Transportation & Lodging
Policies to Make Traveling and Competing Away from Home Safer
Every sport, from curling to climbing, requires travel. Whether athletes are traveling within town to attend a local game, meet, or competition or they’re traveling away from home, transportation and lodging are often unavoidable aspects of sport. To keep athletes safe while on the road, the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) set requirements that Adult Participants1 must follow when accompanying Minor Athletes2 within the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement during instances of transportation and lodging.
Getting to the Event: Understanding the MAAPP Transportation Policy
Coaches play a key role in leading athletes. They support athletes from the sidelines during practices and games, and they often accompany athletes to and from events. Whether they’re riding on the same bus, driving athletes via car, or accompanying them by plane, there are policies Adult Participants must follow to help keep Minor Athletes safe.
When an Adult Participant—like a coach, assistant coach, or adult volunteer—travels with Minor Athletes, there are a few guidelines they must follow:
- All In-Program Contact during transportation must be observable and interruptible.
- To meet the requirement above, an Adult Participant (like a coach) needs to be accompanied by another Adult Participant (like an adult assistant coach) when traveling with Minor Athletes.
- An Adult Participant can also meet the requirement above by traveling with at least two minors who are 8 years old or older.
Note: For a refresher on what observable and interruptible means, check out our third MAAPP series article,
Let’s explore how this transportation policy applies to sport:
Example: A USA Speedskating coach is driving to a competition with members of their team. There is no other Adult Participant present in the car, but the coach is driving four Minor Athletes who are between the ages of 11 and 13.
This instance of In-Program transportation would be considered observable and interruptible because the coach (an Adult Participant) is traveling with more than two minor athletes present and the athletes are over the age of 8 years old.
Important! Written parent/guardian consent is required for all transportation authorized or funded by an NGB, LAO, or the USOPC. This consent must be given annually, and it can be withdrawn by the parent/guardian at any time.
An Adult Participant may also receive advance written consent from the Minor Athlete’s parent/guardian to transport the Minor Athlete one-on-one. This consent must be given annually and can be withdrawn by the parent/guardian at any time.
Keep in mind that there are exceptions to the MAAPP Required Prevention Policies, which may also apply to the transportation policy. Explore the list of exceptions in our second MAAPP series article.
Staying Overnight: What Is the MAAPP Policy on Lodging?
Competing away from home often requires overnight lodging where youth athletes are traveling with their coach and team—not their parents or guardians. The MAAPP sets rules for sleeping arrangements and room monitoring to help protect athletes while competing away from home.
Let’s go over the guidelines Adult Participants should be aware of:
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Observable and Interruptible: All In-Program Contact during lodging must be observable and interruptible (unless an exception exists).
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Sleeping arrangements: Adult Participants cannot share a hotel room or sleep in the same room with a Minor Athlete (unless an exception exists).
Important! If an exception exists, the Minor Athlete’s parent or guardian must provide advance written consent to the Organization or Adult Participant for each specific lodging/sleeping arrangement.
- Room checks: At least two Adult Participants must be present for any room checks.
- Training: Adult Participants traveling overnight with Minor Athletes must comply with the Center’s Education and Training Policy (this excludes athletes who meet the exception).
Important! Written parent/guardian consent must be obtained by the Organization or the Adult Participant for all In-Program lodging. This consent must be given annually and can be withdrawn by the parent/guardian at any time.
You might be wondering: What type of lodging arrangements does the policy cover? The MAAPP lodging policy covers overnight stays in hotels, rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.), long-term residential environments—like during training camps or billeting—and other similar lodging arrangements.
Let’s explore how this transportation policy applies to sport:
Example: A USA Gymnastics team is traveling to an away competition with their coach and assistant coach. The athletes are 14-16 years old. Everyone will be staying at a hotel near the competition location, with minor athletes paired up in rooms and Adult Participants in separate rooms. Each night, the coach and the assistant coach conduct room checks together to make sure all athletes are accounted for.
This In-Program Contact is observable and interruptible and complies with the MAAPP lodging policy. The minor athletes and Adult Participants are staying in separate rooms, and two Adult Participants are present for room checks.
MAAPP Lodging Policy and Billeting: What to Know
The MAAPP lodging policy also applies to billeting. Billeting is a unique, long-term lodging arrangement where a Minor Athlete temporarily lives in a private home with an unrelated family or adult. This lodging arrangement is related to participation in sport and is organized by an NGB, LAO, or Adult Participant.
While billeting involves living in and sharing common spaces with unrelated adults, there are ways to minimize or mitigate possible one-on-one interactions.
The MAAPP limits one-on-one interactions between Adult Participants and Minor Athletes—including in the billet home. And all adults in a billet home are considered Adult Participants. While some one-on-one interaction between a minor athlete and a billet parent may be unavoidable, adults in a billet home should make every effort to limit these interactions.
Follow these helpful guidelines:
- Always interact with the minor athlete in common spaces where another family member is present, like the living room or kitchen.
- No one-on-one interactions in private spaces, like bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Plan family meals together rather than eating alone with the minor athlete.
- Make interactions observable and interruptible by creating a line of sight, for example opening a door.
- When communicating electronically, always include the player’s parent, guardian, or another Adult Participant, like an assistant coach.
Let’s explore two examples related to billeting and sport:
Example: A billet parent is preparing dinner in the kitchen when the minor athlete returns home from practice early. The billet parent offers the athlete a snack and lets them know that dinner will be in 30 minutes when the rest of the family returns home. The billet athlete rests in their room and returns to the common area when the rest of the family arrives home for a family dinner.
While this interaction does not follow the MAAPP lodging policy, due to the one-on-one interaction between the billet parent and the Minor Athlete, the billet parent made every reasonable effort to avoid the one-on-one interaction. The billet parent planned a family meal, where others would be present, and the billet athlete enjoyed some down time in their room while they waited for dinner. The one-on-one interaction was limited and unavoidable. These types of one-on-one interactions may still occur but should be the exception rather than the rule.
Example: A Minor Athlete is in their bedroom, and they need help changing a bandage. The billet parent asks the athlete to come down to the kitchen, where other family members are present. There, they help the minor athlete put a new bandage on.
This interaction complies with the MAAPP lodging policy and is observable and interruptible. Rather than entering the bedroom, the Adult Participant asks the minor athlete to come to a common area where other family members are present.
lodging and transportation policy
Explore more information around the MAAPP’s lodging and transportation policy. Check out lodging and transportation video below.
Disclaimers
1 Adult Participant: Any adult (18 years of age or older) who is: a. A member or license holder of an NGB, LAO, or USOPC; b. An employee or board member of an NGB, LAO, or USOPC; c. Within the governance or disciplinary jurisdiction of an NGB, LAO, or USOPC; d. Authorized, approved, or appointed by an NGB, LAO, or USOPC to have regular contact with or authority over minor athletes.*
*This may include volunteers, medical staff, trainers, chaperones, monitors, contract personnel, bus/van drivers, officials, adult athletes, staff, board members, and any other individual who meets the Adult Participant definition.
2A Minor Athlete is an amateur athlete under 18 years of age who participates in, or participated within the previous 12 months in, an event, program, activity, or competition that is part of, or partially or fully under the jurisdiction of, an NGB, USOPC, or LAO.†
†This term shall also include any minor who participates in, or participated within the previous 12 months in, a non-athlete role partially or fully under the jurisdiction of an NGB, USOPC, or LAO. Examples include, but are not limited to: officials, coaches, or volunteers.
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