Safe Sport

If you missed US Equestrian's announcement on Thursday regarding Safe Sport, you might want to check it out. Go. Do it right now.

I am just going to say exactly how I feel: This ... requirement by US Equestrian is an insult to the overwhelming majority of riders, and it smacks of simply protecting someone's ass. I am frustrated and discouraged to live in a society where common sense and even morality must be legislated by the government, or in this case, the governing body of equestrian sports.

Certificates for each of the three units and an overall completion.

I completed the training over the weekend. I figured I didn't have as much of a leg to stand on if I hadn't even seen the curriculum of the training. Now I've seen it. I will say this - it's a good course ... for coaches, teachers, nurses, law enforcement, scout leaders, and other people who are responsible for the safety of the youngsters under their care.

Should every human being recognize the signs of sexual abuse, bullying, and situations where there is an uneven balance of power? Absolutely. Should you or I report a suspected case of abuse even if it looks consensual? By the way, it is never consensual if a person under 18 years old is involved. And the answer to that last question was yes.

Yep, but is it US Equestrian's job to make sure that its adult riders know this?

Should it be the function of my hobby's governing board to insist that I be trained to "protect young victims from sexual abuse?" No, it should not. As a competitor, I do not supervise children, I do not compete with children, and I rarely even see children at shows. 

Should coaches and trainers be asked to participate in a training that focuses on abuse of power over youngsters? Sure, especially if they will be working with children. In my capacity as a classroom teacher who supervises children, you'll be happy to know that I participate in LOTS of these types of training every single year. You should also be relieved to hear that a training for suicide prevention was added to our back to school training this August.

Coaches and trainers (and even teachers) are in a position of power that could be abused. Is that likely? Of course not, but because of the twelve pedophiles and seven abusive coaches that have been found to be victimizing their young charges, the rest of us must now watch a series of videos and answer a stack of what would you do? type questions. I made up those numbers by the way; there are probably more pedophiles and bad coaches than that.

Agreed.

Does anyone really think that a pedophile who coaches kids will suddenly realize that their actions are morally and legally wrong after earning their Safe Sport certificate? No. US Equestrian's position is that everyone should take the training, even if they do not work with kids, since it is everyone's job to monitor and recognize the signs of abuse so that we can report it. Isn't that already everyone's responsibility?

Going back to my first point: it should not be up to US Equestrian to ban me from participating in my sport unless I complete a training in the hope that it will prevent sexual abuse. I don't need my moral compass to be shaped by an equestrian organization. That was the duty of my parents, my church, and my community.

US Equestrian's website states, US Equestrian is committed to creating and maintaining an equestrian community free of all forms of emotional, physical and sexual misconduct. 

I could not agree more. But I knew and believed that before receiving a certificate that said I had been trained. I bet you already believe it too.

Get ready to receive yours.

On a much light note, check out yesterday's blog post for a chance to win a pair of Roeckl gloves.