The following requirements must be adhered to at all sanctioned USA Water Ski & Wake Sports events, including local, state, regional, national and international events.

The Sanctioned Event Safe Sport Requirements outline what steps event organizers must take when hosting a USA Water Ski & Wake Sports sanctioned event to ensure that all participants have a safe and enjoyable experience. Procedures explain how to pre-authorize access for all athletes, volunteers, media, vendors, medical personnel, athlete assistants, coaches and officials, etc. (hereafter, “Event Personnel”). Event organizers must make sure all Event Personnel who attend a USA Water Ski & Wake Sports sanctioned event are authorized.

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports and/or the U.S. Center for SafeSport may audit any USA Water Ski & Wake Sports sanctioned event at any time to verify compliance either in person or through a request for compliance information.

It is the responsibility of each USA Water Ski & Wake Sports event organizer, club and/or sport discipline association to monitor and enforce the requirements set forth in these procedures, as agreed upon in the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Event Sanction Agreement. Please reference the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Safe Sport Handbook, which includes provisions for adhering to the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Background Screen Policy, SafeSport Code and Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy, for further explanation of the policies.

SafeSport Training and Background Screens

Requirement: Event Personnel are expected to adhere to SafeSport Training and Background Screen requirements laid out in the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Compliance Chart. All applicable participating Event Personnel are expected to be SafeSport Trained and/ or Background Screened through the duration of the event. Event Personnel with training or screening expiration dates that falls on or during the event will NOT be compliant. It is the responsibility of the event organizer and chief judge to ensure that compliance is being met by all applicable participants. Any Event Personnel found not to be in compliance of this policy may not be allowed to participate at the sanctioned event.

o It is required for all USA Water Ski & Wake Sports members 18 years and older who compete or participate in sanctioned tournaments or have regular contact with any athlete or other Participant who is a minor to complete SafeSport training prior to the start of any sanctioned event or practice.

Communication of the Minor Athlete Abuse and Prevention Policy (MAAPP)

USA-WSWS will send direct communications (via email and e-newsletter) throughout the year to all USA-WSWS members reminding them of the MAAPP Requirements and reporting protocols at all USA-WSWS Sanctioned events. Event organizers are also encouraged (but not required) to send a direct communication to all event personnel and participants prior to the start of each event to remind them:

i. They are required to adhere to the  U.S. Center for SafeSport Code, USA-WSWS Safe Sport Handbook, and Minor Athlete Abuse Protection Policies (MAAPP),

ii. How to report concerns involving alleged violations of the MAAPP, the U.S. Center for SafeSport Code, or the USA-WSWS SafeSport Handbook.

b. Sample Language

i. USA-WSWS has developed sample language that can be used to send to participants.

**Note: Posting this communication to the competition’s website and social media accounts is encouraged

Events With Same-Day Registrants

We recognize the challenges of our competition environment, including that many participants and event personnel do not pre-enter events, contact information may not be available, or an email platform may not be accessible. However, these participants must still receive the MAAPP and reporting communication. Therefore, when participants register at the competition, we suggest the following reasonable process to ensure event organizer and USA-WSWS compliance with this notification requirement.

• Print the USA-WSWS poster along with the USA-WSWS suggested letter and post them in a conspicuous location for the participants and event personnel to read when they check-in or register at the competition. Please kindly request that they read it.

• Additionally, we recommend that you include the content from the USA-WSWS suggested letter on your website, if applicable, or anywhere where the event information is made available to participants.

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Suspension and Banned List – Verification

Requirement: No Event Personnel can be currently listed as suspended or banned from USA Water Ski & Wake Sports. The current Suspended Members List can be found here. It is the responsibility of the event organizer to ensure that this requirement is met prior and during the event. Protocol should be put into place to guarantee the absence of suspended or banned member of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports at the sanctioned event.

Adherence to the MAAPP

Requirement: Event organizers should proactively complete a risk assessment related to the MAAPP criteria and eliminate all vulnerabilities that may exist. Event organizers and Chief Safety Directors should actively review the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Event Risk Assessment Guidelines prior to each event to mitigate and/or eliminate applicable risks for:
• One on One Interactions
• Massage and Athletic Training Modalities
• Locker Rooms/Changing Areas
• Electronic Communications
o No event communication should be sent to an individual minor athlete, but rather use group communications only and copy other adults, including the minor’s parents.
• Local and Team Travel
     • Lodging
     • Transportation
• Meeting and Training Sessions

Day of Event Registration & Check-In Procedures

Requirements:

Communications: Event organizers must ensure that any day-of registrants or volunteers receive both the MAAPP requirements and information on how to report violations of the MAAPP.

 • Consider printing our MAAPP Poster and QR Code to have at your registration table - same day registrants and volunteers can scan this QR code to view the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports MAAPP and information on how to report violations of the MAAPP.

Verification: Event organizers must verify that any day-of registrants or volunteers:

1. Have completed the Center's SafeSport Training

2. Are not listed on the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Suspended and Banned Members List.

Tracking: Event organizers must maintain a list of all individuals who register or volunteer on the day of the event.

For more information on these procedures, please contact compliance@usawaterski.org.