As a fresh hockey season hits full stride across community rinks nationwide, parents like Diane Matheson from Kamloops are asking tougher questions about the environments their children compete in.
“When my son started playing competitively, I assumed coaches had proper training beyond just teaching the sport,” Matheson told me during a recent community forum on sports safety. “I’ve realized we parents need to be much more proactive about understanding who’s supervising our kids.”
Her concerns reflect a growing awareness across Canada that preventing abuse in youth sports requires vigilance from families, not just organizations. Last month’s landmark report from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport revealed that 37% of current and former national team athletes reported experiencing at least one form of maltreatment during their sporting careers.
The statistics tell only part of the story. Behind closed doors at practices, training sessions and tournaments, many young athletes face environments where inappropriate behavior gets normalized or dismissed. According to Sport Canada’s recent survey data, fewer than 30% of parents feel confident they could recognize early warning signs of potential abuse situations.
“The challenge is that most parents aren’t present during every practice or team interaction,” explains Dr. Gretchen Kerr, Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto. “This creates significant supervision gaps where problematic behaviors can develop outside parental oversight.”
The power dynamics in youth sports create particular vulnerabilities. Young athletes typically form close bonds with coaches who hold tremendous influence over their athletic futures, playing time, and team standing. This authority imbalance can make reporting problems extraordinarily difficult for children who fear repercussions.
Sandra Kirby, professor emerita at the University of Winnipeg and former Olympic rower, emphasizes that prevention starts with education. “Parents and athletes need to understand that emotional abuse – excessive criticism, humiliation, isolation tactics – often precedes or accompanies other forms of maltreatment. Recognizing these early patterns can prevent escalation.”
Recent improvements include the implementation of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) and the establishment of the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) in 2022. While these represent important progress at national levels, experts caution they don’t fully reach the thousands of community-level programs where most Canadian youth participate.
So what practical steps can families take? Based on interviews with sport safety experts and abuse prevention advocates across several provinces, I’ve compiled strategies parents can implement:
Know the policies. Request copies of your club’s code of conduct, abuse prevention policies, and complaint procedures. These should be readily available and clearly outlined.
“Ask directly about screening processes for coaches and volunteers,” advises Noni Classen, Director of Education at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. “Background checks are important but insufficient alone. Ask what ongoing training staff receive about appropriate boundaries.”
Establish open communication with your child. Regular conversations about their experiences create space for disclosures. Calgary child psychologist Dr. Teresa Taillefer recommends asking open-ended questions: “What was the best part of practice today? What did you find challenging? How does your coach respond when players make mistakes?”
Watch for behavioral changes. Sudden reluctance to attend practice, sleep disturbances, or personality shifts can signal problems. Thirteen-year-old former gymnast Sophia Chen from Vancouver told me, “I stopped wanting to go to practice but couldn’t explain why. I just felt sick before we’d leave home. My parents noticed and started asking more questions.”
Normalize appropriate physical boundaries. Teach children that certain types of touching are never acceptable, regardless of who initiates it. Explain that secrets about interactions with coaches or team officials should never be kept from parents.
Attend practices randomly and unexpectedly when possible. This creates accountability and provides first-hand observations of coaching styles and team dynamics. Saskatchewan Hockey Association guidelines specifically encourage parental observation of practices.
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong in how a coach interacts with athletes, it deserves attention. Montreal-area soccer parent Jean-Philippe Lavoie recounted, “I noticed our coach singling out certain players for excessive criticism while overly praising others. That inconsistency raised red flags for me.”
Connect with other parents. Form networks to share observations and concerns. Having multiple perspectives can help distinguish between normal coaching frustrations and problematic patterns.
Know reporting options. Familiarize yourself with reporting pathways within your organization and externally. Provincial sport bodies, child protection services, and in some cases, police may need to be contacted depending on the situation.
The Canadian Sport Helpline (1-888-83-SPORT) offers confidential guidance for anyone witnessing or experiencing abuse in sport settings. This national service connects callers with professionals who can advise on appropriate next steps.
Recent federal funding increases for safe sport initiatives signal growing recognition of these issues, but experts emphasize that grassroots vigilance remains essential. Marcel Aubut’s resignation as Canadian Olympic Committee president in 2015 following sexual harassment allegations marked a turning point in Canadian sport governance, yet community-level oversight often lags behind national reforms.
“Parents shouldn’t assume organizational policies alone will protect their children,” notes Lorraine Lafrenière, CEO of the Coaching Association of Canada. “Effective prevention requires engaged families asking questions, observing behaviors, and being willing to speak up.”
For parents wondering whether addressing concerns might harm their child’s athletic opportunities, Olympian and advocate Allison Forsyth offers perspective: “I’ve never met a parent who regretted prioritizing their child’s safety over competitive advancement. The same cannot be said for those who remained silent.”
As another season of youth sports unfolds across Canada, the most important scorecard isn’t wins and losses, but the emotional and physical safety of our young athletes. By staying informed and engaged, families become the front-line defense against abuse in sporting environments – ensuring kids can pursue their athletic dreams in spaces where their wellbeing remains the true championship goal.
