including designated team parents assigned team management responsibilities
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Board members (Officers, Directors, Administrators, Committee Chairs, Appointees, etc.)
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Referees (Note: All USSF Referees will complete their full background checks and screening registration through the Connecticut State Referee Committee).
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Trainers (Permanent or Temporary)
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Volunteers
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Organization Employees
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Concession Workers
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Tournament Organizers, Employees, Volunteers
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And, any other person age 18 or older who may have the opportunity to have direct and unmonitored access to children.
Initial Wilton Soccer Association Abuse Prevention Training for Adults
Wilton Soccer Association is aware of several program options for awareness/prevention training of sexual abuse. Wilton Soccer Association supports the SafeSport Act by requiring all persons identified under this policy to take the program provided by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
To enroll in this program, the you will first need to obtain the proper access code. To do so, you must send an email to
. You will receive an email autoreply containing the access code.
After obtaining the access code copy or click on this url: https://www.safesport.org/. Once on the SafeSport site click on Sign in, click on Register. When prompted, make sure to select US Soccer as your NGB and then enter the access code provided in the email reply.
