Free eLearning module helps prevent maltreatment in sport

OTTAWA (April 3, 2020) – The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) is offering free online Safe Sport Training to help all participants in national sport organizations recognize maltreatment in sport and take informed action to address it.

After a series of nationwide safe sport consultation summits, federal-provincial-territorial sport ministers signed the Red Deer Declaration, committing to the elimination of abuse, discrimination and harassment in sport. In response, the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport was developed as a foundation for a coordinated implementation strategy to prevent and address maltreatment across the sport system in Canada.

With the support of Sport Canada, a CAC Safe Sport Task Force was developed to provide expert advice and feedback on the development and delivery of training activities to meet the goals and objectives of the mandatory training on harassment and abuse within the national sport system.

The Task Force included representatives of national and provincial sport governing bodies, subject-matter experts, athletes, and advocacy organizations.

Allison Forsyth, an eight-time Canadian champion and two-time Olympian in Alpine skiing, joined the task force and advocates for safer sport environments to prevent what happened to her from happening to other athletes. Forsyth was sexually abused by her long-time coach and believes better training could have kept her safe.

“If I had had a safe place to report, if I had been trained to understand what grooming was and the recipe predators follow, I don’t think what happened to me would have happened to me,” she says. “It’s essential that athletes and everyone involved with athletes receive the proper training to prevent maltreatment in sport.”

Lorraine Lafrenière, CAC Chief Executive Officer, says, “Collectively, we can create a better safe sport environment by coming together, taking the training and committing to our individual responsibility.”.

The CAC’s Safe Sport Training is available for free through its online learning platform, the Locker. It is offered in English and French, takes 90 minutes to complete, and meets accessibility guidelines. Importantly, it meets the minimum standards for mandated safe sport training for individuals under the authority of all Sport Canada-funded organizations. National Sport Organizations may also opt to use their own training, provided it complies with minimum standards.

“Everybody in the sport environment has the potential to be affected by maltreatment, and everyone has a role to play in preventing and addressing it,” says Dr. Ashley Sterling, a University of Toronto researcher, and member of the Safe Sport Task Force that created the module. “It’s really important for everyone to complete this training.”

Coaches certified through the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) can also earn Professional Development points upon completing the training.

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More about the Safe Sport Training module

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Delaney Turner
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