FME will follow U.S. Center for Safesport 2022 Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) Electronic Communications Policy as linked here and copied below. 

POLICY APPLICATION Policy applies to ALL communications between an Adult Participant and a Minor Athlete. 

POLICY REQUIREMENTS Electronic communication includes but is not limited to phone calls, video calls, texts, social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, etc.), fitness applications, emails, and direct messaging that occurs between an Adult Participant and Minor Athlete(s).

• Must be Open and Transparent. 

» A parent/guardian, another adult family member of the Minor Athlete, or another Adult Participant must be copied or included on the communication. 

» This includes all communication initiated by a Minor Athlete. 

• Only electronic platforms that allow Open and Transparent communication can be used. 

• All team communication or communications from an Adult Participant to more than one Minor Athlete must copy or include another Adult Participant, or all the Minor Athletes’ parents/guardians. 

• All communication should be professional in nature. • Organizations and Adult Participants must honor a parent/guardian’s request to discontinue communication with their Minor Athlete, unless there is an emergency. 

(This product was supported in part by grant number 2018-KY-B8-0001, awarded by the SMART Office, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.)

POLICY EXCEPTIONS If one of the following exceptions exists with appropriate consent, electronic communications are not required to be open and transparent. 

1. Emergency. 

2. Dual Relationship – The Adult Participant has an existing relationship with Minor Athlete outside of the sport program. 

3. Close-in-Age – The Adult Participant has no Authority over the Minor Athlete and is not more than 4 years older than the Minor Athlete.

4. Personal Care Assistant – The Adult Participant is a Personal Care Assistant and has met all requirements. 

COMMON QUESTIONS 

Is it against the Electronic Communications policy for a Minor Athlete to follow an Adult Participant on social media? 

A: No. It is not against the policy for a Minor Athlete to follow an Adult Participant on social media, but it is against the policy to have a one-on-one conversation with that Minor Athlete through direct messages. 

Can an adult athlete text their friend who is a Minor Athlete?

A: It depends. If that adult athlete is an Adult Participant, does not have Authority over the Minor Athlete, and is no more than four years older than the Minor Athlete, they can communicate oneon-one with the Minor Athlete. If they do not meet those requirements, they will need to copy another Adult Participant, the Minor Athlete’s parent/guardian, or another adult family member of the Minor Athlete on the communication. 

How should an Adult Participant respond if they receive a call from a Minor Athlete? 

A: The Adult Participant should ensure that it is not an emergency situation, and then proceed to include another Adult Participant, the Minor Athletes parent/guardian, or another adult family member of the Minor Athlete on the call if possible. If this is not possible, the Adult Participant should reschedule the call for a later time. 

(U.S. CENTER FOR SAFESPORT 2022 MINOR ATHLETE ABUSE PREVENTION POLICIES ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS POLICY RESOURCE)