USA Premier Baseball

YOUTH PROTECTION GUIDELINES AND POLICIES

USA Premier Baseball (USAPB) cares about the safety and welfare of all players, coaches, umpires and event participants. Consequently, USAPB has developed Youth Protection Guidelines and Policies designed to help ensure the safety and well-being of all members, particularly our youth. The guidelines are aimed at eliminating any opportunities for abuse within our sports program. It is the responsibility of all teams and participants to ensure that these policies are followed.

USA PREMIER BASEBALL HAS INSTITUTED A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY AS IT RELATES TO SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, MANDATORY REPORTING, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL MISCONDUCT AND ABUSE AWARENESS.  EACH PERSON WHO MAY BE A “COVERED INDIVIDUAL” UNDER P.L. NO. 115-126 LAW CONGRESS  REQUIRED TO 1) SUBMIT A BACKGROUND CHECK THAT, AT MINIMUM, SEARCHES THE NATIONAL CRIMINAL DATABASE AND NATIONAL SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY. AND 2) BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE BELOW YOUTH PROTECTION GUIDELINES AND POLICIES

USA Premier Baseball’s most powerful tool to keeping our players safe is you.  As a community, we need to be vigilant about identifying potential abuse and reporting it.  If you suspect that a child may be in an abusive situation, report it right away — either directly to law enforcement or to the USA Premier Baseball Board, which will pass on the report.  It is the responsibility of our entire community to protect our children.  USA Premier Baseball takes that responsibility seriously, and we urge all of our parents, coaches, and volunteers to support us in that.

All USAPB coaches and volunteers, who are working directly with children under the age of eighteen, are required to participate in, and adhere to, the Youth Protection Guidelines which includes:

1. MANDATORY – All prospective coaches and volunteers are required to submit a Background Check from a creditiable background check industry leader to evaluate the individual’s suitability to perform in a responsible leadership capacity around youth. Background check to be conducted by creditiable background check industry leaders in compliance with U.S. Center for SAFESPORT. More information at bottom this document. GET A BACKGROUND CHECK OR SUBMIT CURRENT BACKGROUND CHECK HERE
2. COMPLIANCE – Read and comply with these USAPB Youth Protection guidelines and policies.

YOUTH PROTECTION POLICY

The parents, families, relatives and members of the USA Premier Baseball trust our program to provide a safe environment for all participants. The USAPB Youth Protection Policy does not tolerate abuse in any form, whether it is emotional, physical, or sexual.

Adults who assume volunteer roles, coaching and/or participate within USAPB events have the opportunity for a rewarding experience. The opportunity to work with youth is a privileged position of trust that should be held only by those who are willing to demonstrate behavior that fulfills this trust.

YOUTH PROTECTION GUIDELINES

The following guidelines and expectations have been established for persons serving in volunteer roles with USAPB:

1. Conduct yourself in a courteous, respectful manner demonstrating behavior appropriate for a positive role model for youth.
2. Demonstrate exemplary behavior at all times when dealing with parents, coaches, assistant coaches, umps and other personnel involved in the sport.
3. Encourage good sportsmanship by the players during both practices and games.
4. Treat all players with respect and dignity. Promote respect for all the participants including the opposition and game officials.
5. Put the welfare and well-being of the players first, before winning. Kids first, winning second.
6. Create a positive environment for training and competition. Make sports enjoyable and promote fair play.
7. Encourage and support players. Provide constructive feedback. Take time to offer praise whenever the youth does anything praiseworthy. Focus on the positive.
8. Where possible, avoid one-on-one situations with individual players. Meetings, discussions and drills should be conducted in view of other adults and/or youths.
9. Obtain parental consent to transport young players to and from practices and games.
10. While physical contact between an adult and a youth is not absolutely prohibited, as in high-fives when congratulating a youth for an accomplishment, adults must be very alert to the appropriateness of any physical contact. It is possible that it may be experienced by the youth or seen by others as inappropriate. For example, as in most social situations, you should avoid bear hugs and limit yourself to “shoulder-to-shoulder” hugs, maintaining space between your bodies.
11. Respect privacy. All youth are entitled to personal privacy from adults, and when necessary or appropriate, from other youth as well. A health and safety concern is the only exception. Adults must protect their own privacy in similar situations.
12. Discipline used in youth programs should be constructive and reflect high values. Profanity and corporal punishment are never permitted.
13. Physical hazing, initiations, ridicule, inappropriate teasing or aggression are prohibited and may not be included as part of any youth activity.
14. Coaches, umps and event representatives must ensure that USAPB’s policies are followed.
15. Young players must not be left alone without guidance or supervision. Ensure that a child is not left alone at any time (such as waiting for his/her parents to pick them up after a practice of game).
16. Keep medical and emergency contact details for the players with you at all practices and games in the event of an emergency.
17. Comply with anti-discrimination laws. USAPB offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, marital, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
18. The use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products is prohibited at all USAPB practices and games.
19. Coaches should communicate all relevant event information to their teams. Details should include number, length and times of practices, games dates and other related event information.
20. Respect, adhere to, and enforce the rules, policies, and guidelines established by USAPB including all state laws related to child abuse and substance abuse.

