As parents, we hand our kids over to coaches every week: at practice, on tournament weekends, in hotel lobbies, and on long drives to away games. Most of those coaches are dedicated people who care about young athletes. But trust is not a safety plan.
This week, news out of Washington put that point front and center for the AAU community. Here's what's happening, and more importantly, what you can do to protect your child no matter which team or league they play for.
What's happening
On October 7, 2026, a bipartisan group of leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to the Amateur Athletic Union about allegations of sexual abuse in its programs. They asked the AAU for documents on how many abuse reports it has received, how it investigates complaints, how it enforces coach suspensions and bans, and how it runs its child safety training. They also asked for a briefing.
The inquiry follows a joint investigation by ProPublica and The Washington Post. According to the committee's summary of that reporting, the AAU allegedly:
- Claimed to offer child abuse prevention training that it did not actually provide
- Did not require coaches to complete the training it does offer
- Failed to follow through on a 2012 commitment to check coaches against lists of people banned or suspended by other sports organizations
- Allowed coaches suspected of abuse to keep working with kids
The AAU serves nearly 800,000 athletes across more than 50 sports. These are allegations, and the organization has said it is committed to athlete safety. But the questions raised are ones every parent should be asking of any youth program, AAU or not.
Note: The AAU is not one of the Olympic sport governing bodies overseen by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, so the federal safeguards built after the USA Gymnastics scandal don't automatically apply. That makes parent awareness even more important.
Questions to ask before your child joins any team
Don't assume a league's policies are being followed. Ask the program directly, and pay attention to how they answer. A good program will welcome these questions.
- Are all coaches background-checked, and how often? Ask whether checks are renewed regularly, not just done once.
- Have coaches completed abuse prevention training? Ask which course, and whether the program verifies completion.
- Do you check coaches against banned lists? This includes the U.S. Center for SafeSport's Centralized Disciplinary Database, which anyone can search.
- What is your policy on one-on-one contact? Strong programs keep interactions observable and interruptible: no private rides, closed-door meetings, or solo hotel rooms with a coach.
- How do coaches communicate with players? Look for policies that copy parents on texts and DMs, and avoid private social media messaging with minors.
- What are the travel rules? Ask about room assignments, chaperones, and whether adults ever share rooms with athletes.
- Who do I report concerns to, and what happens next? There should be a clear process that doesn't run only through the head coach.
If a program can't answer these clearly, that tells you something.
Do your own check, too. Search your child's coaches by name in the SafeSport database and do a basic web search. It takes five minutes.
Warning signs and how to talk with your child
Abuse in youth sports often starts with grooming, a gradual process of building trust and testing boundaries. It can look like extra attention at first. Patterns worth noticing in an adult:
- Singling out one athlete for special treatment, gifts, or extra playing time
- Seeking time alone with a child, such as private training, rides, or meetings
- Private texting or social media contact that parents aren't part of
- Encouraging secrecy or making a child feel they owe the coach
- Pushing physical or personal boundaries, then testing how the child reacts
Changes in your child can also be a signal: pulling back from a sport they loved, sudden anxiety about practice, mood or sleep changes, or reluctance to be around a specific adult.
Talk early and often. You don't need one big conversation. Short, regular check-ins work better.
- Teach that no adult should ask them to keep secrets from you.
- Make clear that their body belongs to them, and they can say no to anyone, including a coach.
- Let them know they'll never be in trouble for telling you something that made them uncomfortable.
- Ask open questions after practice, like "What was the best and worst part of today?"
Most importantly, if your child tells you something, stay calm, believe them, and thank them for telling you.
What to do if something feels wrong
Trust your instincts. You don't need proof to raise a concern, and it's not your job to investigate.
- If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.
- Report suspected abuse to law enforcement or your state's child protective services. Don't rely only on the team or league to handle it internally.
- Call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 for guidance on what to do next. It's available 24/7.
- Report to the organization as well, in writing, and keep a copy. Note dates, names, and what happened.
- If the coach also works in an Olympic-sport program, you can file a report with the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
- Get support for your child, such as a counselor or child advocacy center who works with young people who have experienced abuse.
You can also tell other parents in your program that you're asking these questions. The more families who expect strong safeguards, the more programs will provide them.
The bottom line
We sign our kids up for sports so they can grow, compete, and have fun. Keeping them safe is part of that deal, and it can't be left entirely to leagues and organizations. Ask the hard questions, stay involved, and keep the lines of communication with your child wide open.
Share this with another sports parent.
Sources
- Bipartisan E&C Leaders Probe Amateur Athletic Union Regarding Sexual Abuse Allegations, House Energy and Commerce Committee, October 7, 2026
- ProPublica investigation of the AAU
- The Washington Post investigation of the AAU
- U.S. Center for SafeSport Centralized Disciplinary Database