Safety And Compliance
Safety and Compliance (Manual Version)
Starlings Volleyball USA is committed to providing a safe, well-supervised, and legally compliant environment for all athletes, coaches, families, and volunteers participating in Starlings programs.
Club Directors are responsible for ensuring that all required safety, registration, training, supervision, and reporting requirements are completed before club activities begin and are maintained throughout the season.
Important Reminder: Safety and compliance are not one-time tasks completed only at the start of the season. Directors are responsible for monitoring compliance continuously and addressing deficiencies immediately.
Facility & Insurance Requirements
Starlings Club Directors are responsible for ensuring that all club activities are properly insured and conducted in safe, approved facilities.
Safety Requirement: Clubs must have appropriate insurance coverage in place before conducting any volleyball-related activity, including tryouts, practices, clinics, camps, competitions, and team-related events.
Insurance Coverage
Directors must understand that insurance coverage varies depending on the governing organization and type of activity:
- USAV Membership: typically covers individual players and coaches participating in USAV-sanctioned events and activities
- AAU Membership: provides coverage for individual participants in AAU-sanctioned events
- JVA Insurance: typically insures teams and is recommended for clubs participating in independent events, camps, clinics, tryouts, or non-USAV play
Important Clarification:
- USAV and AAU coverage is generally tied to individual player and coach memberships
- JVA insurance is typically structured to cover teams and club-based activities
- Starlings Tournaments are covered under JVA insurance
Directors are responsible for ensuring that all planned activities are covered under an appropriate insurance policy.
Document / Form Required: Insurance policy documentation must be maintained and available upon request.
Best Practice Tip: Directors are encouraged to review insurance details directly through USAV, JVA, and AAU to understand current coverage policies and limitations. See the Insurance Cheat Sheet below for direct links.
Director Responsibility
Directors must be able to identify:
- what insurance policy covers each activity
- when coverage begins and ends
- whether coverage applies to registered individuals only or to the club/team activity as a whole
- whether additional event or facility documentation is required
Safety Requirement: Directors should never assume that one form of membership or event sanction automatically provides coverage for all club activities.
Certificate of Insurance (COI)
Most facilities require a Certificate of Insurance (COI) before allowing use of the space.
Directors must:
- obtain a COI from their insurance provider
- list the facility as an “additional insured” when required
- provide the COI to the facility prior to the start of activities
Document: Directors should maintain copies of facility agreements, COIs, and insurance confirmations in club records.
Facility Requirements
Directors should ensure that all facilities used for Starlings programming:
- are safe and appropriate for volleyball activities
- have adequate space and equipment
- meet local safety and operational standards
- allow proper supervision of athletes
- are appropriate for the age and number of participants involved
Directors are responsible for maintaining positive relationships with facility providers and adhering to all facility rules and agreements.
Best Practice Tip: Conduct a basic facility review before the season begins, including court condition, equipment safety, emergency exits, restroom access, lighting, and facility-specific emergency procedures.
Events, Camps, and Clinics
Additional insurance coverage may be required for:
- tryouts
- camps and clinics
- independent tournaments
- non-sanctioned events
- pre-season activities
- club-hosted special events
Directors should confirm coverage in advance and secure additional insurance when necessary.
Safety Requirement: Players must be covered by an active insurance policy before participating in any club activity. Directors should not assume USAV coverage applies to tryouts or pre-season activities.
Best Practice Tip: Use JVA insurance to ensure coverage for tryouts, practices, and club-run events where participant membership status may vary.
Insurance Cheat Sheet (Director Quick Reference)
USAV = Individual Coverage
- Covers registered players and coaches only
- Applies to USAV-sanctioned practices and events
- Limitation: Not reliable for tryouts or unregistered participants
JVA = Team / Club Coverage
- Covers team-based and club-run activities
- Includes tryouts, practices, camps, clinics, and independent events
- Provides flexible coverage regardless of individual registration status
AAU = Individual Coverage
- Covers registered participants in AAU events
- Similar structure to USAV (individual-based)
Starlings Tournaments
- Covered under JVA insurance
High-Risk Scenario (Important)
- Tryouts with unregistered players: Use JVA insurance
Director Rule of Thumb
- If ALL participants are registered with USAV: USAV may apply
- If ANY participants are not registered OR event is independent: Use JVA
When in doubt, secure JVA insurance to ensure full coverage.
Director Membership Requirement
All Starlings Club Directors must complete the Starlings Director Membership registration annually.
The Director Membership Form must be submitted:
- no later than August 31 each year
- before the start of the club’s season
Directors who have not completed their annual registration may not operate a Starlings club program.
Document / Form Required: The Director Membership Form represents the Director’s commitment to host an active Starlings club for the upcoming season.
The form collects standard membership information, safety certifications, and background check verification. It also gathers important operational details about the club such as:
- planned tryout dates
- date of first practice
- first date of competition
- which Starlings tournaments the club will compete in
- the projected number of teams in each age division
It is critical that this form is completed accurately and updated if necessary so that the Starlings National Office has the information needed to support Directors in running a successful season.
Director Accountability
Directors are responsible for updating the National Office if key club information changes after the form is submitted, including:
- revised tryout dates
- a delayed season start
- facility changes
- competition schedule changes
- significant changes in the number of teams or coaches
Best Practice Tip: Submit the form as soon as your season plan is reasonably established, then update it promptly if important details change.
