Safe Sport
Updated February 8, 2023
US CENTER FOR SAFE SPORT
Safe Sport Act
The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 codified the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, as the nation’s safe sport organization. SafeSport has been tasked, but also granted the scope and authority to resolve abuse and misconduct reports for more than 11 million individuals throughout the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement—from whom we are fully independent.
The Act also charged us all with developing and enforcing policies, procedures, and training to prevent abuse and misconduct. The Center’s SafeSport Code governs all participants in the Movement, and our oversight authority helps us ensure all Olympic & Paralympic national governing bodies (NGBs) adhere to Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) that support athlete safety.
US Center for Safe Sport
USA SWIMMING SAFE SPORT
USA Swimming is committed to providing a healthy and positive environment free from abuse for all its members. USA Swimming’s Safe Sport program, a comprehensive abuse prevention program, consists of a multi-layered approach to keep kids safe, including: required policies and best practice guidelines; mandatory screening, including criminal background checks and employment screening; training and education; monitoring, supervision and mandatory reporting. These measures are informed by experts in the field of child safety and are among the strongest safeguards found in youth-serving organizations.
LAKERIDGE SWIM TEAM SAFE SPORT
According to the National Children’s Alliance, nearly 700,000 children are abused in the US every year. We understand that the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy may not be able to eliminate child abuse in our culture, but we also believe that education and the empowerment of our athletes can drastically reduce this number. Additionally, we encourage education for all members, from coaches & officials, to parents; decades of scandal and abuse of children throughout our society have resulted in devastating physical and psychological consequences. When we educate ourselves about safety, whether this is about hydration or respect, we can better equip our young athletes to ultimately keep themselves safe and able to develop free from undo harm.
Lakeridge Swim Team, a USA Swimming member club, is also committed to providing a healthy and positive environment free from abuse for all its members. Additionally, per the requirements of the US Center for Safe Sport and USA Swimming, we support the need for education and empowerment through the adoption of MAAPP 2.0, effective September 1, 2021.
MAAPP 2.0 DETAILS
It is the policy of USA Swimming that all adult athlete members (athletes 18 and older) and non-athlete members shall be familiar with the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies.
REQUIREMENTS:
ALL ATHLETES & PARENTS. Annual Acknowledgement of USA Swimming’s Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) is a condition of participation in team activities (from workouts to meets). Education is a key component of any abuse and misconduct prevention strategy. Awareness training provides everyone, including athletes and Adult Participants, with information necessary to more effectively minimize physical and sexual misconduct, as well as other types of abuse. With education comes knowledge; knowledge empowers an athlete and others to identify misconduct and feel safe to say ‘no’ and to report it.
PARENTS. Parent Education is one of the keys to keeping a program safe from abuse and misconduct. Parents can assist by helping to avoid situations in which misconduct can occur, by being aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse, and by reporting suspected abuse. Parents and guardians are encouraged to take the short USA Swimming “Parent Guide to Misconduct in Sport” course online.
Parent Guide to Misconduct in Sport
MINOR ATHLETES (ages 12 to 17) are advised to complete the Safe Sport course offered through USA Swimming. The course introduces the athlete to Safe Sport, healthy boundaries, and how to speak up about misconduct, abuse, and the behaviors that lead to abuse. This course is called “Safe Sport for Athletes” and can be found online.
ALL ADULT ATHLETES, 18 YRS+, ATHLETE PROTECTION TRAINING. All USA Swimming members aged 18 years old and older are required to complete APT annually. This is the individual’s responsibility and includes both athlete and non-athlete members. Please see important details and specifics below.
Effective September 1, 2022, there is no longer a 30-day administrative grace period. Going forward, any 17-year-old athlete who has not completed the APT requirement by their 18th birthday will not be a USA Swimming member in good standing unless or until the APT requirement is completed. This includes eligibility to compete in USA Swimming sanctioned meets, club practices and all other related activities. Athletes will continue to receive an email notification reminder of the APT requirement 30 days prior to their 18th birthday as well as a reminder on their 18th birthday.
Athlete Protection Training Requirement for Adult Athletes (.pdf)
HOW TO REPORT A SAFE SPORT CONCERN
ANN S. BURKE, MSc
Investigator II
Cell: (720) 831-8861
www.uscenterforsafesport.org
ann.burke@safesport.org
USA Swimming
(719) 866-4578
U.S. Center for Safe Sport
(833)-587-7233
Online reporting form or find more information at http://www.uscenterforsafesport.org/
Lakeridge Swim Team Safe Sport Coordinator
Sharon M Weiss
sharonw@lakeridgeswimteam.com
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Lakeridge Swim Team Safe Sport Guide
US Center for SafeSport Parent Toolkit (.pdf)