Schenectady-Saratoga Swim Club Travel Policy

The following Travel Policy will be applicable to certain overnight travel to a swim meet or other team activity that is planned and supervised by the Club. If the Travel Policy is to apply to any such meet or activity, the applicability of the Travel Policy will be communicated to parents and swimmers traveling with the Club prior to such travel. The Travel Policy will not be applicable to overnight travel to swim meets or other team activities where the swimmers are supervised by their parents/guardians (e.g., North Shore Invitational at MIT, Colgate Classic, AD LC Championships at Colgate, etc.). However, during all such travel, team rules will continue to be applicable at all times (whether as set forth in this Handbook or communicated by the Club or Coaching Staff from time to time).

Section 1 - USA Swimming Required Policies

  1. Club travel policies must be signed and agreed to by all athletes, parents, coaches and other adults traveling with the club.
  2. Team managers and chaperones must be members of USA Swimming and have successfully passed a USA Swimming-administered criminal background check.
  3. Regardless of gender, a coach shall not share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with an athlete (unless the coach is the parent, guardian, sibling, or spouse of that particular athlete).
  4. When only one athlete and one coach travel to a competition, the athlete must have his/her parents’ (or legal guardian’s) written permission in advance to travel alone with the coach.

Section 2 – SSSC Travel Policies

  1. During team travel, when doing room checks, attending team meetings and/or other activities, two-deep leadership and open and observable environments should be maintained when feasible.
  2. Athletes should not ride in a coach’s vehicle without another adult present which is the same gender as the athlete, unless prior parental permission is obtained.
  3. During overnight team travel, if athletes are paired with other athletes they shall be of the same gender and should be a similar age. Where athletes are age 13 & Over, chaperones would ideally stay in nearby rooms. When athletes are age 12 & Under, chaperones and/or team managers may stay with athletes. Where chaperones/team managers are staying in a room with athletes, they should be the same gender as the athlete and written consent should be given by athlete’s parents (or legal guardian).
  4. To ensure the propriety of the athletes and to protect the staff, there will be no male athletes in female athlete’s rooms and no female athletes in male athlete’s rooms (unless the other athlete is a sibling or spouse of that particular athlete).
  5. A copy of the Club Code of conduct must be signed by the athlete and his/her parent or legal guardian.
  6. The Club may obtain a signed Liability Release and/or Indemnification Form for each athlete as a condition of participating in a team travel trip.
  7. Team coaching staff and/or chaperones should carry a signed Medical Consent or Authorization to Treat Form for each athlete.
  8. Curfews shall be established by the coaching staff each day of the trip.
  9. Team members and staff traveling with the team will attend all team functions including meetings, practices, meals, meet sessions, etc. unless otherwise excused or instructed by the head coach or his/her designee.
  10. The directions & decisions of coaches/chaperones are final.
  11. Swimmers are expected to remain with the team at all times during the trip. Swimmers are not to leave the competition/practice venue, the hotel, a restaurant, or any other place at which the team has gathered without the permission/knowledge of the coach or chaperone.
  12. When visiting public places such as shopping malls, movie theatres, etc., swimmers will stay in groups of no less than two persons. 12 & Under athletes will be accompanied by a chaperone.
  13. The Head Coach or his/her designee shall make a written report of travel policy or code of conduct violations to the appropriate Club leadership and the parent or legal guardian of any affected minor athlete.