Director and Coach Safety Requirements
All Directors and Coaches must complete the required safety requirements before interacting with players.
Required safety items include:
- background screening (USAV or JVA)
- SafeSport or Abuse Prevention Training
- Starlings Coach Membership registration
- any additional governing-body requirements applicable to that coach’s role or event participation
Safety Requirement: No adult may participate in practices, tryouts, clinics, camps, team travel, or other direct athlete activities until all required safety items are completed and current.
Junior Coaches (Ages 16 to 17)
- may not serve as a Head Coach
- must always be supervised by a SafeSport-trained and background-screened adult (18+) within the club
- may not independently supervise athletes or team activities
- may not be placed in situations that require adult legal or safety responsibility
- must avoid situations involving social media, electronic communication, or travel that could create safety risks or the appearance of inappropriate or unsupervised interaction with athletes
Safety Requirement: Junior coaches must be under direct supervision at all times and may not be left alone with athletes under any circumstance.
Junior coaches are expected to follow the same Safety and Compliance requirements as adult coaches, including:
- adhering to athlete protection and communication policies
- maintaining appropriate boundaries with athletes
- following all club and Starlings conduct expectations
Best Practice Tip: Clearly define the role of junior coaches at the start of the season so athletes, parents, and staff understand that they are in a supervised assistant role only.
Ongoing Compliance
Directors are responsible for ensuring that safety clearances remain current throughout the season.
This includes monitoring:
- expired background checks
- expired training certifications
- newly added coaches
- replacement coaches added mid-season
- changes in coach assignment that create new supervision responsibilities
Safety Requirement: A coach whose background check or required training has expired must be removed from athlete contact until the requirement is completed and verified.
Best Practice Tip: Review coach compliance status before tryouts, before first practice, before tournament travel, and whenever staffing changes occur.
Non-Compliance Response
If a Director learns that a coach or staff member is missing a required safety item, the Director must:
- remove that individual from direct athlete contact immediately
- communicate the missing requirement clearly
- establish a timeline for completion if appropriate
- document the situation
- notify the National Office when the issue is significant, repeated, or unresolved
Failure to enforce safety requirements may place the club, the athletes, and the Director at legal and operational risk.
Player Registration Requirement
Document / Form Required: Starlings Player Membership Form must be completed before participation.
The Player Membership Form is completed within the Starlings technology platform, LeagueApps.
Parents or guardians must complete all registration and waiver requirements before a player participates in a practice or club activity.
Directors are responsible for confirming compliance prior to participation.
Required Before Participation
Before a player may participate, the following must be complete:
- Player Membership Form
- required waivers and acknowledgments
- any club-specific participation steps required by Starlings or the club
- insurance-related requirements, when applicable
Safety Requirement: A player may not participate in tryouts, practices, clinics, camps, or competition until required registration and waiver requirements have been completed.
Director Responsibility
Directors must have a reliable process for verifying that:
- each athlete is registered
- required waivers are complete
- roster information is accurate
- athletes are participating only after clearance is confirmed
Directors may not rely on assumptions, verbal assurances, or incomplete information when determining eligibility to participate.
Best Practice Tip: Player Membership registrations should be part of the club acceptance process when motivation is high.
As a last resort, holding players out of practice until the registration is completed must be enforced.
If a Player Arrives Without Registration Complete
If a player arrives without required registration completed, the Director or Coach should:
- verify whether the registration is incomplete
- contact the parent/guardian if needed
- explain that participation cannot occur until requirements are completed
- keep the athlete out of participation until cleared
Safety Requirement: Allowing an unregistered player to participate creates legal, insurance, and safety risk and is not permitted.
Supervision and Athlete Protection
Directors are responsible for ensuring that athletes are supervised appropriately during all Starlings activities.
This includes:
- maintaining appropriate adult oversight
- avoiding isolated one-on-one situations
- ensuring supervision during transitions
- supervising junior coaches
- maintaining observable and interruptible environments
Safety Requirement: Athlete protection standards apply at all times, including before and after activities.
Travel, Supervision, and Athlete Safety
Directors are responsible for ensuring that appropriate supervision and safety expectations are maintained during all team-related travel and off-site activities.
Transportation
Directors should establish clear expectations regarding transportation.
Safety Requirement: All adults responsible for transporting players must follow traffic laws, safe driving practices, and ensure seat belt use at all times.
Parent / Guardian Responsibility During Travel
Parents and guardians are responsible for safe and appropriate transportation arrangements.
Safety Requirement: Coaches and Directors are not responsible for supervision outside designated team activities unless pre-arranged.
Overnight Travel
Safety Requirement: Adults and minors may not share hotel rooms unless the minor is the child of that adult.
Compliance Monitoring
Directors must actively monitor compliance throughout the season.
Good Standing and Safety Compliance
Failure to meet safety requirements may result in corrective action or loss of good standing.
Incident Reporting and Required Escalation
Directors must respond promptly to safety concerns.
Incident Reporting Pathways
Includes internal, governing body, and legal reporting requirements.
Immediate Response Expectations
Directors must act immediately in safety situations.
Documentation Expectations
Directors must maintain accurate records of incidents and compliance.