A: The definition of “standard of care” for a youth sport organization refers to the degree of attentiveness, caution and prudence that a reasonable person in the circumstance of providing such activity would exercise. There are decades of expert opinions and publication of model policies and practices promulgated by national sport governance organizations that inform those conducting sports programs of their obligations to anticipate and prevent coach sexual abuse and harassment, physical and emotional abuse, bullying by coaches or bullying or hazing by other participants, and coach boundary behaviors that are predicates to sexual assault and misconduct. If sport programs fail to install and enforce such policies and practices and fail to educate coaches, staff, athletes and parents of their existence, importance and need to report violations, and harm occurs to participants because of such failures, litigation will be a probable result.
-- SMR assisted in the development of and strongly recommends the model policies and practices and athlete/parent educational materials contained at Safe4Athletes.org.