Travel Tips for Parents & Guardians: What to Know If You’re Planning to Chaperone

Travel Tips for Parents & Guardians: What to Know If You’re Planning to Chaperone.

As fall sports wind down and regional, state, and national tournaments ramp up, parents and guardians might find themselves chaperoning a team trip. While traveling to an away meet, game, or event is exciting and fun for everyone—from parents to coaches to athletes—it’s important for chaperones to understand the risks involved in sports travel, particularly when it comes to misconduct and abuse.

While your child or teen is gathering sports equipment, packing their bags, and attending their final practice or training session before competing on the next highest stage, parents and guardians should also be preparing for their role as a chaperone. 

If you’re volunteering to be a chaperone this season, read on for safeguarding tips to make sure you're ready to help protect youth athletes on their upcoming team trip. 

Tip #1: Travel Prep

Before the trip, take a moment to review the team’s travel policies. The team or league’s program administrator should be able to share these policies with all parents, athletes, coaches, staff members, and volunteers. 

Get consent forms and parent/guardian contact information for each athlete. This includes the required consent for transportation and lodging, and the parent/guardian contact information for each athlete in case of an emergency.

Take SafeSport training so you know how to recognize and report abuse. The SafeSport® for Volunteers course will help you better support athletes as a chaperone. If you are an Adult Participant in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement who has authority over or regular contact with minor athletes in the Movement, you are required to take the SafeSport® Trained Core course. Explore these courses and more on our courses page.

Read the full article at U.S. Center for SafeSport >