Education

Everyone has a role to play in preventing abuse, so it’s important to be trained on the signs of an abusive situation and your reporting obligations under federal law and national policy. The Rapids utilize a variety of educational resources at the Club – these resources are linked below.

U.S. Center for SafeSport’s SafeSport® Trained Curriculum: Adult participants at the Club are required by federal law and national policies to complete annual abuse prevention training through the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Learn more about the Center’s curriculum on their website or in the Club’s Training Policy.

If you are required to take the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s training as part of your role at the Rapids or a Rapids affiliate, please contact your organization for access instructions.

U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Audience-Specific Trainings: The Rapids have a duty under federal law to offer and provide audience-specific abuse prevention and response training to minor players and their parents. Further, research on abuse and harassment in the sport context has found that players with disabilities may be particularly vulnerable to abuse in sport and have highlighted the important role health professionals play in response to abuse and harassment. As a result, the Club offers specific training to Club representatives in these roles. You can read more about these audience-specific trainings offered by the U.S. Center for SafeSport on the Center’s website and in the Club’s Training Policy.

Coaching Boys into Men: Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) is an evidence-based violence prevention program that delivers short lessons to playersto promote respectful behavior among players and help prevent relationship abuse, harassment, and sexual assault. This training is required of the Club’s Homestay Plus Hosts who live in with adult players. You can learn more about the program on the CBIM website.

Additional Recommended Education Courses:

  • FIFA Guardians: The FIFA Guardians Safeguarding program provides soccer-specific training on establishing safe sport departments, policies, and reporting mechanisms for your sport organization. Learn more and take the free training on FIFA’s website here.
  • Mental Health First Aid: Mental health first aid is a national curriculum delivered by certified trainers that teaches you how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. This training helps people identify, understand, and respond to signs of addictions and mental illnesses. Learn more and register for a training on the Mental Health First Aid website here.

For more information on the Club’s approach to safe sport education, read our current Education Policy here.