i-Protect aims to help your club develop and implement a holistic and comprehensive child safeguarding strategy, in which you have a part to play.

This is the first general course aimed at all adults involved in the i-Protect Programme. It includes some general remarks, a glossary section and an introduction to the 10 key messages to be worked with the children in the club setting.

Child safeguarding is every adult’s responsibility and we want you in our team. The i-Protect Team.

In this course, “How to create a safe coaching environment for children in sport,” we explore some ideas concerning how sport can be safe for children and young people, and how a coach can contribute to this.

As a coach, you have a lot of power; both ‘positional’ power, and ‘expert’ power. Accordingly, there is a large power difference in the relationship between you and the children you are coaching. The young athletes are not only dependent on you, they usually also have complete trust in you. It is therefore important to be aware that if this power is misused, it can lead to exploitative relationships that can have a detrimental impact on the children’s future development.

The learning objectives of this course are:

• To understand what safe sport means for a coach
• To understand what child abuse is from the perspective of a coach
• To understand how coaches can safeguard and protect children in sport
• To explore what coaches can do to stay safe

This course aims at providing you with information on how to respond to a child disclosing concerns or allegations of violence or abuse against him/herself or against another child. Research suggests that the perpetrators of violence against children in sport can be both men and women; coaches, athletes, medical staff, volunteers, etc; but also children and young people. In some countries, there is a legal requirement to report concerns about allegations of violence against children.

On completion of this course, coaches will gain knowledge and draw practical applications about:

• What child abuse in sport is
• What we know about child abuse in sport
• The impact and signs of child abuse
• The preventing of child abuse in sport
• Actions taken against child abuse in sport

Physical activity is good for children (and adults) not only because of health reasons, but also because of mental, social, emotional and cognitive benefits. But participating in these activities does not guarantee positive outcomes. Adults and clubs involved in the sport need to set good examples and behaviours that will lead to positive sport environments. 

Sport and physical activity promote social and core values that are key to a child’s development.

Adults must always be an example of good behaviour so that these values can be learned through sport.

Thanks to sport and physical activity children will:

• Improve their health and physical skills
• Learn cooperation and self-control
• Deal with success and failure
• Acquire coping mechanisms and leadership skills
• Develop autonomous decision-making and risk-taking
• Minimize feelings of isolation
• Increase self-confidence
• Gain feelings of acceptance and respect 

When participation in physical activities “fun” acts as the main motivator for children. 

Fun increases: 

• Joyful experiences 
• Participation in physical activity