I read the direct contact as pertaining to private spaces. The transition area is in public view. It is not Personal, occurring one-on-one or in small groups.
Body marking was a casualty of COVID protocols and was never brought back.
Has the skiing federation tightened safesport compliance over the years? I kinda feel like this is one of those steps that they don’t re-think a decision once it’s been made (whether correctly done or added PITA for its members- RD in this case). Safesport is also imo something that is so encompassing now vs original protecting minors. (Which is who we want to protect, it’s now basically morphed to covering everyone)
You do for youth events. The 6-8 year olds need a lot of help. They often can’t find their bikes, they can’t find their spot when the return from the bike course, they can’t tie their shoes well, etc. etc. On top of that, we have parents who try to sneak into transition during the race because they are convinced their little darlings can’t race without their help. So we need people to chase them out too.
A race that is primarily adults with a few minors doesn’t have these issues. For one thing, the minors are usually no younger than 10-12. But these rules are in effect even if only 1 athlete in the entire event is a minor.
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These rules will kill youth tris. Our race has 1200 kids this year and we are aiming for 200 volunteers. Because the swim is in a pool and the run is on a track, every single area in the race is a control area except the Packet Pickup area, the Bike course and the Expo. So 125 of our volunteers would need SafeSport training. That is completely unrealistic.
Say what you want. Large Sports Organizations like the NCAA require completing on online Safe Sport Module, to “work” at any of their Event Venues. When I have Live Announced at NCAA Track & Field Meets in the past I have had to take one of those online Modules and confirmed that with a contact at the NCAA before traveling to the meet. I seem to recall having to do something like that as well before any Live Announcing work I have had to do for USA Cycling!
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Last race I did, the body markers (mostly kids from the local high school) were set up in the transition area.
There is a big difference between the local sprint/Oly and an IM or Challenge produced race (most of which use temp tat numbers for a more “pro” experience, but at an increased cost).
IMO they need to revise the “control areas” to exclude those in plain sight of the public/spectators. A locker room and a transition area are not equal.
Funny you should mention that.
I just updated the article as USA Triathlon responded, pretty much stating that that’s exactly what they’ve done as of May 2025.
However – that’s in direct conflict with the documentation that was provided to Slowtwitch, dated in both May and June of this year, which USA Triathlon is sending out to race directors 30 days prior to their events. So…that’s fun.
I have to be Safe Sport Certified to be an admin on a registration system…and I’m nowhere near our athletes on any kind of regularity.
The problem is that the powers at be will also extend the “Safe Sports” issues (“Blue Card” as we have in Australia) to the other volunteers as well. How many events do you see children volunteering at aid stations alongside adults? Mark my words ,it will soon be deemed necessary that ALL adult volunteers be certified before they are allowed to interact in any way with children…and that means your Ironman aid stations.
The number of failed races will continue to climb with this extra hurdle to jump.
yep people even need a work with children check in order to go volunteer and give a talk to some kids at assembly at a regional high school about career paths…
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My mate in Cairns was asked if he had a Blue Card when he went to pick his kid up from school. The kid rocks up to his work van with a couple of little mates and says they want a ride home. A teacher stopped him but luckily, he has a Blue Card due to his owning local bike store and working with the junior cyclists in town.
That makes sense though? (0:45)
To be clear – minor abuse prevention policies are a net positive, especially given the number of cases across all of the Olympic movement sports (not just in the States, but you can get the full list of people suspended for SafeSport on their site and…uh…it’s large.)
We just moved to Oregon. Our daughter has started attending summer camps out here. For the first time ever, we’re asked to provide a physical photo ID to pick up our child. It’s…different.
For our youth triathlon, all our volunteers run through the YMCA we were partnered with – so they’ve had, at least, a background check. But if they had to do mandatory training on top of it, I’d imagine the only people who would volunteer on race day would be the four of us that put on the training program (all of whom had done SafeSport.)
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It’s been my experience parents will do anything for their kids, so if they had to do SS training to then help volunteer or even have the race……parents will do it (begrundingly, but parents will do a lot of pita things for kids generally). Especially if you know ahead of time the obligations. It’s also been my experience in youth triathlon that there are many more triathlons out there that don’t need/want federation sponsorship so don’t fall under these specific guielines…ie-YMCA sponsored race(s). Much greater portion of youth tris don’t fall under usat guidelines than likely AG adult races from what I’ve experienced.
So it would be adult volunteers at adult races where I think would be the issue, where someone would just not see through the requierent. People will imo do much more for kids than not.
1 hr is too much of a time suck? Come on.
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The local kids triathlon in my community sends out desperate pleas for volunteers every year (at least three in the weeks leading up to the race). They will even donate $50 to a charity (your choice) if you volunteer for four hours; that’s the level of need they have. Most of the volunteers seem to be adult triathletes or members of the community (vs parents who are understandably focused on their little competitor). Telling those volunteers that they also have to complete an hour long training course in the next week or less for the privilege of volunteering…good luck.
Many (most?) volunteers are volunteering once per year, so relatively speaking the 1hr training is a lot vs a coach who “amortizes” it over hundreds of hours of contact.
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For a lot of people it isn’t the hours that they will never get back it is the fact that they have to get into “The System”. Many just don’t want to have that issue to deal with.
That is the issue. Get a password, sign up for the course, do the questions at the end etc. It also seems somewhat performative. For coaches etc for sure a good idea make them aware of their obligations. I guess anyone can do a course does it mean they are going to change behaviour?
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I agree with you. Above i mentioned i dont think any of these volunteers should really be subject to SS training.
I was responding specifically about the one complaining the 18yo USAS registered swimmer being inconvenienced by a 1hr SS training. They are in the system, close contact participants, and quite frankly thats a real lazy statement. SS training is a drop in the bucket time-wise.