PYLON 7on7 FOOTBALL LLC is committed to providing a safe, positive, and respectful environment for all youth participants. This training is required for all coaches, staff, volunteers, officials, and event personnel who interact with minors.

Completion and review of this training is a condition of participation in any PYLON 7on7 FOOTBALL LLC event.

Who This Training Applies To

This training is mandatory for:

• Coaches
  
  
• Team staff
  
  
• Volunteers
  
  
• Officials
  
  
• Event personnel
  
  
• Any adult with direct or indirect contact with athletes
  
  

All PYLON events are youth-only, and all participants are minors under the age of 18.

Understanding Grooming Behaviors

Grooming is a process used by offenders to gain access to, build trust with, and maintain control over a minor.

Common grooming behaviors may include:

• Giving special attention, gifts, or privileges to a specific athlete
  
  
• Isolating a minor from teammates or supervision
  
  
• Excessive communication outside of team activities
  
  
• Gradual boundary violations presented as “normal” or “harmless”
  
  
• Requests for secrecy or private interactions
  
  

Recognizing grooming behaviors early is critical to prevention.

Appropriate Adult-to-Athlete Boundaries

All interactions with minors must remain professional, observable, and appropriate.

Adults must:

• Maintain group-based interactions whenever possible
  
  
• Avoid one-on-one situations that are not observable or interruptible
  
  
• Limit physical contact to what is appropriate and sport-related
  
  
• Use professional language and behavior at all times
  
  

Adults may not:

• Engage in private or secretive interactions
  
  
• Share personal, sexual, or inappropriate content
  
  
• Communicate privately with minors without parental awareness
  
  

Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct is strictly prohibited:

• Any form of sexual contact or sexualized behavior
  
  
• Inappropriate touching, comments, jokes, or gestures
  
  
• One-on-one interactions in locker rooms, vehicles, or hotel rooms
  
  
• Private electronic communication without parental inclusion
  
  
• Sharing photos, videos, or messages of a personal or sexual nature
  
  

Violations may result in immediate removal from the event and permanent disqualification.

Supervision & Event Safety Expectations

To protect all participants:

• Events operate under open and observable supervision
  
  
• Two or more adults are present whenever practicable
  
  
• Locker rooms and restrooms are monitored appropriately
  
  
• Parents and guardians are encouraged to remain on-site
  
  

Electronic Communication Guidelines

To ensure transparency:

• Group messaging platforms are used whenever possible
  
  
• Parents or guardians must be included in communications
  
  
• No private direct messaging with minors is permitted
  
  

Reporting Obligations

All adults have a responsibility to report:

• Suspected abuse or misconduct
  
  
• Boundary violations or grooming behaviors
  
  
• Any behavior that makes a participant feel unsafe
  
  

Reports should be made immediately to:

• Event leadership
  
  
• Local law enforcement or child protective services when required
  
  

There is no retaliation for good-faith reporting.

Acknowledgment

By participating in any PYLON 7on7 FOOTBALL LLC event, all required individuals acknowledge that they have reviewed and understand this Abuse Prevention & Athlete Safety Training and agree to comply with all related policies and procedures.