The Mason Makos swim team is committed to protecting your swimmers by following the Safe Sport Guidelines defined by USA Swimming.  We encourage you to read the materials on the USA Swimming web site and summarized below, and we encourage you to contact Coach Heather if you have any concerns.  In addition you may contact our MAKO Safe Sport Coordinator by clicking HERE.

Click HERE to review USA Swimming's Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy.

MAKO CODE OF CONDUCT

The mission of the Mason MAKOS Swim Team is to foster swimming as a fun, lifelong activity in a family-oriented environment.  To support this mission, the Mason MAKOS Swim Team (the “Team”) holds the following expectations of all swimmers:

 

✤ Swimmers will not use social media to degrade, demean, or attack any person, team or organization.

✤ Swimmers will not use derogatory language or distribute material that is of a sexual, racist, obscene, or profane nature.

✤ Swimmers will not engage in illegal or inappropriate behavior that would detract from a positive image of the Team or be detrimental to performance objectives.

✤ Swimmers will not possess or use alcohol or tobacco products during any Team activity including, but not limited to, meets, practices and/or social functions.

✤ Swimmers will not participate in and/or condone bullying in any way, shape or form in accordance with USA Swimming’s Anti Bullying Policy.

✤ Swimmers will display proper respect and sportsmanship towards coaches, officials, administrators, teammates, fellow competitors, and the public at all times.

✤ Swimmers will represent the Team in a positive manner at all times.

✤ Swimmers will not engage in inappropriate physical contact during any Team activity

 

 If the above expectations are not met, swimmers may be subject to the following:

  • Disqualification from one or more Team activities;
  • Disqualification from future Team travel meets;
  • Termination of participation in any of the above listed Team activities and immediate return home at the expense of the Swimmer; and/or
  • Dismissal from the Team.

CELL PHONE & LOCKER ROOM POLICY

This policy is in place for the protection of our swimmers and is something that is STRICTLY enforced. Our policy mirrors that of George Mason University and USA Swimming.  Should a swimmer violate the following policy, they are at risk of losing their privilege to use the locker rooms, and also being taken off of the MAKO team. This type of behavior could put the  MAKO team reputation and good standing with GMU at risk.

MAKO Swimming has staggered practices, with different groups arriving and departing throughout the day. It is therefore not practical to constantly monitor locker rooms and changing areas over this extended course of time. While we do not post coaches inside or at the doors of the locker rooms and changing areas, we do make occasional sweeps of these areas. Coaches conduct these sweeps, with women checking on female locker rooms, and men checking on male locker rooms.

Cell phones and other mobile devices with recording capabilities, including voice recording, still cameras and video cameras increase the risk for different forms of misconduct in locker rooms and changing areas. The USA Swimming Athlete Protection Policies prohibit the use of such devices in the locker room or other changing area:

305.3 Use of audio or visual recording devices, including a cell phone camera, is not allowed in changing areas, rest rooms or locker rooms. 

Please review the above policy with all swimmers.  The use of a cell phone in a locker room, rest room or changing area is prohibited.  If a swimmer needs to make a phone call, he/she may do so either in the hallway, our outside of the building. 

USA SWIMMING CODE OF CONDUCT

USA Swimming is committed to fostering a fun, healthy and safe environment for all of its members. For that reason, USA Swimming has in place a detailed Code of Conduct. The following rules, policies, reporting structure, education and tools are intended to serve our members as we work together to maintain this environment.  Please click HERE to review the USA Swimming Best Practices Policy for our swimmers.  In addition MAKO also has an Action Plan to Prevent Bullying adopted from USA Swimming.  Please click HERE to review.

Mission Statement: USA Swimming is committed to safeguarding the well‐being of all of its members, with the welfare of its athlete members as the top priority.

Guiding Principles

  1. USA Swimming believes that every member should have a safe, healthy, fun sport environment.

  2. USA Swimming believes that every young person should be protected from abuse and safe from harm.

  3. USA Swimming believes that all non‐athlete members share a collective responsibility to protect our membership.

  4. USA Swimming will make available training for all members to increase awareness and understanding of athlete protection policies and best practices. USA Swimming will provide a process for members to recognize and respond to any Safe Sport issues that arise.

  5. USA Swimming will provide resources, information, and guidance on Safe Sport related issues to all members, including coaches, parents and athletes.

  6. USA Swimming will treat all allegations of abuse or concerns regarding athlete safety seriously and will respond appropriately and as prescribed by the USA Swimming Rules and Regulations.

For questions or concerns, please contact Liz Hahn, [email protected], the Safe Sport Senior Manager at USA Swimming. Liz oversees USA Swimming's efforts to foster safe and positive training environments.

First Line of Defense

Background checks and pre-employment screens are critical tools to selecting the best possible people for staff and volunteer positions by USA Swimming clubs. All MAKO coaches, officials, and volunteers must satisfactorily pass a criminal background check in order to become non-athlete members of USA Swimming. Additionally, all USA Swimming clubs must perform three required pre-employment screens on any new employee.

Parent Education

The USA Swimming Safe Sport Program is proud to offer free athlete protection training to the parents of our member athletes.  Parents are a critical component to our overall goal to protecting children from sexual abuse.  The comprehensive online programming includes information about how offenders operate; how to recognize and respond to boundary violations, myths and facts about child sexual abuse and USA Swimming’s Athlete Protection Policies and Procedures.

Please take the USA Swimming Free Parent Training to learn more.

Recognizing and Reporting

USA Swimming requires the reporting of sexual misconduct by any member and strongly encourages reporting boundary violations, red flag behavior, and any other inappropriate conduct.

If you have been the victim of abuse or are have questions about your situation, please contact Safe Sport Director Abigail Howard ([email protected]), Safe Sport Coordinator Tiffany Midkiff ([email protected]), or Safe Sport Staff Liz Hahn ([email protected]), who can help answer any questions you may have.

The USA Swimming Code of Conduct requires any individual with credible information involving sexual misconduct to report that information to our Safe Sport Program staff. Providing specific information regarding abuse or suspected abuse helps USA Swimming to investigate the complaint, and, when appropriate, levy consequences, including revocation of membership.

Child abuse and child sexual abuse is a crime. If USA Swimming receives a complaint of sexual misconduct involving a minor, we will report it to the proper authorities. We urge all individuals to do the same.

Out of respect for the importance of this issue and to encourage honest and effective reporting, knowingly false or vindictive reporting will not be tolerated.

If you want to speak to someone immediately, contact Safe Sport Director Abigail Howard ([email protected]) or 719-866-3589 or Safe Sport Program Coordinator, Liz Hahn, at [email protected] or 719-866-3542.  

USA Swimming and US Center for Safe Sport contact and reporting information: