Safe Sport

Safe Sport concerns or complaints may be made to Executive Director David Laing (604-586-3312 or davidlaing@baseball.bc.ca). For further details or alternative reporting options, please see our Safe Sport reporting policy.

Safe Sport Overview

Baseball BC believes that everyone in the sport has the right to enjoy the sport at whatever level or position they participate. Athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers have the right to participate in a safe and inclusive training environment that is free of abuse, harassment, and discrimination.

Baseball BC believes the welfare of everyone involved in the sport is the foremost consideration and in particular, the protection of children/athletes in the sport is the responsibility of each individual, member, and special interest group in the baseball community.  We are committed to being a leader in providing safe, healthy, and inclusive environments for all participants, at all levels of the game.

BASEBALL BC COMMITMENT

Baseball BC is committed to practicing Safe Sport and ensuring all participants are provided with safe, welcoming, and accessible sport environments, free from all forms of maltreatment.

OPERATIONAL STATEMENT

Baseball BC’s Safe Sport framework will focus on three key elements: Awareness, Prevention and Action - all of which are strongly supported by governance, policies and procedures. The objective of this framework is to ensure all Baseball BC members have access to the resources and support services they need to safely facilitate and participate in baseball specific programming.

POLICIES

1. Code of Conduct
2. Air Quality
3. Appeals
4. Concussions
5. Conflict of Interest
6. Discipline Policy
7. Dispute Resolution
8. Emergency Action Plan
9. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
10. Gender Equity
11. Harassment & Sexual Harassment
12. Hazing
13. Heat
14. Intimate Relationship 
15. Locker Room
16. Performance Enhancing Drugs
17. Personal Information Protection
18. Safe Sport Education & Orientation
19. Safe Sport Reporting
20. Screening
21. Severe Weather
22. Social Media
23. Substances
24. Travel
25. Whistle Blower

RESOURCE LIBRARY - A Collection of Resources to Support Safe Sport Implementation

1. Concussion Resources
2. Field Safety
3. General Injury Prevention
4. Hazing Prevention
5. Heat Related Injury Prevention
6. Helmet Safety 
7. Mental Health
8. Nutrition
9. Officials
10. Performance Enhancing Drugs Awareness & Prevention 
11. Preventing Arm Injuries
12. Preventing Overuse Injuries
13. Social Media Resources
14. Sun Safety

RECOGNIZING, RESPONDING to, and REPORTING

1. Commit to Kids: Helping Organizations Prevent Child Sexual Abuse 
2. The Canadian Sport Helpline
3. BC Helpline for Children
4. VictimLinkBC
5. Resilience BC

 

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RESOURCE LIBRARY - A Collection of Resources to Support Safe Sport Implementation

 

Concussion Resources (Click for pdf)

1) This is a link to Parachute, a Canadian charity specializing in injury prevention and a page titled, ‘Concussion’. Various concussion resources are available.

https://parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/concussion/

2) This is a link to the Canadian Centre for Disease Control website and a page titled, ‘HEADS UP To Youth Sports’. Various concussion resources are available specific to coaches, officials, parents, and young athletes.

https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/youthsports/index.html

3) The link below provides a concussion recognition tool referenced in Baseball BC’s concussion policy.

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/early/2017/04/26/bjsports-2017-097508CRT5.full.pdf

4) The link below provides a concussion assessment tool for athletes 13 years of age and older, referenced in Baseball BC’s concussion policy.

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/early/2017/04/26/bjsports-2017-097506SCAT5.full.pdf

5) The link below provides a concussion assessment tool for athletes 12 years of age and younger, referenced in Baseball BC’s concussion policy.

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/51/11/862.full.pdf

 

Field Safety (Click for pdf)

1) This is a link to a Little League document titled, ‘Checklist for Getting Your Fields Ready for the Season’. It containing a pre-season checklist of field safety items to consider.

https://www.littleleague.org/university/articles/checklist-for-getting-your-fields-ready-for-the-season/

2) This is a link to a video produced by Ewing Irrigation and Landscaping Supply titled, ‘Baseball Infield Skin and Lip Maintenance’. The video explains how to remove infield lips which present a safety hazard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R60Jk_aohxA

 

General Injury Prevention (Click for pdf)

1) This link is to Kids Health’s webpage and a page titled, ‘Five Ways to Prevent Sports Injuries’. The page discusses the importance of safety equipment, warm-up, knowledge of rules, being aware of others, and not playing when injured.  

