We Make Footballers acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of every child and young person who has been entrusted to its care, and is committed to working to provide a safe environment for all members. A child or young person is anyone under the age of 18 engaged in any club soccer activity. We align with US child protection laws and best practices, including those set out by the US Center for SafeSport and relevant state child welfare regulations.
The key principles of our Child Welfare Policy are that:
We acknowledge that every child or young person who plays or participates in soccer should be able to take part in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from poor practice and abuse. We Make Footballers recognizes that this is the responsibility of every adult involved in our programs.
We endorse responsible recruitment guidelines for all staff and volunteers. We will:
All We Make Footballers staff working with children and young people — including academy managers, senior coaches, junior coaches, volunteers, and parent hosts — are required to hold a current, valid background clearance as part of our responsible recruitment practice.
One of the core strengths of our safeguarding approach is our safer recruitment process. All prospective staff go through a minimum of two interviews — one face-to-face and one practical or field-based — both conducted with two members of staff present. References are gathered from most recent employers, and a full background check is completed before any staff member comes into contact with young people. All staff must hold the relevant coaching qualifications and up-to-date First Aid and Safeguarding certifications.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. If you are worried about a child, it is important that you report your concerns — taking no action is not an option.
If you are unable to reach your Club Welfare Officer, or the matter is clearly serious, you can:
We acknowledge bullying as a category of abuse. Bullying of any kind is not acceptable within our programs. If bullying occurs, all players and parents or guardians should feel confident that incidents will be dealt with promptly. Incidents must be reported to the Club Welfare Officer. You can read our full Anti-Bullying Policy at wemakefootballers.us/policies/anti-bullying.
We Make Footballers supports a clear whistleblowing policy. Any adult or young person with concerns about an adult in a position of trust within our programs can report this by:
Further advice and guidance on child safeguarding can be obtained from:
Last updated: April 9, 2026
Soccer coaching for children aged 4-12 years old in the US.
