This is the safety vetting list. You walk to the registration table with it, you ask the twelve questions, and you watch how the league answers.

A league that answers cleanly is one that has thought about this. A league that gets vague, defensive, or treats it like paperwork is a yellow flag.

The twelve questions.

  1. Are your coaches SafeSport trained, and how recently? The U.S. Center for SafeSport sets the standard for NGB-affiliated youth sports. Annual refresh is the bar.

  2. Are background checks fingerprint-based or name-only? Fingerprint catches out-of-state convictions and name changes that name-based misses.

  3. Do you have a written emergency action plan posted at every field? An EAP names the closest hospital, the access point for EMS, and who calls 911. It should not live in a coach’s head.

  4. Where is the AED, and who on staff is certified to use it? Sudden cardiac arrest survival drops 7 to 10 percent every minute without defibrillation, per the American Heart Association.

  5. What is your concussion protocol, and is it written? CDC HEADS UP is the standard. Same-day removal, written clearance, six-step return.

  6. What is your heat policy, and do you use wet-bulb globe temperature? The Korey Stringer Institute’s WBGT thresholds are the published standard. Air temperature alone is not enough.

  7. What is your lightning policy, and how is it announced? The 30/30 rule and a clear all-clear procedure. Coaches should not be deciding mid-game.

  8. What is your one-on-one electronic communication policy for coaches? SafeSport’s expectation is that coaches do not DM minors privately. Group chats and parent-on-CC are appropriate.

  9. What is your hotel rooming and chaperone policy for travel? Same-room adult-and-minor pairings should not happen. Minors room with minors. Adults next door.

  10. What is the reporting process if a parent has a safety concern? An email address, a phone line, a designated person. Not “talk to the coach.”

  11. Who is the league’s designated safety lead, with name and email? Real person. Real contact info.

  12. Are these answers in writing, on the website, or in the season packet? Verbal yes is fine. Written yes is better.

What to do with this.

Print it. Take it to registration. Read it to the league rep. The conversation takes ten minutes. You walk away with a grade. The leagues that earn an A on this list are the ones that have done the work.