Involvement in sports is supposed to be a positive experience for kids, but that's not always the case.

Fortunately there are things in place to push things in a direction where youth are more protected from abusive people.

Former hockey and baseball coach Ryan Chamberlin was convicted in Swift Current Provincial Court of sexually abusing children in 2015 and sentenced to five years imprisonment. He didn't get parole back in October.

The City of Swift Current does now have a Safe Places - Youth Certified program, and there is a Respect and Sport program that's part of the initiative. Things like these should work to mitigate the risk of youth being taken advantage of by people in positions of authority.

"That's a great program - or piece of the puzzle," said Swift Current RCMP Staff Sergeant Gary Hodges of the Respect and Sport part of the program. "As far as educating people in how to work and treat youth when they're in a position of authority or a coaching role, as well as the fact that they're given some tools in that training to assist them in the event that somebody - that being a youth or young person - comes forward and identifies themselves as a victim, they know how to treat that person and the steps they take to give some assistance to them."

Chamberlin was sentenced in May, 2015, and less than two months later former Swift Current Broncos Head Coach Graham James was sentenced in Swift Current to additional prison time for sexually assaulting minors.

Then-Mayor Jarrod Schafer began work with Sheldon Kennedy - a player abused by James - to improve the certification process in town.

As of this past summer, over 1,000 people have become Youth Certified.