Safeguard-Me Blog 2026

Beyond the Basics of Safeguarding in Youth Sports

2025-12-17 20:12

Don't leave anything hidden in your locker

Youth sport has its own safeguarding pressure points: physical contact, changing areas, power dynamics, parent behaviour, and blurred boundaries online. But it goes deeper than that so we're going to cover:
  • How to make changing rooms safer;
  • What “appropriate contact” looks like in coaching;
  • Preventing abuse of power and favouritism;
  • Handling parent conduct and touchline conflict;
  • Social media and messaging boundaries; and
  • How to align with sports governing body standards.

As usual, we've provided a number of different Q&As along the way to help answer and troublesome areas.

Would your club’s safeguarding still stand up if someone asked, “Why did you allow that?”

Most safeguarding failures in sport aren’t dramatic — they’re gradual. A bit of blurred contact. A bit of private messaging. A bit of “that’s just how coaching is”. The fix isn’t paranoia. It’s clarity.

1) Changing rooms: the highest-risk space in sport

Changing areas are where privacy, supervision, and vulnerability collide.

Safer changing room principles

  • Avoid 1:1 situations in changing areas wherever possible
  • Clear adult presence: staff positioned at entrances rather than inside (where appropriate)
  • Staggered changing for mixed ages or mixed groups
  • Separate spaces for different age groups when you can
  • No phones/cameras rule (and enforce it)

Practical policy that actually works

  • Publish a simple changing room code of conduct
  • Brief it at registration, not after an incident
  • Record breaches consistently in digital safeguarding records

2) Physical contact in coaching: clear, teachable boundaries

Coaching often requires demonstration, spotting, or first aid — but “normal” can drift.

What good looks like

  • Contact is necessary, proportionate, and explained
  • Ask permission where appropriate (“Is it ok if I adjust your stance?”)
  • Use same-gender support where possible for sensitive situations
  • Prefer demonstration over hands-on correction when you can

Red flags to take seriously

  • Contact that’s secretive, frequent, or framed as “special coaching”
  • A coach insisting on 1:1 sessions without transparency
  • A child showing discomfort but feeling unable to say no

3) Abuse of power: it’s not always obvious

Sport has built-in hierarchy: selection, playing time, praise, and access to opportunities.

Where power can be misused

  • Favouritism and “special treatment”
  • Punishment through exclusion or humiliation
  • Pressure to train through injury
  • Emotional manipulation (“If you tell anyone, you’ll ruin the team”)
  • Hiding behind "this is banter" or "team bonding"

Safeguarding controls that reduce risk

  • Transparent selection criteria
  • Two-adult rule for sensitive conversations
  • Clear complaints pathway for athletes and parents
  • Regular supervision and observation of coaching practice

4) Parent behaviour: safeguarding isn’t just about staff

Touchline behaviour can become a safeguarding issue fast.

Common problems

  • Aggression towards officials or children
  • Public shaming (“You’re useless!”)
  • Over-involvement and boundary pushing
  • Conflict with other parents

What to put in place

  • Parent code of conduct with consequences
  • A named matchday welfare lead
  • A simple escalation script for staff (“We need you to step back now…”)
  • Clear incident logging in digital safeguarding records

5) Social media boundaries: where most clubs get caught out

The risk isn’t just content — it’s access.

Safer digital comms rules

  • No private 1:1 messaging with children (use group channels / parents copied)
  • Use club-approved platforms and accounts
  • Keep messages factual: logistics, not emotional support
  • Don’t comment on a child’s body, appearance, or “maturity”

Photos and video

  • Clear consent process
  • Purpose-limited use (what it’s for, where it’s posted)
  • No tagging children publicly where avoidable

6) Governing body standards: align without drowning in admin

Most sports have safeguarding guidance — the win is turning it into daily habits.

Make standards operational

  • Induction briefing for every coach and volunteer
  • Role clarity: who is the welfare lead, who escalates, who records
  • Training refreshers before peak seasons
  • Clear DBS check visibility for regulated roles

How safeguarding software helps clubs and academies

Sport is busy, volunteer-led, and often multi-site.
Safeguarding software supports:
  • Centralised checks and DBS check status visibility
  • Consistent incident and concern logging via digital safeguarding records
  • Cleaner handovers between teams, venues, and welfare leads
  • Faster evidence when funders, schools, or local authorities ask

Q&A: common safeguarding questions in youth sport

Q1: Are changing rooms always a safeguarding risk?

They’re a higher-risk environment because of privacy and vulnerability. Clear rules, supervision at entrances, and no-phone policies reduce risk.

Q2: Is physical contact allowed in coaching?

Sometimes it’s necessary, but it must be explained, proportionate, and never secretive. Prefer demonstration and keep boundaries consistent.

Q3: What do we do about a parent who keeps shouting at children?

Treat it as a welfare issue. Use your code of conduct, intervene early, and escalate if it continues. Record incidents in digital safeguarding records.

Q4: Can coaches message players directly?

Best practice is to avoid 1:1 messaging. Use group channels, copy parents/guardians where appropriate, and keep comms logistical.

Q5: How do we stop “favouritism” becoming a safeguarding issue?

Make selection criteria transparent, avoid private 1:1 access, and ensure concerns can be raised safely.

Q6: What evidence should we keep for safeguarding in sport?

Codes of conduct, training records, incident logs, and clear DBS checks visibility. Safeguarding software helps keep it all in one place.

Quick checklist: safer youth sport

  • Changing room rules are clear and enforced
  • Contact boundaries are taught and consistent
  • Power dynamics are managed through transparency
  • Parent conduct is addressed early and logged
  • Social media rules prevent private access
  • Incidents recorded in digital safeguarding records