Quick answer: Under the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s MAAPP rules, electronic communication with a minor athlete has to be open and transparent, with another adult (a parent or another adult participant) copied on it, and one-on-one interactions have to be observable and interruptible. That makes private coach-to-athlete DMs, closed group chats no adult can see, and any platform with no oversight a compliance risk. A club stays on the right side of it by communicating in one place where another adult is always in the loop and there is no back-channel. It protects the kids, the coaches, and the club’s standing at the same time.
The real problem
Most clubs communicate on whatever is convenient, like group texts, Slack, WhatsApp, or Band, and none of those were built for coaching minors.
- The tool has no oversight. One club, Norwalk, moved its junior communication off Slack over SafeSport concerns: there was no way to keep an adult copied on messages or to keep interactions observable.
- Compliance status isn’t tied to eligibility. A club may collect waivers and background-check status, but nothing stops a non-compliant athlete or coach from participating. The status is a note in a spreadsheet, not a gate.
For an NGB member club this isn’t optional. Adopting MAAPP’s communication rules is required, and the liability for getting it wrong lands on the board and the coaches.
What it costs
Get this wrong and the cost isn’t measured in money. It is a child’s safety, a coach’s reputation, and the club’s standing with its governing body. The usual workaround has a cost too: banning the tools coaches actually use, like Slack, because they can’t be made compliant leaves the staff unable to communicate. Clubs shouldn’t have to choose between compliant and functional.
How a club keeps communication compliant
- Another adult is always in the loop. Messages with a minor athlete are visible to a parent (or another adult) by default. That is open and transparent, and observable and interruptible, which is what MAAPP requires.
- No unmonitored back-channels. Team communication lives in one place with oversight, instead of scattered across personal DMs and private chats no adult can see.
- Compliance status gates participation. Waivers, background checks, and required forms tie to eligibility, so a non-compliant athlete or coach is surfaced rather than buried in a spreadsheet.
- A record you can show. Communication and compliance status are kept in one place, so the club can demonstrate it is meeting its obligations.
A club came to us in 2026 with a real problem: their junior team’s communication ran on Slack, and there was no way to keep another adult copied or the conversations observable, so they needed to move to something that kept messaging open and transparent.
The tools clubs use (honest comparison)
Approach | Good for | Where it breaks |
|---|---|---|
Group text / WhatsApp / Slack | Familiar, everyone has it | No way to keep another adult copied or interactions observable, a SafeSport risk for minor comms |
Email | Leaves a record | Teens don’t read it; no way to gate on compliance |
CrewLAB | Clubs coaching minors under NGB rules | Newer platform; always confirm your NGB’s exact policy |
CrewLAB’s edge: communication is built to stay open and transparent, with another adult included by default, which is what MAAPP asks for. It helps a club meet the rule instead of working around it.
Note: this is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Confirm your obligations with your national governing body and the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
From the coaching side, Simon Hoadley, co-founder and head coach: As a working coach I live inside these rules. Communication with a minor athlete has to be open and observable, full stop. The honest problem is that the tools coaches actually use, group texts and Slack, can’t do that, so clubs either break the rule or ban the tool. We built for the middle: another adult always in the loop. It is also why we work directly with governing bodies like USRowing, USA Swimming, Rowing Canada, and Rowing New Zealand. At that level this isn’t optional.
FAQ
What are the SafeSport rules for communicating with minor athletes?
Electronic communication with a minor must be open and transparent, with another adult (a parent, adult family member, or another adult participant) copied on it, and one-on-one interactions must be observable and interruptible, across texts, DMs, social, and video. (Confirm specifics with SafeSport and your NGB.)
Is Slack or WhatsApp SafeSport-compliant for a youth team?
On their own, generally no. They don’t keep another adult copied or interactions observable for minor communication, which is why clubs move off them.
What is MAAPP?
The U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies, which NGB member clubs must adopt, covering training, communication, and one-on-one interaction rules.
Can a club require compliance before an athlete participates?
Yes. Tie waivers, background checks, and required forms to eligibility so status gates participation.
Next step
See exactly where your club is leaking money and time — in about two minutes.
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Related: Why registration and communication belong together · CrewLAB vs SportsEngine
