By Dr. Robert Forto

As the sport of dog mushing, particularly junior mushing, is becoming more mainstream and social media is the de facto place for interaction, guidelines should be established by parents for their children.

Dog mushing, by and large has been a non-regulated sport, and many would argue to keep it that way, but today, there are sponsorships and other arrangements that are meant to make it more professional. Gone are the days of showing up at a race, collecting a small prize check, and putting a picture in a photo album. Now, every detail is shared on social media, and this can be dangerous to minors.

It may not be a popular opinion, but the staff at Mushing.com recommends following guidelines by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. These guidelines are used across myriad sports organizations nationwide, and parents should examine them closely.

The Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) is a collection of prevention and training policies that bind adult participants and organizations in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement. The USOPC strictly adheres to the MAAPP, which establishes clear requirements for interactions between adult participants and minor athletes. All one-on-one interactions between adult participants and minor athletes must be observable and interruptible.

Sure, ‘participating adult’ can be defined in many ways (including those fans of the athlete who can be described under this definition). This article suggests controlled interactions with junior (minor) mushers, particularly on social media. Parents are often the “coaches” of these athletes and should enact procedures to protect their junior mushers.

Social Media and Electronic Communications:

A. Electronic Communication Definition:

Electronic Communication includes any communication not occurring in person, including but not limited to text messages, emails, chat features on club platforms, other group chat options used by the team(s)/race(s), or direct messaging/private messaging via social media.

B. All electronic communication originating from Participating Adults to amateur athletes who are minors must be professional.

C. Open and transparent

1. If a Participating Adult needs to communicate directly with an amateur athlete who is a minor via electronic communications, another Participating Adult or the minor’s legal guardian will be copied.
2. If a minor athlete communicates to the Participating Adult privately first, the Participating Adult should respond to the minor athlete with a copy to the minor’s legal guardian.
3. A Participating Adult communicating electronically to the entire team (e.g. race rosters, etc.) will copy another the Race Organization and/or the Coach(s)/Parent(s).
4. Amateur athletes who are minors may “friend” the organization’s official page.

D. Prohibited electronic communications

1. Participating Adults are not permitted to communicate privately via electronic communications with amateur athletes who are minors, except under emergency circumstances.
2. Participating Adults are not permitted to “private message,” “instant message,” “direct message,” or send photos via Snapchat, Instagram, or other social media platforms to a minor athlete privately.
3. Participating Adults are not permitted to maintain social media connections with minors; such adults are not permitted to accept new personal page requests on social media platforms from amateur athletes who are minors, and existing social media connections with amateur athletes who are minors shall be discontinued

E. Requests to discontinue

1. Legal guardians may request in writing that their child not be contacted through electronic communication by the organization or the organization’s Participating Adults. The organization will abide by any such request that their child not be contacted via electronic communication, absent emergency circumstances.

F.  Hours – Electronic

1. Communications will only be sent during normal daytime hours.

G. Monitoring

1. Race Organizations and Parents are obliged to monitor their social media pages and club platforms and remove any posts that violate the organization’s policies and practices for appropriate behavior.
2. The organization will inform the legal guardian of a minor athlete of any prohibited posts and the organization’s administrator.
3. If any posts violate these policies, actionable steps must be taken.

What Steps Can Coaches/Adults Take Today?

1. Create professional pages on social media and only permit communication through those channels.
2. Establish clear guidelines for photo use, interview requests with the media, sponsorship inquires (these are minors, who are not legally allowed to enter into a contract).
3. Do not allow your junior athletes to accept friend requests on their personal social media pages.

But what about mentorship, sharing tips and tricks, and possibly sponsorship opportunities for junior athletes?

All of this can be done on a professional (business) page for your athlete.

Social media often blurs the line of what is professional and what is personal. It is the staff of Mushing’s position that all communication should be done strictly on professional (business/pages) accounts. Interactions amongst participating adults (e.g., fans, other dog mushers, potential sponsors) and the junior mushers can be conducted on these pages.

Do you agree or disagree with this position? Let us know in the comments and on our social channels.