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/sport-safety.html

2) This link is to Safe Sports Worldwide’s webpage and a page titled, ‘Sports Safety Tips’. The page presents several recommendations to parents for reducing preventable injuries in youth athletes.

https://www.safekids.org/tip/sports-safety-tips

3) This is a link to the Andrews Institute website and a page titled, ‘5 Tips for Baseball Injury Prevention’. The page discusses the importance of physical exams, warm-up & stretching, equipment, using the correct technique, and creating a safe physical environment.

http://www.andrewsinstitute.com/news/injuryprevention/articles.aspx?id=40113861

4) This is a link to an Andrews Institute website and an article titled, ‘Assessing Sprains, Strains, and Fractures’. The page presents information for non-medial personal to use when making an initial injury assessment.

http://www.andrewsinstitute.com/injuryprevention/safety/default.aspx?ContentID=100132

5) This is a link to a video produced by USA Baseball and presented by Dr. Marc Richard titled, ‘Blisters’. Dr Richard is a surgeon at Duke University. He suggests that blisters are becoming a more common baseball injury and presents information about how blisters occur and how they can be prevented.

https://www.usabdevelops.com/USAB/Blog/Blisters.aspx

6) This is a link to a USA Baseball website and an article titled, ‘The Use of Ice and Heat’. The article presents safety tips for using heat and ice to treat discomfort and injury.

https://www.usabdevelops.com/USAB/Blog/Ice_Heat.aspx

 

Hazing Prevention (Click for pdf)

1) This is an extensive Hazing Prevention Handbook published by the NCAA specific to college sport. It focuses on awareness, education, and the role of all stakeholders (coaches, athletes, administration) in preventing hazing.

https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/hazing%20prevention%20handbook%2057315.pdf

2) This is a link to a short academic article by Kayla Smith, a PhD candidate at the University of Colorado titled, ‘Coaches Effect on Hazing and Their Power to Prevent Hazing’. The article presents the position that coaches are in a unique position to prevent hazing from occurring.

https://hazingprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-Resource-Guide-Article-Kayla-Smith-Coaches-Effect-on-Hazing-and-Their-Power-to-Prevent-Hazing.pdf

3) This is a link to an article written by Travis Apgar titled, ‘Active Bystanders Can Prevent Hazing’. The article proposes that many individuals have difficulty recognizing hazing and do not know what actions they can take and suggests a bystander intervention training model to teach individuals how to respond to hazing.

https://hazingprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/Active-bystanders-can-prevent-hazing.pdf

 

Heat Related Injury Prevention (Click for pdf)

1) This is a Baseball Canada document titled, ‘Avoiding and Preventing Heat Related Injuries When Playing Baseball’. It includes education on identifying risk factors and symptoms of heat related injuries.

https://www.baseball.ca/uploads/files/Avoiding%20and%20Preventing%20Heat%20Related%20injuries%20While%20playing%20Baseball.pdf

2) This is a link to True Sport’s website and a page titled, ‘Heat Illness: Keeping Youth Athletes Safe’. The webpage explains the progression from dehydration, to heat exhaustion, and finally to heat stroke. Strategies for preventing, treating, and returning to play after heat illness are presented.

https://truesport.org/hydration/heat-illness-youth-sports/

3) This a link to the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s website and a page titled, ‘Hydration and Heat Illness’. The page identifies signs and symptoms of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke and recommends actions for each.

https://www.mhsaa.com/Schools/Health-Safety-Resources/Hydration-and-Heat-Illness

4) This is a Baseball Canada publication titled, ‘Play it a Shade Safer When Watching or Playing Sports’. The one-page document focuses on strategies such as clothing and sunscreen.

https://www.baseball.ca/uploads/files/Sun%20Safety%20EN.pdf

 

Helmet Safety (Click for pdf)

1) This is a link to Dick’s Sporting Goods’ website and a page titled, ‘How to Buy a Batting Helmet for Baseball Season’. The page provides extensive information about batting helmet including safety features, maintenance, sizing, and fit.

https://protips.dickssportinggoods.com/sports-and-activities/baseball/buy-batting-helmet-baseball-season

2) This a link to a Little League article titled, ‘Modifying Helmets with Different Attachments: What You Need to Know’. The article discusses newly developed helmet attachments and proper installation techniques.

