USA Swimming Personal Assistant Policy

Effective September 1, 2021

A Personal Assistant* is an individual who assists an athlete requiring help with activities of daily living and preparation for athletic participation. Personal Assistants provide support unique to the needs of the athlete(s) in their care. This support may include, but, is not limited to, mobility guidance, assistance with transfer, entering/exiting the pool, dressing, showering, toileting, medication administration, and communication. Some athletes require Personal Assistants to enable successful participation in the sport, while others need help to assure personal safety in practice and meet environments.

Identification and Approval of the Use of Personal Assistants

Coaches may approve the use of Personal Assistants at practice while Meet Referees approve the use of Personal Assistants for meets. It is recommended that coaches and referees ask the following questions to evaluate whether to approve a Personal Assistant:

1. Is the swimmer a swimmer with a disability as defined by USA Swimming?

2. Does the proposed modification facilitate participation by the swimmer with a disability?

3. Is the proposed modification fair to other swimmers in the event?

4. Is the proposed modification feasible?

5. Will this assistant have frequent contact with athletes? If so, are they a registered USA Swimming

   Member and have they been background checked?

Required USA Swimming Membership

Personal Assistants hired or appointed by USA Swimming, Zones, LSCs and member clubs, who act in a coaching capacity and/or who have direct and frequent contact with minor athletes other than those to whom they provide care must be members of USA Swimming. Personal Assistants who are only acting in this role at occasional meets and practices are not required to be a member of USA Swimming.

Specifically, a parent/legal guardian acting in the role of a Personal Assistant for their child whose care requires the parent/legal guardian to have frequent access to locker rooms, changing areas or similar spaces where other Minor Athletes are present is required to be a member of USA Swimming.

Personal Assistants Exception to the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy

Subject to the conditions below, certain exceptions are available to certain sections of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy. Specifically:

One-on-one In-Program Contact interactions between a Minor Athlete and a Personal Assistant of whom membership is required are not required to occur at an observable and interruptible distance from another adult only when:

1. the Personal Assistant is a non-athlete member of USA Swimming; and

2. the minor athlete’s parent/legal guardian has provided written consent for the Personal Assistant

   to work with the minor athlete.

In-Program one-on-one individual training sessions outside of the regular course of training and practice between a Personal Assistant of whom membership is required and minor athletes are not required to be observable and interruptible by another adult only when:

1. the Personal Assistant is a non-athlete member of USA Swimming; and

2. the minor athlete’s parent/legal guardian has provided written consent for the Personal Assistant

   to work with the minor athlete.

One-on-one Electronic Communications between a Personal Assistant of whom membership is required and a minor athlete are not required to copy or include the minor athlete’s parent/legal guardian only when:

a. the Personal Assistant is a non-athlete member of USA Swimming; and
b. the minor athlete’s parent/legal guardian has provided written consent for the Personal Assistant

to work with the minor athlete.

A Personal Assistant of whom membership is required may transport a minor athlete one-on-one during In- Program Travel and is not required to transport at least two minor athletes or another Adult Participant only when:

1. the Personal Assistant is a non-athlete member of USA Swimming; and

2. the minor athlete’s parent/legal guardian has provided written consent for the Personal Assistant

   to work with the minor athlete.

A Personal Assistant of whom membership is required may share a hotel room, sleeping arrangement or overnight lodging location with an athlete, may have In-Program Contact in a hotel room, sleeping arrangement or overnight lodging location during In-Program Travel that is not observable and interruptible and is not required to follow two-deep leadership and maintain observable and interruptible environments when doing room checks during In-Program Travel only when:

1. the Personal Assistant is a non-athlete member of USA Swimming; and

2. the minor athlete’s parent/legal guardian has provided written consent for the Personal Assistant

   to work with the minor athlete; and

3. the minor athlete’s parent/legal guardian has provided advance, written consent for the lodging

   arrangement.

Personal Assistants of whom membership is required are permitted to be with and assist minor athlete(s) in locker rooms, changing areas or similar spaces where other Minor Athletes are present.

Are Personal Assistants Covered by USA Swimming Insurance?

USA Swimming members engaging in covered activities with USA Swimming member clubs are covered by the USA Swimming provided general liability insurance. The USA Swimming provided general liability insurance is not affected by the activities of Personal Assistants of whom membership is not required but the USA Swimming provided excess accident insurance does not cover injuries resulting from or directly related to the actions of Personal Assistants who are not members of USA Swimming.