.png/d1c39b83a041b382.webp "Safety First — How CSL Protects Young Athletes")
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When parents ask us about safety, we don't respond with reassurances. We respond with specifics. Here's exactly what CSL does to protect every minor participant in our programs.
Every CSL instructor who works with minors completes Level 2 background screening before any contact with participants. Level 2 is the fingerprint-based standard used in Florida schools, licensed childcare facilities, and other settings where adults work with children — it's not a basic name check. It includes a search of state and national criminal history databases. This requirement applies to every instructor, at every CSL location, without exception. It is renewed on the schedule required by Florida law.
Every CSL instructor completes SafeSport training — a program developed specifically for youth sports environments that covers recognizing and responding to abuse, misconduct, and grooming behaviors. For instructors assigned to our At-Risk Youth Pilot Program, SafeSport certification is required, not optional. This training gives our instructors the tools to recognize warning signs and respond appropriately — and it gives parents confidence that the adults working with their children understand their obligations.
No CSL instructor is ever alone with a minor participant. Ever. At every session, at every location, there are always at least two qualified adults present. This isn't a guideline — it's a non-negotiable operational requirement. If for any reason two adults cannot be present, the session does not happen.
Every CSL staff member is a mandatory reporter under Florida law. If any CSL instructor has reason to believe that a minor participant is being abused or neglected — at home, at our facility, or anywhere else — they are required by law to report it to the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF Hotline: 1-800-962-2873). This obligation cannot be waived, and CSL reinforces it explicitly with all staff.
CSL's youth training and competition is grappling only. No striking — no punches, no kicks aimed at landing on another participant — in any youth class or youth competition. This is consistent with Florida law and with CSL's own standards, which go further than the legal minimum in several areas. The techniques youth athletes learn are real Combat Sambo — throws, takedowns, ground technique — but they're introduced progressively and age-appropriately, with falling safety (ukemi) as the foundation.
Everything described above is written down. CSL maintains a Standards & Safety Manual that covers facility requirements, instructor qualifications, medical screening, injury response, youth protection protocols, and more. These aren't informal expectations — they're documented standards that apply to every CSL location and every CSL instructor. Written standards matter because they exist independently of any individual: they apply whether or not a particular person is in the room on a given day.
If you ever have a concern about your child's safety or wellbeing at a CSL location — about an instructor's behavior, about something your child told you, about anything — contact CSL leadership directly. You will be taken seriously. If your concern involves possible abuse or neglect, you can also contact the Florida DCF Hotline directly at 1-800-962-2873. You do not need to go through CSL first.
This article is part of CSL's free educational content library, available to coaches, parents, athletes, and organizations at combatsamboleague.com