SafeSport training is required for adults who have regular contact with, or authority over, minor athletes in organizations under a U.S. Olympic & Paralympic national governing body (NGB). They complete the 90-minute SafeSport Trained Core course before that contact begins or within 45 days of joining, then take a refresher every 12 months.
That's the short answer. The details are where most programs get tripped up: which roles count, what volunteers need, what the courses cover, and how to keep a whole roster current. This guide walks through each one.
|
Role |
What they need |
When |
|---|---|---|
|
Coaches |
Core, then a Refresher every 12 months |
Before regular contact with minors, or within 45 days |
|
Employees and staff |
Core, then Refreshers |
Within 45 days of starting or changing roles |
|
Board members |
Core, then Refreshers |
Within 45 days of joining, even without athlete contact |
|
Volunteers with regular contact or authority over minors |
Core, then Refreshers |
Before regular contact, or within 45 days |
|
Volunteers without regular contact |
SafeSport for Volunteers (recommended) |
Before volunteering |
|
Officials, chaperones, trainers, and drivers with regular contact |
Core, then Refreshers |
Before regular contact, or within 45 days |
|
Licensed health care providers |
Health Professionals course in place of Core |
Same deadlines as Core |
|
Parents |
Parent training, offered by the organization |
Offered every 12 months |
|
Minor athletes |
SafeSport for Kids or Teens, with parent consent |
Offered every 12 months |
Your NGB can add requirements on top of these, so check its SafeSport handbook too.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport is the independent nonprofit that responds to reports of sexual, physical, and emotional misconduct in the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. Congress gave it that authority in the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017.
The Center also writes the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP), the rules every NGB and its member organizations must adopt. Training is one of those rules. "SafeSport training" means the Center's online courses, and "SafeSport Trained" is the status you hold after finishing Core or a current Refresher.
The rules apply to NGBs, their member clubs and local affiliates, Paralympic sport organizations, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. If your club registers through USA Hockey, U.S. Soccer, USA Swimming, or another NGB, they apply to you.
Under the 2025 MAAPP, an adult participant is anyone 18 or older who is a member or license holder of an NGB or its members, an employee or board member, under the organization's governance or disciplinary jurisdiction, or authorized to have regular contact with or authority over minor athletes.
Three groups of adult participants must complete Core:
Board members surprise some programs. They may never step on the field, but they set policy and receive reports, so the MAAPP requires them to know what misconduct looks like and how to report it.
Yes, if they have regular contact with or authority over minors. Pay doesn't matter. A volunteer assistant coach at every practice needs Core, the same as a paid head coach.
Volunteers without regular contact, like a parent who works the concession stand a few times a season, should take the 15-minute SafeSport for Volunteers course. It's a good baseline, but it doesn't count as Core.
Core must be finished before regular contact with minor athletes begins, or within 45 days of initial membership or starting a new role. Build that deadline into onboarding so no one reaches day 46 without a certificate.
Rec leagues, parks and recreation departments, YMCAs, and schools often sit outside the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. Federal SafeSport rules may not apply to them directly, but that doesn't make training optional.
States set their own requirements for youth sports coaches and volunteers. California's AB 506, for example, requires mandated reporter training for regular volunteers. Programs outside the Movement can use the Center's courses or another provider, as long as the training meets their state's rules.
For a broader look, see our guide to abuse prevention training in youth sports.
The SafeSport Trained Core course is the foundation. It takes about 90 minutes and covers three areas:
After Core, adults keep their status with three 30-minute Refresher courses, taken in order, one per year:
The Center updates Core and the Refreshers as the SafeSport Code and MAAPP change, so each cycle brings adults up to date.
The Center also offers courses for specific roles. Only the Health Professionals course can stand in for Core:
Under the MAAPP, organizations must offer training to parents, and to minor athletes with parent consent, every 12 months.
Each course keeps someone SafeSport Trained for 12 months. The full cycle runs four years:
Timing matters. If more than 12 months pass between courses, the person loses their place and starts over with Core. A 30-minute task becomes a 90-minute one, and they aren't SafeSport Trained until they finish.
When someone finishes a course, they download a certificate from their SafeSport learning dashboard. Accept only the final SafeSport Trained, Refresher, or Health Professionals certificate. Certificates for single modules don't count.
One tip to pass along: sign in to an existing SafeSport account instead of creating a new one. A new account can mean retaking the full Core course.
Then comes the hard part. Every adult is on their own 12-month clock, at a different point in a four-year cycle, often alongside background checks with their own renewal dates. Spreadsheets fall behind fast.
Ankored tracks SafeSport status and expiration dates for every adult on your roster, next to their background checks and other requirements. Users complete their training, and administrators see who's current, who's due, and who's lapsed.
Parents don't need Core unless they also serve in a role that requires it, like volunteer coach. Organizations under an NGB must offer parent training every 12 months, and the Center's Parent's Guide to Misconduct in Sport is free.
Yes. The MAAPP requires employees and board members to complete Core, even if they have no contact with athletes.
No. It's meant for volunteers without regular contact with minors. Volunteers with regular contact or authority need Core.
If more than 12 months pass between courses, the person restarts with Core. They aren't SafeSport Trained again until they finish it.
Organizations under an NGB must provide the Center's training, though they can add their own on top. Organizations outside the Movement can choose another provider, as long as it meets state requirements.
The MAAPP allows exemptions from online training for survivors of abuse and misconduct, and for cognitive or physical disability or a language barrier. Ask your NGB how to request one.