Basketball Manitoba has announced that it has formally adopted the new Safe Sport Policy Manual provided by Sport Manitoba, with the new framework taking effect on April 1, 2026, in accordance with The Protecting Youth in Sports Act enacted by the Manitoba Provincial Government.
The new provincial requirements are part of a broader Manitoba-wide safe sport framework being implemented through Sport Manitoba and the Government of Manitoba. The updated policies are intended to strengthen standards across amateur sport by creating a more consistent, transparent, and enforceable system for preventing and responding to maltreatment in sport.
The new Safe Sport Policy Manual includes six required policy areas:
- Code of Conduct and Ethics
- Discipline and Complaints
- Alternate Dispute Resolution
- Appeal, Respect in Sport
- Coach Screening Policy Minimum Requirements
As Manitoba’s Provincial Sport Organization for basketball, Basketball Manitoba is required to adopt these policies in full, with no amendments, and apply them across its sanctioned clubs, teams, programs, and participants.
One of the most significant changes under the new framework is that maltreatment complaints involving young athletes will no longer be handled internally by the sport organization. Instead, those complaints must be reported directly to an Independent Third Party. This is intended to strengthen impartiality, improve confidence in the complaint process, and ensure that serious matters are addressed through a consistent province-wide system.
The updated policy manual also provides a clearer and more comprehensive definition of prohibited conduct. It identifies maltreatment to include psychological maltreatment, physical maltreatment, neglect, sexual maltreatment, grooming, boundary transgressions, discrimination, retaliation, failure to report, and interference with the complaint process. The new framework also reinforces legal reporting expectations where child protection concerns may exist.
For players and parents, the changes are expected to provide clearer information about rights, responsibilities, warning signs, and reporting pathways. The goal is to make the safe sport system easier to understand and more accessible for families and young participants.
For coaches, the changes introduce more structured education and screening requirements. These include mandatory Respect in Sport training, clearer timelines for completion, annual disclosure expectations, and screening requirements tied to coaching role and level of risk.
For officials, volunteers, clubs, and local associations, the new framework brings stronger expectations around conduct, reporting, screening, cooperation with complaint processes, and alignment with the provincially mandated policies. The changes make it clear that safe sport is a shared responsibility across all levels of the basketball community.
These changes are being made to better protect young athletes, improve accountability, provide clearer expectations for everyone involved in sport, and strengthen confidence in how complaints and concerns are addressed. They also reflect Manitoba’s move toward a more unified and legally supported safe sport model across all recognized sports.
“Basketball Manitoba is committed to doing its part to help ensure that basketball environments in Manitoba are safe, respectful, and accountable for all participants,” said Sara Gillis, President of Basketball Manitoba. “The adoption of this new policy framework reflects an important province-wide step forward in strengthening protections for young athletes, clarifying expectations for everyone involved in sport, and reinforcing that safe sport must remain a shared responsibility across our entire basketball community.”
Basketball Manitoba will now move forward with the implementation of the new framework, including formal policy adoption, internal process alignment, website updates, communication to members, and the posting of new safe sport resources and reporting information.
Additional details and related resources will be shared through Basketball Manitoba communication channels as implementation proceeds.
Full details on the Act and new policies can be found at…
The Protecting Youth in Sports Act
Additional Resources
- Safe Sport Tips for Athletes (U8, 9-12, 13+)
- Parent and Guardian Handbook
- How to File a Maltreatment Complaint - Interactive Video
- Maltreatment Complaint Process Flow Chart
- Filing a Maltreatment Complaint - Complainant's Guide Maltreatment Complaint - Respondent's Guide
- Respect in Sport for Coaches