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT 

Youth protection policies and procedures address issues of child abuse. Child abuse is deliberate emotional, physical or sexual injury of a child by an adult or older child. Neglect is harm caused by withholding life’s necessities: food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and education.

SIGNS OF ABUSE

Any abrupt change in behavior that is maintained for a week or longer is a sign that the child is experiencing stress that could stem from a variety of causes, including family disruption, illness, death of a pet, a move to a new neighborhood, or child abuse. Some of the possible specific signs for each kind of abuse are listed below:

Possible signs of Physical Abuse: Suspicious injuries that are different from those normally associated with childhood “wear and tear” such as burns, bruises, lacerations, abrasions and fractures.

Possible signs of Emotional Abuse: Emotional abuse of others, extreme sensitivity to criticism, self-destructive behavior, appears to be a danger to others, continuous unwillingness or inability to form trusting relationships, chronic rebellion against authority, constant socially disruptive behavior, lagging physical development, and in severe cases habit disorders such as thumb sucking or rocking.

Possible signs of Sexual Abuse: Difficulty in walking; torn, stained, or bloody clothing; pain or itching in the genital area; bruises or bleeding in the body’s private areas; sexually transmitted diseases; an age-inappropriate understanding of sex; reluctance to be left alone with a particular person; persistent and inappropriate sex play with peers; wearing excessive amounts of clothing; fear of touch; and abuse of animals.

Possible signs of Neglect: Child consistently shows up inappropriately or poorly dressed, shows obvious need of medical care, lacks personal hygiene, repeatedly borrows money for basic necessities, and is consistently overly hungry. If asked, the child will likely make excuses for his or her parent(s).

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

1. Show support and concern for any youth who might be affected
2. Do not jump to any conclusions. Act with all due diligence.
3. Ask the youth in indirect ways if “everything is all right.” Be available for the child.
4. Consider stating your observations to the child’s parents. Do not directly or indirectly accuse a suspected adult of child abuse.
5. Speak confidentially with other adult leaders who have contact with the child.
6. Handle the matter as discreetly as possible.
7. If necessary, remove the child from danger and obtain medical treatment as needed.
8. Report any event related concerns to the USAPB President or Vice President. The law requires only that you have a reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused.

REPORTING PROCEDURES 

Finally, USA Premier Baseball will report any instances of suspected child abuse–emotional, physical, or sexual–to law enforcement immediately.  Under this law, coaches and volunteers are required to report suspected abuse to the USA Premier Baseball Board, which will immediately inform law enforcement.

According to “34 U.S. Code § 20341- Child abuse Reporting,” mandatory reporting is put into effect when “a covered individual who learns of facts that give reason to suspect that a child has suffered an incident of child abuse, including sexual abuse, shall as soon possible make a report of the suspected abuse to the agency designated by the Attorney General”

• The term “as soon as possible” means within a 24-hour period.
• The law also States that “for all covered individuals there shall be an immediate referral of the report to a law enforcement agency with authority to take emergency action to protect the child.”
• The law defines “covered individuals” 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.”

USAPB views the reporting of suspected child abuse as both a personal and ethical obligation. All event members should be alert to the physical and emotional state of all program participants.

1. If child abuse is suspected, report your reasonable suspicions to the USA Premier Baseball President – info@usapremierbaseball.com / 800-394-4930 ext 1 – who will immediately investigate the allegations. During the investigation period, the accused individual will be suspended from all activities involving the supervision of children. The suspension will continue until the person is cleared or allegations are proven. If the allegations are proven correct, the individual will be removed from all USAPB activities. USA Premier Baseball will also contact the appropriate government organizations as required.
2. When any USAPB member suspects child abuse or neglect occurring outside of the USAPB program, they are urged to report the situation to appropriate local authorities at the Child Welfare Government organization – here are the reporting contact numbers of STATE AUTHORITIES
3. All information regarding alleged child abuse will be maintained under strict confidentiality. Information will be communicated only on a “need-to-know” basis.