The mission of the Flyers Aquatic Swim Team (FAST) is to have a nationally recognized aquatics program that emphasizes good sportsmanship, team unity, family participation and individual excellence of swimmers at all levels. The FAST experience will provide opportunities for social, emotional and educational development of swimmers, empowering them to face challenges in and out of the water throughout their lifetime. 

The Flyers Aquatic Swim Team vision is to excel as a member of USA Swimming, organizationally with the Club Recognition program, and competitively with the Club Excellence program. 

In accordance with our mission and vision, all members of FAST are not only expected to comply with USA Swimming- mandated policies, but to promote FAST values when interacting with other FAST members, coaches, staff, volunteers, facilities and other teams. The FAST coaching staff and board of directors are committed to provide a safe, positive environment for our athletes to be able to succeed in and out of the pool and to grow into healthy, responsible adults. 

With this in mind, these values will be reinforced throughout the year by the coaching staff in practices, electronic communication and at parent meetings. Members not upholding our tradition of positive behavior in or out of the pool will be given guidance on how to model their personal behavior. There is a wide gap between not meeting your best potential and acting willfully against the team’s mission. In instances where personal behavior is threatening to others, facilities, the reputation of FAST or in violation of local laws, timely and appropriate punishment may be given to the individual(s) in violation of FAST policies up to, and including loss of membership privileges. The FAST Head Coach will evaluate issues of athlete or coach conduct. The FAST Board of Directors will evaluate issues of non-athlete conduct. 

The following areas of concern are specific and the most common areas everyone needs to be aware of. However, this should by no means be considered a complete list. Below is considered to be the FAST code of Conduct: 

General Conduct:

1. All members – swimmers, parents, volunteers, coaches are to treat each other with respect. During events where FAST interacts with other members or nonmembers of USA Swimming, they should be treated with the same respect. FAST is always trying to build positive relationships. Whether we are renting a pool, a hotel room or going to an out of town meet, we want to leave a positive impression within our membership and toward others. Whether it is not parking on the grass at Sperreng or not running in the halls at a hotel, the FAST coaching staff will set up rules for each situation to promote the best possible impression for our team as well as ensure the safety of all participants. Please always have the attitude that you want to adhere to these rules rather than to see how much leeway there is to the rules. It is better to stop short of a complaint than try to make up for one.
2. Use, sale, possesion or distribution of any drugs that are illegal, according to local law, or banned as per USA Swimming’s Performance Enhancing Drug policy (other than for medical condition) is prohibited for any athlete or employee of FAST. More detailed and current information on banned substances can be found at USADA.org.
3. Swimmers should arrive within 15-minutes of practices and meets, with the appropriate equipment/uniform, to be prepared to swim (but not earlier unless supervised by a parent or guardian). Swimmers should be picked up within 15- minutes of practice or meets ending. If swimmers are not driving themselves, the responsible driver should drop-off and/or pick-up the swimmers from the deck.
4. Bleacher talk should be appropriate for a youth athletic environment. While passing the time at a swim meet or practice is difficult to fill, please be conscious of how overheard conversations can affect young swimmers or other adults who hear them. A good general rule is to ask “would I say this in front of my own child/parent” and “would I say this to my coach (child’s coach)”. If the answer is “no” to either of those questions, it probably doesn’t need to be discussed in the bleachers. 

1. 1) The locker room at all practice and meet facilities is for athletes to change clothes, use the restroom and shower. Deck changing is prohibited. Loitering in locker rooms is not allowed.
2. Swimmers should not leave any items in a locker room that is not locked in a locker. If we do not have an agreement with a facility that we may use the lockers then no items should be left in the locker room.
3. Parents and siblings of athletes are encouraged to use a separate bathroom from the locker room. If there is no other bathroom available at a practice facility, parents and siblings may use the locker room with the following guidelines:
   1. siblings must be supervised by parents and may not use the restroom at the beginning or end of practice when team members are changing
   2. siblings over the age of 4 years old must use the locker room of their gender regardless of which parent is supervising them.
4. Team members should report conditions in the locker room to coaches immediately inconsistent with a safe locker room environment a) pooling of water, clogged toilets, flooding, or any other hazard that requires the attention of facility maintenance staff b) behavior in the locker room that is in conflict with any section of this code of conduct c) if at a FAST practice, anyone in the locker room that is not associated with FAST.
5. Cell phones are not to be used in any way in the locker room. Photography and video recording in a locker room is prohibited by USA Swimming and local law. Phone calls and texts can be handled outside of the locker room. Playing of music in the locker room encourages loitering, which is itself prohibited. This is separate from the issue of Electronic Communication conduct. 

Use of the locker room is a privilege.  If you choose to break any of the above listed rules, you will be subject to disciplinary action including suspension and/or termination from FAST.  FAST will not tolerate behavior problems in the locker rooms.  Anyone caught removing these rules from the locker room will lose locker room privileges.

Electronic Communication Conduct:

Electronic communication has advanced significantly over the past several years, but does not supersede common sense and decency. Electronic communication should be used prudently with regard to content, purpose and time of day in mind. The convenience it provides is not a substitute for substantive face-to-face communications or phone calls. Mass e-mails should not replace parent meetings. Group texts should not replace listening at practice. Specifically:

1. 1) E-Mail While coaches can receive e-mail at any hour of the day, please remember that most of their evenings are spent coaching and some weekends are completely tied up at the pool. Our staff strives to respond to all e-mails within twenty-four hours from when the e-mail was received. Athletes are encouraged to handle athlete/coach communication on the pool deck, but if they feel they need to contact the coach via e-mail, they should copy their parent(s) on the correspondence.
2. Text Messaging
   1. ​Texting between coach and athlete should be very limited and should include the parent(s) involved. Subject matter should be directed in a general format appropriate all athletes. 
   2. Texting between swimmer and coach should be very limited and should include the parent(s) of the swimmer. Subject matter should not involve anything other than swimming. If there is an important issue that requires the coaches attention, then the text could include a request for a meeting at a later time. 
   3. Texting between athletes should conform to the same rules that apply when swimmers are together in the same room. Text messages can be forwarded and posted to any electronic device and saved for all time. Athletes are encouraged to think before they text. If it is not appropriate to say in a mixed environment, then it is probably not appropriate to send via text. If there is ever an allegation regarding the content of a text message, the coaches will judge it as if it were said, out loud, in front of an all-team meeting.
3. Social media has evolved quickly and is still evolving. FAST will use social media as a tool for communication to families regarding the FAST schedule and accomplishments. As an organization, we want to put our best foot forward and leave a positive footprint in cyberspace. However, social media can take on a life of its own when people make posts based on emotion rather than rational thought. Forwarding or posting inflammatory messages to social media by our members undermines our mission and vision. In addition, while some safeguards are in place by social media providers to prevent youth under a certain age from utilizing social media, these safeguards are too often ignored or overridden.
   1. ​Coaches and other FAST employees over the age of 18 may have their own social media accounts, but are forbidden from “following” the account of any current athlete or former athlete under the age of 18 (with or without that parent(s) consent). Coaches may establish separate social media accounts for team business ONLY.
   2. Athletes under the age of 18 are not to request to “friend” or “follow” the private account of any coach or employee over the age of 18.

   3. As social media can be forwarded and/or recorded for all time, athletes and parents are asked to consider what the effect would be if comments or pictures that are posted to social media would have if they were posted on the wall of the pool area before posting. If there is ever an allegation regarding the content of a social media post, the coaches will judge it as if it were posted to the wall of the pool area.