Are USFSA LTS programs subject to AAU child protection report rules?

[Query]

According to  the USFSA Rulebook rule GR 1.05,

"U.S. Figure Skating is... an allied member of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (AAU)."

So is the USFSA is subject to the rules embodied in the reports of the AAU, including the recent report on Child protection?

It's important to me because I am a volunteer instructor in a USFSA LTS program. The report requires that all volunteers pass a screening process (it might be argued that USFSA already requires this for LTS instructors and for coaches, though I don't know if the USFSA screening meets AAU standards), be trained in detecting child abuse, and become mandatory reporters of same. Adults (not just volunteers, but coaches and other adults who might have contact with kids too) can have no individual interaction or contact with kids in an AAU related athletic program without another screened adult present. (Does that include private instruction?). You can't transport kids without another screened adult present. (There is another clause which might imply it is possible with a signed waiver, or that it doesn't apply to parents and guardians of a child. The document is a bit complicated.)

If I read the document correctly, no exceptions are made for medically necessary treatments and evaluations. E.g., no adult associated with an AAU program can take a kid to a private place and evaluate or treat them, unless another adult is present. It's hard to believe that's what they mean, so I probably misunderstood.

NOTE: That was a very imperfect and incomplete summary - read the report for more specifics.

Incidentally, if these rules do apply to LTS , they may apply to USFSA coaches, not just LTS Instructors. But my concern is only with LTS volunteers.

I'm assuming that if they apply, the LTS program I'm involved with will take care of required training, things, but the training could require a fair amount of time, and becoming a mandatory reporter potentially places one in awkward situations. Like, what do you do if a parent yells abusively at their kid while you are there?

It is possible they include all adults who might have contact (I haven't read the document in full detail), not just instructors, which could be a pain for all the people at the rink I'm involved with, (which is run by a non-profit org), as well as USFSA volunteers associated with Tests and Competitions, as well as USFSA club membership chairs, club session monitors, etc.

[sampaguita]

I read a portion of the report...it seems that the AAU is more concerned with sexual abuse, so there's a clause about not being alone with the students, etc.

And as for a parent yelling at his/her child -- I don't think that's necessarily abuse. Especially for very talented students, I think there's a healthy amount of push needed. But if you think the parent is already harassing the child beyond this point, you might want to talk to the parent first.

[Skittl1321]

Yelling alone is not abuse. Your M.R. class will cover what is abuse, and there is no potentially ackward situation at all. If you see abuse, you report it.  That's all there is to it.

[Query]

>our M.R. class will cover what is abuse.

That's good. Because ordinary hockey play, or roughhousing on the street between kids looks a lot like abuse to me. (In DC, where the volunteer program runs, I think mandatory reporting rules apply all the time, not just when you are in the activity for which you were trained.)

The main question still is, do you think the AAU report applies to USFSA volunteer BS instructors?
I suppose the real answer is that USFSA management hasn't had time to respond to the report yet.

I asked the figure skating director of the volunteer program. She says all the volunteers will have to be registered as BS instructors (which includes a background check), and she also wants us to be CER-C compliant.

PSA has a free class called 2 GRO-W , which also appears to be called MEM 106: "The objective of this course is to provide coaches' education on the Definition, Recognition, Elimination, and Prevention of abusive coaching, and the building of safe training environments in figure skating."

Maybe that's a good start.

EDIT: She will only recommend CER-C compliance.

[Skittl1321]

Yep- mandatory reporting applies at all times if you are one.   I am not one any longer.

Our USFS LTS program has made no efforts to get us certified, so the management there doesn't think it applies I suppose.  If USFS wants it to, they need to educate their programs.  Until they do, I wouldn't worry about it.

Volunteers should definitely be registered BS instructors (though again, our program is not compliant here, even for paid staff...).  CER-C is pretty easy to do.

[Query]

Yes CER-C looks easy.

But a few months ago I created a login at PSA, and signed up for the free courses. I downloaded there materials and started working on the classes. I got a message indicating that I was not registered with USFSA as a BS Instructor in any BS program, and 2 or 3 weeks later, they killed my login ability. So - maybe you have to be registered first, before taking the free classes.

(I should have followed it up with PSA, but I didn't. After all, I'm not a real coach. I mostly instructed March and Glide level skating. I'll worry about it in the Fall, when we restart our program.)

[Query]

By the way ISIA (associated with ISI) is an allied member of AAU too.

So coaches in ISI might have to deal with this too.

AAU seems to be a pretty big org.

[sarahspins]

I got a message indicating that I was not registered with USFSA as a BS Instructor in any BS program, and 2 or 3 weeks later, they killed my login ability. So - maybe you have to be registered first, before taking the free classes.

(I should have followed it up with PSA, but I didn't. After all, I'm not a real coach. I mostly instructed March and Glide level skating. I'll worry about it in the Fall, when we restart our program.)

I would worry.. technically to teach under USFSA's basic skills program you need to be registered in the basic skills program (this covers you and the students you instruct under the basic skills liability insurance) and then register yourself as an instructor (which most rinks require you to pay for yourself, and it's $21 which includes a background check).

My rink requires an additional background check for all employees (even 'unpaid' volunteers/interns) which they pay for.  They take it seriously.

For a rink to be overlooking these details, even though you are "just" a volunteer makes me somewhat nervous (not because I worry about you specifically, but more about what ELSE the rink may be overlooking).