https://www.littleleague.org/playing-rules/modifying-helmets-with-additional-attachments/

 

Mental Health (Click for pdf)

1) Mental Health and Sport Resource and Event Hub - Coaching Association of Canada

2) This is a link to a Ted Talk presented by Victoria Garrick titled, ‘Athletes and Mental Health: The Hidden Opponent’ Victoria Garrick, a member of the USC’s volleyball team. Her presentation focuses on stress and anxiety related to performance and specifically the challenge of balancing the schedule of a student-athlete. While the presentation is aimed at the college level it is transferable to 18U athletes, coaches, and parents, particularly those in the high-performance stream.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdk7pLpbIls

3) This is a link to the Skyland Trail’s website and an article titled, ‘What Parents Should Know about Youth Athletes and Mental Health’. The article presents both the mental health benefits and risks in youth sports.

https://www.skylandtrail.org/what-parents-should-know-about-youth-athletics-and-mental-health/

4) This is a link to USports’, ‘2020 Mental Health Manual’. The manual presents best practice ideas for supporting the mental health of high-performance athletes.

https://usports.ca/uploads/hq/Medical/USports_mentalHealthDoc_2020_EN_digital.pdf

5) This is a link to a Ted Talk presented by Travis Dorsch titled, ‘Sport and the Commodification of America’s Youth’ Travis Dorsch is a former NFL draft pick who is now an expert in sports psychology at Utah State University. His presentation argues that because of the financial investment parents are now making in their children’s athletic pursuits, many parents expect a return on that investment in terms of a college scholarship or professional success. Dorsch presents research suggesting that athletes of parents who have the highest levels of financial investment feel more pressure to succeed, enjoy sports less, and are less likely to continue playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcxiKP8ONkg

 

Nutrition (Click for pdf)

1) This is a link to the National Center for Sport Safety website and a page titled, ‘Comp(EAT) to Achieve’. The page, which includes a video, suggests that nutrition is an important factor in preventing sports injuries and presents nutritional tips for sports.

https://sportssafety.org/nutrition/

2) This is a link to a Benioff Children’s Hospital Power Point presentation titled, ‘Nutrition & Hydration Tips for Athletes’. The presentation emphasizes the need for teaching athletes about nutrition and comprehensively covers the topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5zVnGVAcN8

3) This is a link to the United States Anti-Doping Agency website and a page titled, ‘Fluids & Hydration’. Tips for preventing dehydration in athletes are presented.

https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/nutrition/fluids-and-hydration/#:~:text=The%20athlete%20should%20drink%207,at%2015%2D20%20minute%20intervals.

4) With so much information about Energy Drinks, it's often hard to know the truth about them.  This link offers a perspective...

The Health Risks of Energy Drinks | Main Street Children’s Dentistry & Orthodontics (mainstreetsmiles.com)

 

 

Officials (Click for pdf)

1) This is a link to Umpire Attire’s website and a page titled, ‘Injury Prevention and Recovery: The Essential Umpire Safety PSAS’. There is a comprehensive listing of links related to umpire safety including equipment, heat, concussion, and recovery.

https://www.ump-attire.com/Blog/Injury-Prevention-Recovery-The-Essential-Umpire-Safety-PSAs

2) This is a link to Arbiter Sports’ website and an article titled, ‘Working the Slot’. The article explains the importance of working the plate from the slot to reduce the potential for injury.

https://sup.arbitersports.com/Groups/104484/Library/files/Working%20the%20Slot.pdf

 

Performance Enhancing Drugs Awareness & Prevention

1) This is a link to the Mayo Clinic’s website and a page titled, ‘Performance Enhancing Drugs and Young Athletes’. The page identifies commonly used PEDs, their potential hazards, and ways in which parents can help prevent their use.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/performance-enhancing-drugs/art-20046620

2) This is a link to Maryville University’s website and a page titled, ‘Understanding and Preventing Steroid Abuse in Sports’. The page identifies the hazards of steroid use and is particularly detailed in providing information on how to recognize athletes who may be using steroids.

https://online.maryville.edu/online-bachelors-degrees/sport-business-management/understanding-and-preventing-steroid-abuse-in-sports/

 

Preventing Arm Injuries (Click for pdf)

1) This is a link to Baseball Canada’s pitch count rules.

https://www.baseball.ca/uploads/files/2018%20Arm%20Smart%20(Pitch%20Count)%20(Eng).pdf

