USATF requires all volunteers at any of its National, Regional, and Association events to be USATF 3-Step Safe Sport Compliant. A compliant individual has: 1) obtained a current USATF membership; 2) completed and passed the annual USATF background screen (including agreeing to any acknowledgements of the USATF Safe Sport Handbook as well as agreeing to abide by the respective code of conduct); and, 3) completed SafeSport training. In certain limited circumstances, USATF will allow the use of a restricted volunteer waiver.
The Restricted Volunteer Waiver is a program created by the National Office to allow for casual, event-support volunteers to serve in roles NOT considered positions of authority, without regular contact to athletes, and/or who otherwise are in an observable and interruptible distance from another adult. By signing the Restricted Volunteer Waiver, the volunteer is acknowledging USATF’s Safe Sport policies and procedures, including the Safe Sport Handbook and reporting requirements.
The Restricted Volunteer Waiver is available for use at Regional and Association events. It cannot be used at third-party sanctioned events.
Event directors/Association leadership may utilize this waiver for volunteers who are not working in a position of authority, who do not have regular contact with athletes, and/or who otherwise are in an observable and interruptible distance from another adult, and when volunteers are not USATF 3-Step Safe Sport compliant. If a volunteer is working in a position of authority, does have regular contact with athletes, and/or who otherwise is not in an observable and interruptible distance from another adult, event directors/Association leadership may not use a waiver to allow this individual to volunteer, and must ensure this volunteer is USATF 3-Step Safe Sport compliant (defined above) before the individual volunteers at an event.
A volunteer may work up to three times within a calendar year under these conditions. If a volunteer wishes to volunteer more than three times in a calendar year, he/she must become USATF 3-Step Safe Sport compliant (defined above) before working his/her fourth event.
Volunteers using the Restricted Volunteer Waiver will be easily identified by wearing a red wristband, provided to the volunteer by the event director. The volunteer must wear the wristband for the duration of the event.
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What is the restricted volunteer waiver program?
The Restricted Volunteer Waiver is a program created by the National Office to allow for casual, event-support volunteers to serve in roles NOT considered positions of authority, without regular contact to athletes, and/or who otherwise are in an observable and interruptible distance from another adult.
A volunteer working in the abovementioned capacity will be able to volunteer up to three times within a calendar year under this waiver program. Event directors/Association leadership will provide the waiver to the volunteer (along with an accompanying information sheet). The volunteer must complete the waiver and return it to the event director/Association leader before beginning his/her duties. When the waiver is returned to the event director/Association leader and verified against a state-issued ID for accuracy, the volunteer will be provided a wristband to be worn during the duration of the event. The event director/Association leader must designate on the waiver which wristband (by serial number) was distributed to the volunteer. The volunteer will be required to wear the wristband throughout the entirety of the event. The volunteer will be permitted to work in positions listed in 1(a). Once the meet/event has concluded, event directors/Association leaders should upload the waivers into USATF’s volunteer management system, where they may be reviewed for compliance by the National Office.
This is a document created by the National Office to educate volunteers on Safe Sport at USATF. It also provides information on conduct and behavior to look for while volunteering with USATF, and what to do if they observe behavior that may be reportable to the U.S. Center for SafeSport or USATF. Athlete safety is of utmost importance to USATF, so it is very important that volunteers receive this information sheet and understand the contents therein.
If your volunteer is working in a position of authority, has regular contact with athletes, or will be volunteering in a position that is not in an observable distance from another adult, then this volunteer is not permitted to work under the Restricted Volunteer Waiver Program and would need to be USATF 3-Step Safe Sport Compliant before volunteering. A compliant individual has: 1) obtained a current USATF membership; 2) completed and pass an annual USATF background screen (and agreeing to acknowledgements therein); and 3) completed SafeSport training.
The waiver and wristbands will be mailed to Associations by the National Office. Volunteers will obtain waivers and wristbands from event directors/Association leaders.
By signing the Restricted Volunteer Waiver, the volunteer is acknowledging USATF’s Safe Sport policies and procedures, including the Safe Sport Handbook and reporting requirements. The accompanying information sheet will also provide information on how/when to report, and other information relating to Safe Sport at USATF.
This waiver can be used at USATF Regional, and Association meets. It cannot be used in National or third-party sanctioned events.
Volunteers are permitted to work under this waiver a maximum of three times in a calendar year. If wishing to volunteer a fourth or more times, the volunteer must become USATF 3-Step Safe Sport Compliant (meaning the volunteer must 1) obtain a USATF membership; 2) pass a USATF background screen (and agree to the acknowledgements therein); and, 3) complete SafeSport training).
Webinars will be held detailing how to use USATF’s volunteer management system. Thereafter, new event directors/Association leadership will be provided a step-by-step instruction on how to use the system. To import volunteers, event directors/Association leadership will upload (scan or take a photo of) waivers and submit them to their proper Association’s event listed on the volunteer management system. Event directors/Association leadership should retain copies of these waivers for seven years after the conclusion of their event.
Event directors/Association leadership may not substitute wristbands for those provided by the National Office. The wristbands the National Office supplies are unique in creation and distribution. Contact usatfsafesport@usatf.org if you require wristbands in addition to those that were originally distributed to you. A process for ordering more wristbands will also be provided by the National Office at the appropriate time.
Please submit all questions to usatfsafesport@usatf.org. More information will be made available on USATF’s website as necessary.