Safe Sport

USA Swimming and Center for Safe Sport contact & reporting information:

USA Swimming (719) 866-4578  Deal with a Safe Sport Concern

U.S. Center for Safe Sport to make a report.  Use the online reporting form, call (720) 524-5640, or find more information at  www.uscenterforsafesport.org 

USA Swimming’s top priority continues to be keeping our athletes safe. No form of abuse, including child sexual abuse, has a place in our sport. As a part of our continued commitment to safeguarding our athletes, USA Swimming has enacted enhancements to our Safe Sport policy and education requirements.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport (“the Center”), the separate, independent, organization that oversees all sexual misconduct reports in the Olympic and Paralympic Movement created the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies to set a baseline for acceptable safety standards that limit one-on-one interactions between adults and minor athletes.

The Center urged all National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to add restrictions tailored to fit the sport. On April 29, 2019, USA Swimming released its Minor Athlete Protection Policy (MAAPP) addressing one-on-one interactions, social media and electronic communications, travel: local and team, locker rooms and changing areas and massages, rubdowns and athletic training modalities.  All USA Swimming member clubs are required to implement MAAPP in full by June 23, 2019.

Please read the policy below along with the educational resources, to assist you in implementing MAAPP.

Training our members in abuse prevention and mandatory reporting is just as important as creating policies. USA Swimming is required to provide regular and consistent training for all adults who interact with and have direct contact with minor athletes, including adult athletes. Starting June 23, 2019, as a condition of membership, all athlete members ages 18 and over must complete Athlete Protection Training.  

Below you will find educational resources to assist you in understanding and implementing these requirements. Join us in our commitment to do more to keep our athletes safe and abuse out of our sport.

USA Swimming is working to increase awareness and reduce the risk of abuse in swimming through its Safe Sport program. With all youth sports, creating a safe environment is the responsibility of all adults who work with kids.

GET EDUCATED
Education is the most important tool for com batting misconduct. Look for resources that can help you understand how abuse occurs and what you can do about it. You should be able to recognize signs of grooming behavior and boundary violations and what to do when you suspect a child's safety is at risk.

CREATE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES
It's important to establish healthy boundaries between athletes and coaches and have clear expectations about the coach's role. A coach can often serve as a teacher, a mentor, or a role model for a young person. A coach is not an athlete's friend, peer, or romantic partner. Teams and youth sport organizations should spell out prohibited behaviors to ensure strong and safe boundaries between adults and athletes.

IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS HIGH RISK AREAS
For misconduct to take place, an offender needs privacy, access, and control. One way to reduce the risk for abuse is to design strategies for addressing these high-risk areas, which include travel, locker rooms, and electronic communications. Teams should adopt policies that spell out expectations and create boundaries .

SPEAK UP
If you recognize questionable behaviors, say something! Your youth sports organization should designate someone-a coach, the team administration, or a parent advocate-who is there to hear your concerns or take a report of inappropriate behavior. Make sure that everyone knows that person.

TALK TO YOUR KIDS!
Physical and sexual misconduct can be a hard topic for parents to talk about with their children. Having these conversations is extremely important in helping prevent your child from becoming a victim of abuse. Having ongoing and open conversations with children about their bodies and appropriate boundaries will make it easier for them to talk to you if anyone is making them feel uncomfortable.