PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (March 30, 2017) – US Sailing, the National Governing Body of the sport, is now offering the latest education and training programs, developed by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, for the prevention of emotional, physical and sexual misconduct, as well as reporting and response protocols. Learn more about US Sailing and SafeSport.
“US Sailing is dedicated to ensuring a safe environment for sailors of all ages to learn and compete,” said Jack Gierhart, Chief Executive Officer of US Sailing. “The training and resources developed by SafeSport expand our support for our members and sailing organizations who are working to build safe sport best practices and knowledge to provide the most respectful and positive environment for their members and all participants in the sport.”
In 2012, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement launched the SafeSport program to improve athlete safety across the U.S. Olympic Committee’s (USOC) 47 sport National Governing Bodies (NGBs). The program has provided education and prevention resources related to emotional, physical and sexual misconduct, including bullying, hazing and harassment. Providing a safe environment for our sailors, both youth and adult, on or off the water, at regattas and events is paramount.
The USOC externalized the program in March 2017 with the launch of the independent U.S. Center for SafeSport. The Center, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, will work collaboratively with sport organizations to ensure a culture of safety through our awareness, education and training programs, so that every athlete is safe, supported and strengthened through sport.
SafeSport training curriculum has assisted US Sailing in expanding training and education opportunities for those individuals in our sport who are in positions of authority. The protocols and procedures for reporting instances of misconduct are designed to safeguard our sailors and ensure their protection from abuse and misconduct. These include policies regarding physical misconduct, sexual misconduct, bullying and harassment, hazing, electronic and social media communication, and travel policies.
We are now offering SafeSport online training for administrators, coaches, officials, parents, players and volunteers. The US Sailing SafeSport Handbook is intended to inform and provide guidance to our sailing constituents about SafeSport policies and to protect our sailors and other participants from all types of misconduct and abuse. The U.S. Center for SafeSport website provides a wide range of resources, which are available to US Sailing member clubs, sailing organizations, instructors, coaches and sailors.
Learn more about US Sailing and SafeSport.
US Sailing Media Contact: Jake Fish, Communications Manager, communications@ussailing.org
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.
About the U.S. Center for SafeSport
Headquartered in Denver, Colo., the U.S. Center for SafeSport is a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on preventing physical, emotional and sexual abuse in sport. The Center, initially chartered by the U.S. Olympic Committee, is an independent organization with a nine-member board of directors, including subject-matter experts in abuse prevention, child abuse and sexual assault investigation, ethics compliance and sport administration. It collaborates with sport organizations to foster a culture of safety by raising awareness, developing best practices, and providing education and training to promote respect and prevent abuse. https://safesport.org/
-end-