WGI Sport of the Arts, the world’s leading producer of indoor events for color guards, percussion ensembles, and marching winds groups, today announced the creation of a strategic partnership with the U.S. Center for SafeSport. The partnership will focus on providing training to safeguard those participating in WGI from bullying, harassment, hazing, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct. WGI is the first marching arts organization, and one of the first outside the Olympic movement, to align with the U.S. Center for SafeSport in an effort to emphasize participant protection outlined in the organization’s Code of Conduct.
A comprehensive online training course is 90-minutes long and costs only $20 per person. Directors are strongly urged to consider this course a requirement for instructional staff, chaperones, drivers, pit or prop crew, clinicians, and others who have more than a casual contact with participants. The online training course offered, along with the previously announced requirement of background checks, strengthens a commitment to provide a safe and positive environment for all groups participating in WGI. For more information on getting SafeSport Trained, click here.
The Center also offers free online toolkits for participants and parents to identify potential signs of abuse.
“WGI is particularly excited to activate our partnership with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, who has the trust of the Olympic movement to provide training to end abuse in sport,” said Ron Nankervis, Chief Executive Officer. “Our conversations continue to reinforce our efforts towards participant protection in our organization using their groundbreaking material and tools. The Center understands that the marching arts and sports share many of the same values and needs in the area of making activities for young people safe.”
“Joining forces with WGI enables us to educate a population of athletes with incredibly varied and unique skill sets,” said Ju’Riese Colón, CEO, U.S. Center for SafeSport. “I am impressed by their commitment to preventing and ending abuse within their organization and even more so that they came to us with a clear plan in mind. We look forward to growing this partnership over the long term.”
About U.S. Center for SafeSport
The U.S. Center for SafeSport is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on ending all forms of abuse in sport. Their mission is to make athlete well-being the centerpiece of the nation’s sports culture through abuse prevention, education, and accountability.
Shortly after opening its doors in March 2017, the Center was authorized by the federal government under the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017. The law entrusts the U.S. Center for SafeSport as the exclusive authority to respond to reports of allegations of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct within the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and their recognized National Governing Bodies. The Center is a trusted educational resource for all sports entities at all levels of sport, from grassroots amateur sports organizations to professional leagues.
For more information on the U.S. Center for SafeSport, visit uscenterforsafesport.org.
