A message from the President

Hello, 

I wanted to take a moment to briefly touch base on some topics that have been coming up lately. These topics have been regularly brought to the attention of our coaching staff and our team manager. As such, I would like to briefly address them.

1.  We have looked deeper into SafeSport regulations and have determined that it is permissible to “pass through” the locker rooms when picking up swimmers after practice. This is based in part on the physical structure and staffing of the Recreation and Aquatic Center. SafeSport does have specific rules and regulations around locker room access and usage during meets. However, those regulations do not apply during practices when parents, guardians and the public are using the locker room as the only way to access the aquatic facility.

2.  Newport Swim Team—under guidance of Oregon Swimming and USA Swimming—complies with all State and Federal equality laws. As such, we do not discriminate against any individual in a protected class, and we do not tolerate such actions by our membership. The Rec Center sent out a communication weeks ago addressing locker room availability and the facility’s compliance with State and Federal Laws. Gender specific, gender neutral and family locker rooms are available—providing options for everyone’s needs and comfort. NST members should use the locker room that works for their needs, and they should not discriminate against non-members doing the same.

3. Newport Swim Team Board Members have once again opened the dialog with the Rec Center about use of the Atrium Door to access the pool. It was a productive conversation, and the Rec Center is working on a future solution. In the meantime, the Rec Center is not able to keep the door open or allow access due to staffing constraints. The management did compromise that if we could staff it reliably four days per week from 3:30-7:00, they were open to the idea of NST using it. A call for NST volunteers to staff the door was put out to the general membership and we received zero responses. As such, we must comply with the Rec Center’s request to NOT use the door. So please DO NOT ask Rec staff. Any harassment of Rec Center staff on this matter goes against NST’s code of conduct. We ask that you do your part to preserve our relationship with our landlord.

4. Lastly, I would like to remind (or educate) everyone about the relationship between NST and the Rec Center. The Rec Center—including the pool—belongs to the City of Newport. The Rec Center operates with its own set of rules and is managed by City employees. Newport Swim Team is a non-profit that RENTS pool time and lifeguard coverage six days per week from the City of Newport. We are a tenant, and we want to maintain a good, strong relationship with our landlord--the City of Newport and Rec Center Management—as we regularly negotiate our rent.

I hope this message clears up some topics that have been circulating around. As always, I discourage bleacher talk and encourage questions be directed to our team manager, head coach and board members. They are the best source of accurate information.

Kacey Baxter
NST President