Electronic Communication with Students

Electronic Communication 

Electronic communication includes but is not limited to phone calls, video calls, texts, social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, etc.), fitness applications, emails, and direct messaging that occurs between an Adult Participant and Minor Student(s)/Athlete(s). 

Effective communication concerning travel, training schedules and administrative issues among administrators, staff, coaches, athletes and their families is critical. However, the use of mobile devices, web based applications, social media and other forms of electronic communications increases the possibility for improprieties and misunderstandings, and also provides would-be offenders with unsupervised access to a minor. 

Electronic Communication Policy

• Must be Open and Transparent: A parent/guardian, another adult family member of the Minor, or another Adult Participant (Assistant Coach/Advisor) must be copied or included on the communication. This includes all communication initiated by a Minor Athlete. 

• Only electronic platforms that allow Open and Transparent communication can be used. A communication log should be available upon request. 

•  All team communication or communications from an Adult Participant to more than one Minor Athlete must copy or include another Adult Participant, or all the Minor Athletes’ parents/guardians. 

•  All communication should be professional in nature and specific to the sport/activity season. (Ie. practice schedule, game schedule, bus schedule, fundraising, pasta dinners ect)  

•  Organizations and Adult Participants must honor a parent/guardian’s request to discontinue communication with their Minor Athlete, unless there is an emergency.

Policy Exceptions 

 If one of the following exceptions exists with appropriate consent, 1:1 messaging is allowed.

1. Emergency situations regarding the well-being of the minor (See Mandatory reporting) 

2. Urgent messaging specific to a practice, game, event, contest, departure time or sudden absence is allowable. 

****If you receive a message directly from an athlete without another adult included that is not an emergency or urgent message as defined above, please move your response to a group message following the Electronic Communication Policy above. Follow up with the student regarding electonric messaging policy & procedures. 

District Approved Platform for electronic messaging with students 

1. Talking Points (To be used with a district issues device only) 

Recommended platforms for group messaging with minors 

1. Group Me App 

2. Remind App 

3. Team Reach

4. HUDL 

Applications and platforms to avoid for messaging directly with minors 

1. Instagram 

2. SnapChat 

3. WhatsApp 

4. TikTok 

5. Facebook Messenger 

6. Twitter 

Recommendations to keep coaches/advisors safe on social media platforms 

1. Set your personal accounts to private 

2. Do not follow or friend minors on your personal social media accounts 

3. Do not allow students/athletes to follow your personal social media accounts 

4. Encourage athletes to use social media properly by making their accounts private