How To Support Your Child as They Grow Their Social Circle

Parents, how do you keep your child safe in sport as they grow their social circle? Read the article for helpful tips and resources.

From teachers to coaches to peers of all ages, children are constantly expanding their social circle. This is a common and healthy way to form new relationships with those around them. And it’s an important step in your child’s social development, rooted in self-confidence and individuation.

Yet, with a wider social circle comes more unknowns. Joining a new sports team, for example, means your child is suddenly surrounded by coaches, sports administrators, and volunteers who you may have never met before.

So, how do you support your child as they widen their social network and help ensure their safety? Read on for helpful tips, resources, and one essential tool to have on hand.

Recognizing Positive Environments

Parents and guardians want the best for their children. But how can you make sure the interactions and connections that your child is making with others, especially adults, are based on kindness and respect?

When coaches care about the well-being of all athletes they interact and communicate in ways that role model respect and compassion. For example, coaches who value supportive sport environments encourage athletes who are injured to come to practices and games to cheer on their teammates. Rather than exclude injured athletes from team events, effective coaches celebrate the positive effect these athletes have on the team’s dynamic.

As a parent or guardian, you are your child’s greatest resource. Understanding what abuse and misconduct is and how to address it if it occurs can help you support your child or teen as they navigate new relationships. SafeSport Ready™, an educational mobile app created by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, offers tools and resources to support parents and guardians—including SafeSport’s searchable Centralized Disciplinary Database (CDD).

Check Your Child’s Coach or Sport

Starting a sport or joining a team are big firsts for kids and they come with lots of anticipation, excitement, and connection with new adults and peers. During this time of growth and social development, the Centralized Disciplinary Database (CDD) can be a helpful tool.

SafeSport maintains the CDD to make information available about certain individuals connected to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement. People listed in the CDD are either under temporary restrictions pending an investigation or have been sanctioned after an investigation found they violated the SafeSport Code.

If you have a child who plays a youth sport, take a moment to download SafeSport Ready and explore the CDD to find out if their coach is under any form of temporary or permanent restriction within the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement. Search for the name of an adult who interacts with your child—or you can search or sport.

Lastly, when conducting a search, remember to take a breath and practice self-care. SafeSport’s What If I Recognize a Name in the CDD? resource helps parents and guardians understand how to react and what to do next if a familiar name pops up in their search results.

Stay Aware and Informed

At all ages, children are expanding their social circle. From playdates in early childhood to spending more time with peers during adolescence, their network of friends and adults is constantly growing and shifting.

As a parent or guardian, encouraging social connections is important. But so is being aware and informed. Having the tools and resources you need to help support your child’s social development in a healthy way can reduce feelings of stress and worry—and can help everyone understand what a safe, healthy, and positive social environment looks like.

Download the SafeSport Ready app to have the CDD and other helpful resources on hand when you need them most.