#WeRideTogether is a nonprofit organization created to cast light upon the endemic issue of sexual abuse in youth and amateur sports.Â
Their mission is to make the youth and amateur sport environment safer for all athletes. They believe sport should be the safest and healthiest place for children and young adults to grow and flourish, and that every individual has the right to learn, play, and compete without fear of sexual abuse. #WeRideTogether is committed to creating the radical change needed to fulfill that vision by addressing education and awareness, creating a safe place for survivors to find resources and share their voices, and eliminating the stigma around these necessary conversations.
Help us eliminate sexual misconduct in sport. Team Reps share #WeRideTogether’s mission and vision, promoting education and awareness for healthy sport. We empower our Team Reps to be leaders within their teams or organizations, spreading and standardizing best practices that help keep sport safe and healthy for all.
As a Team Rep, #WeRideTogether is happy to provide your team or organization with free educational material, promotional items, and more. Reach out today to see how we can support your team and/or organization.
#WeRideTogether continuously produces and publishes public service announcements (PSAs). These short videos provide viewers with easy-to-understand information and tools regarding eliminating sexual misconduct in sport. Please click on the buttons below to watch and share the following PSAs with fellow athletes, coaches, parents, and athletic organizations. Below are a few of the PSAs that #WeRideTogether has created.
Preventing Misconduct in Sports: The Window Rule
Preventing Misconduct in Sports: Power Imbalances
Preventing Misconduct in Sports: Safe, Active Bystander Intervention
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault or misconduct, help is available 24/7. For information on confidential helplines, sexual assault reporting procedures, and mental health resources, click here.
The Coach Athlete Pledge, a commitment to maintaining healthy training environments, summarizes ten best practices to ensure that future generations of athletes have safe and positive experiences. Similar to a new-client liability waiver, the pledge can serve as a valuable onboarding document that helps ensure everyone—athletes, parents, and coaches—understands the expected standards of behavior.
#WeRideTogether offers Code of Conduct signs outlining the 10 best practices laid out in the Coach Athlete Pledge free of charge. Order one for your facility or boat house by emailing info@weridetogether.today.
The Athlete Helpline is a free, confidential resource for athletes of all ages, former athletes, parents, coaches, administrators and anyone tangentially related to a sport community. Their counselors are former athletes who have been trained by sports abuse researchers to offer support and guidance on emotional, sexual or physical abuse in sport.Â
If you have witnessed or suspect abuse, you are in the unique position to intervene and prevent further harm. Silence is an abuser’s best friend. It’s in everyone’s best interests to err on the side of caution and talk through any concerns you may have. Whether you seek the courage to make a call for yourself, help another, or continue healing as a survivor, counselors are available to support your journey every step of the way.Â
Call or text 888.279.1026 for assistance, or visit athletehelpline.org. Live chat options are also available. This helpline is open Monday through Friday from 12 pm - 8 pm PST; calls outside those business hours are directed to the ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline, which is available 24/7.
There is no direct path to recovery for a survivor of sexual abuse. Everyone is different, and it can be difficult to understand and navigate the systems, the resources, and the fallout.
The #WeRideTogether Blog is intended to be a repository of information where someone who is coming through a sexual abuse or misconduct situation can read and explore to better understand all the systems at play, as well as a source of news and expert opinion. This blog represents the voices of counselors, prosecutorial law enforcement professionals, attorneys, public health professionals, child protection specialists, victims advocates, parents, survivors and other experts in all the areas of sexual misconduct and abuse.
Survivors are increasingly stepping forward to bravely tell their stories. They’ve turned the lights on in a dark tunnel—and they're illuminating the way to a safer future. It’s time to put an end to the culture of silence. And it has to happen now. Survivor Stories reflect the participants’ personal experiences, as told by them. If you are a survivor who is interested in sharing your story and want to learn more about this process, please reach out to #WeRideTogether at info@weridetogether.today for more information.
Want to share the Coach-Athlete Relationship Diagram with your program? Hosting a Regatta soon? Check out these posters/yard signs.
#WRT, All Sports, One Goal
#WRT, Coach Athlete Relationship Diagram
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