Safeguarding Elite Child Athletes at Mega Sporting Events

Given the number of elite child athletes (under 18 years old) competing at mega sporting events (MSEs), it is important that safeguarding measures are implemented consistently to protect these young people from experiencing harm and abuse. To ensure effective safeguarding during MSE competition, safeguarding must be fully integrated into all phases of the event life cycle—from the vision or concept of the event through the event's legacy. In this narrative, we provide three models for the creation of a robust framework for safeguarding youth participating in MSEs and outline how these models work in practice to safeguard young athletes.