Baseball WA, in partnership with Baseball Australia and Sport Integrity Australia, recently hosted a dedicated Child Safeguarding Workshop for our Rising Stars high performance athletes, their parents, and representatives from local clubs.
The workshops provided valuable education on the essential “do’s and don’ts” of child safety in sport, with a focus on fostering safe and supportive environments for young athletes. Attendees also learned about the broader importance of safeguarding, including the findings of the Australian Royal Commission, and were given clear guidance on how to recognise, respond to, and report concerns.
This initiative forms part of Baseball WA and Baseball Australia’s commitment to the National Integrity Framework, a set of policies and practices designed to protect the safety, fairness, and wellbeing of everyone in sport.
As part of the Framework, baseball is delivering a planned education rollout to upskill members, coaches, and volunteers with the knowledge and tools needed to identify, prevent, and respond to integrity issues.
“We are committed to educating and upskilling our members to ensure a safe and inclusive environment at every level of the game,” Baseball WA CEO Lachlan Dale said. “By prioritising safeguarding, we are strengthening our baseball community and building a brighter future together.”
Baseball WA continues to reinforce its commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all participants by engaging players, parents and clubs in such important conversations. These workshops are part of an ongoing effort to ensure that everyone involved in our sport understands their role in keeping young people safe both on and off the field.
“Thank you to Helen Mc Shane of Sport Integrity Australia and David Talla, Baseball Australia’s Head of Integrity, Governance & Risk, as well as our players, parents and clubs for sharing in our dedication to safeguarding,” Dale added. “We look forward to continuing our safeguarding education and building knowledge throughout the community.”
Sport Integrity Australia WA State Integrity Manager, Helen Mc Shane, said that education dedicated to child safeguarding in sport was critical to embedding integrity in sport across Australia.
“Sport Integrity Australia is committed to ensuring that children and young people can thrive in safe, supportive and fair sporting environments. Through the National Integrity Framework, we provide sports with the tools and education they need to embed lasting cultural change – not just acknowledge integrity, but actively live it every day.
“It’s encouraging to see Baseball WA taking a proactive approach to child safeguarding by engaging with our education sessions. This commitment to building a culture of integrity from the ground up demonstrates strong leadership and a genuine dedication to protecting the wellbeing of every young participant in the sport.”