Can I text, email or DM a player?

Only if the message is open and transparent, as the 2025 MAAPP requires. This covers email, phone calls, video calls, video coaching, texting, social media and any other electronic medium.

• Copy in another adult. Every one-on-one message to a minor athlete must include their parent/guardian, another adult family member, or another adult participant (such as an assistant coach). This applies to your reply even if the athlete messaged you first.
• Use the right platform. Only use platforms that let you include those adults.
• Team messages count too. When you message the whole team or a group of athletes, include their parents/guardians (or another adult family member), or another adult participant. Example from the MAAPP: a coach texting 10 athletes either adds a parent for each (20 recipients) or adds one other adult participant (11 recipients).
• Keep it professional. All messages from adults to minor athletes must be professional in nature.
• Stop if asked. If a parent/guardian asks in writing that you not contact their child electronically, you must stop, except in an emergency.

Recommended: send messages only between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. in the athlete's local time (except in emergencies or for international event travel). Adults shouldn't have private social media connections with minor athletes unless they have a dual relationship or meet the close-in-age exception.

Team parents and other volunteers: if your club has authorized or appointed you to have regular contact with the athletes, you are an adult participant and these rules apply to your messages too.