MANHATTAN MARLINS

Missouri Valley Swimming
Level 2

Safe Sport Information

The Manhattan Marlins strives to be a safe and inclusive environment for all athletes and works in accordance with USA Swimming's Safe Sport guidelines. Safe Sport is a commitment 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. Further resources for Safe Sport and USA Swimming's athlete protection recommendations and procedures are provided below. Please complete the Safe Sport Trainings below the video.

USA Swimming Safe Sport Home Page

Manhattan Marlins MAAP Policy

Manhattan Marlins Anti-Bullying Policy

Marlins Grievance Policy


Safe Sport Training:
Safe Sport information for Swim Parents
Safe Sport for information for Athletes Ages 12+

For athletes: (Turn off pop up blockers on your web browser)

  1. Visit https://www.usaswimming.org/; Click on “Login/Register” to log in to your account.
  2. Next click on “Education” in the blue toolbar. 
  3. Select Course Catalog.
  4. Select “Safe Sport Courses.”
  5. Click on “Safe Sport for Youth Athletes (13-17)”
  6. Click on “Go to Course”.
  7. You will need to accept terms and conditions and then proceed to taking the course. 
  8. Once you have completed the course download your certificate.

For parents: (Turn off pop up blockers on your web browser)

  1. Visit https://www.usaswimming.org/; Click on “Login/Register” to log in to your account.
  2. Next click on “Education” in the blue toolbar. 
  3. Select Course Catalog.
  4. Select “Safe Sport Courses.”
  5. Click on Parent’s Guide to Misconduct in Sport,
  6. Click on “Go to Course”.
  7. You will need to accept terms and conditions and then proceed to taking the course. 
  8. Once you have completed the course download your certificate.

Safe Sport Best Practices
The following Best Practice Guidelines are strongly recommended for all USA Swimming members.
1. Parents should be encouraged to appropriately support their children’s swimming experience.
2. All swimming practices should be open to observation by parents.
3. Coaches should not initiate contact with or accept supervisory responsibility for athletes outside club programs and activities.
4. When only one athlete and one coach travel to a competition, at the competition the coach and athlete should attempt to establish a “buddy” club to associate with during the competition and when away from the venue.
5. Relationships of a peer-to-peer nature with any athletes should be avoided. For example, coaches should avoid sharing their own personal problems with athletes.
6. Coaches and other non-athlete adult members should avoid horseplay and rough housing with athletes.
7. When a coach touches an athlete as part of instruction, the coach should do so in direct view of others and inform the athlete of what he/she is doing prior to the initial contact. Touching athletes should be minimized outside the boundaries of what is considered normal instruction.
Appropriate interaction would include high fives, fist bumps, side-to-side hugs and handshakes.
8. Coaches should avoid having athletes as their favorites. They should also avoid creating a situation that could be perceived as them having favorites.
9. Gift-giving, providing special favors or showing favoritism to individual athletes is strongly discouraged.

Questions & Concerns