One of the highest priorities of USA Hockey is ensuring the safety of its participants and members. It continues taking great strides to protect participants.

The Safe Sport Program is a comprehensive effort to keep all of USA Hockey's participants and members safe while engaged in the game they love, hockey. The program is intended to bring all of USA Hockey's policies under one expansive umbrella to protects participants—both on and off the ice.

Registration with USA Hockey is required in order to complete SafeSport Training and Background Checks.

1. SafeSport Training.  SafeSport Training shall be required for the following categories of Adult Participants as a condition of their participation in such role (note that USA Hockey may modify these requirements from time to time as it deems appropriate):

1. All Member Program administrators, including board members, hockey directors and other program staff who have Regular Contact with or Authority1 over amateur athletes who are minors;
2. Coaches;
3. Team managers;
4. Locker room monitors;
5. Team drivers who will have Regular Contact or Authority over amateur athletes who are minors;
6. Travel chaperones;
7. Personal Care Assistants;
8. Other persons whose position with a USA Hockey, an Affiliate or Member Program allows them to have Regular Contact with or Authority over amateur athletes who are minors.
9. Hockey players seventeen (17) or over on or before December 31 of playing season in age classifications with amateur athletes who are minors; and
10. Officials/referees who are or will be seventeen (17) years old or older as of December 31 of that registration season.

Beginning with the 2022-23 season, SafeSport Training is valid for 12 months. All persons specified above must complete training prior to having have Regular Contact with or Authority over amateur athletes who are minors, and must complete the next applicable SafeSport course on an annual basis (every 12 months) following completion of the previous course. A person with expired training shall be ineligible to participate as a coach, official, administrator, volunteer, employee or in any role where they have Regular Contact with or Authority over amateur athletes who are minors, until they have completed the requisite SafeSport Training.

1. Background Checks. All Adult Participants in categories (i) through (viii) above shall also complete a background screen in accordance with USA Hockey’s Background Screen Policy. Note: officials between the ages of 14 and 17 who live in or expect to work in Pennsylvania must also meet certain state law-imposed background screening requirements.

https://www.usahockey.com/backgroundscreen

7-9-2022

About

SafeSport.org

Introduction of US Center for SafeSport

Comprehensive Overview

Response and Resolution

About the Center

The focus of the Center is to provide services in two areas – the administration of SafeSport Training and to act as an independent party to investigate and resolve allegations of sexual misconduct against any person within the jurisdiction of the national governing bodies, including USA Hockey.

As a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Hockey has agreed, effective with the beginning of the 2017-18 membership season on April 1, 2017, to adhere to the Center’s policies and procedures, which includes the Center’s SafeSport Code that identifies prohibited conduct and the procedures for investigating and resolving allegations.  The Center will have exclusive authority and jurisdiction to investigate and resolve allegations involving sexual misconduct against the following classes of persons ("Covered Individuals"):

1. those persons registered with USA Hockey as Registered Participant Members (players and coaches), referees, and in the “Ice Manager/ Volunteer” category, 

2. all persons serving as a member of USA Hockey’s Board of Directors, on a national level council, committee or section, or in any other similar positions appointed by USA Hockey, 

3. all coaches, officials or staff (e.g., trainers, physicians, equipment managers) for any USA Hockey team, camp or national level program, 

4. all USA Hockey national staff, and

5. any person that is elected or appointed by a USA Hockey Affiliate or Member Program to a position of authority over athletes or that have frequent contact with athletes.

USA Hockey will retain the authority to investigate and resolve allegations of SafeSport policies that are non-sexual in nature.

In USA Hockey, all Covered Individuals over the age of 18 are required to report suspected SafeSport violations related to or accompanying sexual misconduct and child abuse to the Center for SafeSport.  Information on reporting to the Center can be found by clicking here.

The Center will have the jurisdiction and authority to impose sanctions against Covered Individuals within USA Hockey (as well as other national governing bodies), and USA Hockey will enforce any suspension, measures or other sanction throughout USA Hockey programs.

New Mexico Hockey
Safe Sport Program Coordinators