Safe Sport

Potomac Valley Swimming (PVS) is committed to ensuring the protection of our athletes. To aid in this effort, please review the materials below to understand and spread the principles of USA Swimming's Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) and other Safe Sport information. It is imperative that all athletes, parents, coaches, administrators, officials, and volunteers become familiar with these principles.

PVS Safe Sport Committee Chair - Greg York

Eastern Zone Safe Sport Coordinator - Will Gallagher

Social Media: Instagram: @PVS.Safe.Sport and Facebook: @SafeSportPVS

Safe Sport Training

Athlete Protection Training - Which course do I take?

USA Swimming has made Safe Sport training opportunities available online. This page provides information and registration for the training.

Attendance will be recorded, and will count towards Safe Sport Recognnition. Attendance for these programs is limited, and will be closed five minutes after starting. Here are some additional resources and information from USA Swimming relating to the online training.

Upcoming Training for Athletes, Coaches, and Parents:

Parents: October 11 (8 PM) November 1 (8 PM) December 6 (8 PM)

Athletes: October 12 (8 PM) November 2 (8 PM) December 7 (8 PM)

Coaches: October 13 (2 PM) November 3 (3 PM) December 8 (3 PM)

News

"Girls Speak Up" Safe Sport Initiative developed by a PVS athlete. Check out her website at: https://www.girlsspeakup.org/

USA Swimming Meet 360 Guide - safe sport resources for Meet Directors and Meet Referees

SafeSport Code for the US Olympic and Paralympic Movement
(U.S. Center for SafeSport - April 2021)

Report a Concern

The cliche is true: If you see something, say something. Please contact the PVS Safe Sport Chair at PVSSafeSport@gmail.com if you wish to report a concern, or need guidance on reporting abuse. If you have reasonable suspicion regarding an assault on an athlete, please immediately contact the USA Center for Safe Sport or at 833-5US-SAFE (833-587-7233), and your local authorities. Here are additional resources from the US Givernment's Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Athletes

Athlete Protection Training (APT) - All athletes over the age of 18 are required to complete Athlete Protection Training. APT provides guidance for protecting minor athletes, and how adult athletes are expected to behave around minors. If you are 18 or older and you have not completed this training, you will not be permitted on deck during any USA Swimming sanctioned meets (even if you are expecting to compete). To complete this training, please go to the USA Swimming website.

Safe Sport for Athletes: To learn about how to protect yourself and your teammates, please take the Safe Sport for Athletes Training. This training is required for your club to earn Safe Sport Recognition. To access this training, go to the USA Swimming website and select "Safe Sport for Athletes".

Please follow PVS Safe Sport on social media: PVS Safe Sport Facebook Page @SafeSportPVS; PVS Safe Sport Instagram Page @PVS.Safe.Sport. We welcome any suggestions for content, and will gladly share stories, photos, and videos of teammates exercising good sportsmanship and commitment to Safe Sport.

Parents

Parents play an essential role in keeping athletes safe. Please speak with your athletes about Safe Sport issues, and remind them that you are there to help with any issues they may be having. To help guide you in keeping your athletes safe, please take the Safe Sport for Swim Parents training (now called "Parent’s Guide to Misconduct in Sports"). This training is available on the USA SwimmingLearn Portal.

IMPORTANT - Please read about the changes to athlete protection for non-athlete members.

USA Swimming has provided a valuable presentation on Talking to Parents about Safe Sport. To view these resources, visit the following:
Link to Slides: https://bit.ly/2tS0Vvv
Link to Full Audio: https://adobe.ly/37gG5n6

Coaches, Team Administrators & Volunteers

MAAPP - USA Swimming mandated institution of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) on June 23, 2019. MAAPP requires that all clubs institute the stated policies, and requires that all members and "applicable adults" understand and acknowledge the policy. Please review the policy, and review additional resources. USA Swimming has provided a customizable MAAPP policy for your club.

To enter the pool deck for any PVS Swim Meet, you must have reviewed and acknowledged this policy. All persons (except athletes, coaches, and officials working the meet) will be required to wear a red "PVS Authorized Volunteer" badge. This badge provides a summary of MAAPP, and a QR code linking to the complete policy.

To help ensure compliance with MAAPP, it is recommended that all clubs require acknowledgement of MAAPP as part of the registration process.

Safe Sport Recognition - USA Swimming is recognizing clubs for their commitment to Safe Sport, and efforts to implement policies and procedures to keep their athletes safe. The following clubs have earned USA Swimming's Safe Sport Recognition: All-Star Aquatics, Centreville Swim Club, DC Parks & Recreation, Dragon Swim Team, Fairfax Area Aquatics, Fairfax Foxes, Joe Flaherty's Dolphins, Maryland Suburban Swim Club, Patuxent Aquatics Club, Riptide Swim Team, Sea Devil Swimming, Team Rally Aquatics, The FISH, Tollefson Swimming, Washingtonians Swim Club, and York Swim Club.

To earn Safe Sport Recognition, please follow the detailed instructions. You will be required to acknowledge that your club has adopted certain policies, such as codes of conduct, electronic communications policies, travel policies, photography policies, anti-bullying policies, locker room monitoring policies, reference checks for coaches, and training events. USA Swimming has provided customizable, sample policies. Please note that at least 10% of your athletes will be required to complete the online Safe Sport for Athletes training, and 10% of your parents will be required to complete the Safe Sport for Swim Parents training. The online training can be completed individually online, or in group sessions. USA Swimming Safe Sport has provided additional training resources. If you have questions about this process, please contact the PVS Safe Sport Chair at SafeSport@pvswim.org

IMPORTANT - Please read about the changes to athlete protection for non-athlete members.

PVS Guidlines for Clubs on Athlete Protection

Talking to Parents about Safe Sport - On February 12, 2020, USA Swimming Safe Sport Senior Manager, Liz Hahn presented a webinar on communicating with parents about Safe Sport. All coaches, and team administrators should review it using the links below.
Link to Slides: https://bit.ly/2tS0Vvv
Link to Full Audio: https://adobe.ly/37gG5n6

Background Checks - USA Swimming has required background checks for non-athlete members since January 2011. All non-athlete members of USA-S must complete the check to obtain membership. Please go to the USA Swimming website at usaswimming.org/backgroundcheck for more details and to initiate your check. USA Swimming has provided an Overview of the program and a Frequently Asked Questions.

PVS Officials can request reimbursement for the cost of their background check. Please read the Reimbursement Form carefully before submitting.

Other USA Swimming Safe Sport Resources

USA Swimming has made a host of safe sport resources available on their website. Please visit www.usaswimming.org/home/safe-sport for more information.

Questions or Comments

Please Contact the PVS Safe Sport Chair (Kelly Opipari) with any questions or comments about Safe Sport at SafeSport@pvswim.org

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