Education and awareness are the most critical components to creating safe and respectful sporting environments, free of abuse and harassment. Our team of subject matter experts develop best practices, policies and programs consistent with guidance from leading organizations. SafeSport is building its repository of best practices and is eager to work with your organization to champion respect and end abuse in sports.

Where Your Game Plan Starts. Prevention starts with the leaders of the team- the coaches, the trainers, the doctors and mentors. Even the parents. The U.S. Center for SafeSport is committed to training these influencers through our online training program. The Center is working on plans for youth athlete training resources as well.

Beginning in the 2018 season, all ACE coaches must first take the U.S. Center for SafeSport's SafeSport courses prior to starting ACE. The SafeSport training is composed of 3 individual lessons; all lessons must be completed in full before you are considered SafeSport trained. If you would like to know more about the U.S. Center for SafeSport's SafeSport initiative, please click here.

Please note that the Yearly Refresher is only required in the season following the completion of the initial SafeSport training.

ACE Coach Education Program

The ACE (Aspire, Challenge, Encourage) Coach Education Program is a coaching program, developed and designed to provide softball coaches of all levels – from beginning coaches to experienced veterans – an opportunity to be educated as a coach with a national softball organization.

As the National Governing Body of Softball, it is the USA Softball’s responsibility to ensure that our coaches achieve a certain level of understanding of what their duties are as coach of a youth softball team. The ACE Education videos are a practical guide to the everyday situations you will encounter as a youth softball coach. After obtaining your ACE education, you will be well prepared to coach a youth softball team.

The guiding principles behind the ACE Coaching Education Program are:

A-spire: to achieve a comprehensive level of knowledge for the game. 
C-hallenge: your understanding and knowledge through continued education and growth. 
E-ncourage: yourself and others to be prepared and knowledgeable as a coach in order to provide your athletes an environment in which they can achieve success.

There are four levels of the ACE Coach Education Program: Levels 1-3 and then ACE Continuing Education.  In each of the first three levels you will watch the ACE video that corresponds to your education level and then be tested on the material in the video. The videos cover such topics as Principles of Coaching, Legal Issues in Sports, First Aid, Practice Organization, Coach/Umpire Relations, and Sport Specific Skills.