2) This is a link to the Andrews Institute website and a page titled, ‘Baseball Common Injuries and Prevention Tips’. The page provides recommendations for preventing overuse arm injuries.

http://www.andrewsinstitute.com/InjuryPrevention/Baseball/

3) This is a link to Major League Baseball’s, ‘Pitch Smart’ program. A variety of resources are available including guidelines and recommendations. Interviews with current and former pitchers are included.

https://www.mlb.com/pitch-smart

4) This is an article from USA Baseball titled, ‘Eight Essentials of Pitching Recovery’. It makes a variety of recommendations about what pitchers should do after an outing.

https://www.usabdevelops.com/USAB/Blog/Eight_Essentials_Pitching_Recovery.aspx

5) This a link to a Ted Talk by Dr. Nikhil Verma, titled, ‘A Dangerous Game: The Truth About Youth Sports’. Dr. Verma is the Head Team Physician for the Chicago White Sox. His presentation focuses on Tommy John surgery and discusses how the surgery was initially intended for professional athletes and has become commonplace for youth. He presents data to suggest single sport specialization is a contributing factor to arm injuries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Slxq7qajs

6) This is a link to an action research project titled, ‘Arm Injuries Suffered by Youth Baseball Pitchers: Solving the Problem in the BC Minor League’ written by Kyle Williams. The academic thesis documents the implementation of pitch count rules combined with education for parents, coaches, and athletes, within BC Minor in 2010.  

For Pitcher's Arms Everywhere

 

Preventing Overuse Injuries (Click for pdf)

1) This is a link to the Mayo Clinic’s website and a page titled, ‘Overuse Injury: How to Prevent Training Injuries’. The page discusses causes, prevention, and recovery from overuse injuries.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/overuse-injury/art-20045875

2) This is a link to Sports Med’s website and an article titled, ‘Conversation Starters – When Play is Too Much’. It presents recommendations for parents on how to lookout for and communicate with children about overuse injuries.

https://www.sportsmed.org/aossmimis/STOP/Prevent_Injuries/Revised/Parents_Play%20Is%20Too%20Much.pdf

3) This is a link to Sports Med’s website and an article titled, ‘How to Prevent and Spot Overuse Injuries in Kids’. The article identifies signs of overuse injuries and suggests strategies for preventing them.  

https://www.sportsmed.org/aossmimis/STOP/Prevent_Injuries/Revised/Parents_Overuse%20Injuries.pdf

4) This is a link to a Ted Talk presented by Dr. Matt Roth titled, ‘Rethinking Youth Sports’. Dr Roth is a sports medicine physician. His presentation links the shift to athletes participating in a single sport with mental health issues and overuse injuries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTTSYHGxPU4

 

Social Media Resources (Click for pdf)

1) This is a link to a Viasport article titled, ’12 Ways for Athletes to Find Social Media Success’. The article makes recommendations to athletes on how to achieve social media success.

https://www.viasport.ca/social-media-toolkit/12-ways-for-athletes-to-find-social-media-success

2) This is a link to a Viasport article titled, ‘Social Media 101 for Coaches’. The article makes recommendations for coaches on how to use social media effectively and safely.

https://www.viasport.ca/social-media-toolkit/Social-media-101-for-coaches

 

Sun Safety (Click for pdf)

 

RECOGNIZING, RESPONDING to, and REPORTING

Commit to Kids: Helping Organizations Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (commit2kids.ca)

THE CANADIAN SPORT HELPLINE

1-888-837-7678 – info@abuse-free-sport.ca – http://abuse-free-sport.ca/en/

The helpline will provide you with advice, guidance and resources on how to proceed/intervene appropriately in the circumstances.

• B.C. Helpline for Children – a confidential toll-free phone line for children and youth wanting to talk to someone – is 310-1234 (no area code required).
• VictimLinkBC is a toll-free, confidential, multilingual telephone and online service available across B.C. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week which provides information and referral services to all victims of crime and immediate crisis support to victims of family and sexual violence.
• Resilience BC: Anti-Racism Network provides information about how to report incidences of racism and hate crimes if you are a victim or witness such incidences.

 

Safe Sport concerns or complaints may be made to Executive Director David Laing (604-586-3312 or davidlaing@baseball.bc.ca). For further details or alternative reporting options, please see our Safe Sport reporting policy.

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