Safe Sport

  • We adhere to the policies and procedures of the Safe Sport Code, which establishes consistent standards of response and resolution to abuse and misconduct claims behavior.
  • If there are any violations to this code, it will be reported to USA Swimming Safe Sport and the U.S. Center for Safe Sport.
  • To Deal with a Safe Sport Concern, contact USA Swimming at (719) 866-4578.
  • Contact the U.S. Center for Safe Sport to make a report, use online reporting form, call 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233), or find out more information at www.uscenterforsafesport.org.
  • To report anonymously, text tips to 888-270-SWIM (7946).
  • We adhere to the USA Swimming Code of Conduct and the Safe Sport Best Practice Guidelines.
  • All coaches and Seals Board members are members of USA Swimming in good standing, have had pre-employment screens and background checks, and follow the USA Swimming rules.
  • The Safe Sport Club Coordinator is Betty Lee-Hoang, Seals President, and can be contacted at [email protected]
  • Seals Aquatics has been a Safe Sport Recognized Club since February 2024.
  • We implement the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) which addresses risk areas that present opportunities for abuse to occur (one-on-one interaction, travel, social media and electronic communication, locker rooms and changing areas, massages and rubdowns, etc) with signed acknowledgements by all board members.

 

Plan to Address Bullying

  • We refer to the Safe Sport action plan to address bullying.
  • Seals has a strict anti-bullying policy, and will not tolerate any kind of bullying.
  • If any issues arise, Seals takes it extremely seriously and has an action plan.
  • Any athlete who feels that he or she has been bullied is asked to do the following for reporting:
    • ​Talk to your parents;
    • Talk to a Seals coach, board member, or another designated individual;
    • Write a letter or email to the Seals coach, board member, or another designated individual;
    • Make a report to the USA Swimming Safe Sport staff.
  • ​STOP BULLYING ON THE SPORT using the following steps:
    • ​Intervene immediately by getting another adult to help.
    • Separate the kids involved.
    • Make sure everyone is safe.
    • Meet any immediate medical or mental health needs.
    • Stay calm.  Reassure the kids involved, including bystanders.
    • Model respectful behavior when you intervene.
  • ​Find out what happened and support the kids involved.
    • ​Keep all the involved children separate.
    • Get the story from several sources, both adults and kids.
    • Listen without blaming.
    • Don't call the act "bullying" while you are trying to understand what happened.
    • It may be difficult to get the whole story, especially if multiple kids are involved or the bullying involves social bullying or cyber bullying.  Collect all available information.
  • ​Support the kids involved by working together to make sure everyone feels safe.

 

Photography Policy

  • We refer to Safe Sport to address model photography policies.
  • The publishing of a photography of swimmer under 18 either on a notice board or in a published article or video recording (including video streaming) of swimming competitions should only be done with parents' consent, preferable in writing.
  • A parent or guardian has a right of refuse to have children photographed.  
  • All photographs must observe generally accepted standards of decency.
  • Photos should not be taken from behind the blocks at the start of a race or exhibit a child climbing out of the pool.
  • Photos should not be taken in locker rooms or bathrooms.

 

Locker Room Monitoring Procedure
  • Locker rooms and changing areas are a high-risk area for abuse to happen.
  • The Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy addresses this in the Locker Rooms and Changing Areas Section.
  • Seals ensures that locker rooms are safe and are allowed only for swimmers, and adults only if they are assisting their child.
  • When unsupervised in the locker room and changing areas, behave as you are expected to behave on the pool deck to ensure others' safety. 
  • Any misconduct that occurs in the locker room will immediately be brought to the attention of the parent/guardian, coach, or Seals Board Members, and the necessary discipline will take place.

 

Grievance Procedure

  • ​Seals Grievance Procedure provides swimmers, parents, coaches, club leader, and employees a system to address and report grievance in a productive, systemic way.
  • Following these procedures provides the appropriate parties a means to properly investigate, intervene, and take disciplinary action when needed.
  • For issues dealing with sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and/or sexually explicit or inappropriate communication through social media:
    • ​U.S. Center for Safe Sport:  call 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233) or https://safesport.i-sight.com/portal
  • ​For issues dealing with physical abuse, emotional abuse, criminal charges, and the use, sale or distribution of illegal drugs:
    • ​USA Swimming Safe Sport:  [email protected] or https://fs22.formsite.com/usaswimming/form10/index.html
  • ​For issues dealing with known or suspected child abuse:
    • ​Call 911 to contact local law enforcement and/or state required agency
  • ​For issues dealing with peer-to-peer bullying, coach-athlete bullying, parent issues, violations of Seals Code of Conduct and violation of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy:
    • ​Regarding the conduct of a swimmer, contact the coach and the coach will contact the Seals Board of Directors.
    • Regarding the conduct of a assistant or age group coach, contact the Head Coach and the Head Coach will contact the Seals Board of Directors.
    • Regarding the conduct of the Head Coach, contact the Seals President and the President will contact the Seals Board of Directors.
    • Regarding Board of Director member conduct, contact the Seals President.
    • Regarding parent or swim official conduct, notify the Head Coach and Seals President.  
  • ​Grievances will be handled by gathering information and and all information will be recorded on a grievance procedure form.
  • Assessment of behavior will be according to the club policies, facility rules, USA Swimming Code of Conduct, USA Swimming Safe Sport policies, as well as local and state laws.
  • Consequences will be given and disciplinary action will be taken, if appropriate.

 

Parent Consent Forms

  • Seals has adopted the MAAPP parents consent forms related to a licensed massage therapist or other certified professional, mental heath care professional, an unrelated adult athlete sharing lodging with a minor athlete, an unrelated applicable adult providing local transportation and/or an unrelated adult athlete to travel to competition with a minor athlete.  Parent consent forms under MAAPP are available here.
  • Seals MAAPP here

 

Raising the Bar

 

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

 

Strawberry Seals Swim Team partners with the Raising the Bar Campaign, a county-

wide initiative dedicated to keeping youth events substance free. Research shows that

parents have a significant influence on their children’s decisions regarding alcohol. By

working together to prevent underage alcohol consumption, we can have a direct

impact on the health of our local youth and decrease the short and long-term

consequences to adolescents, families, and our community as a whole.

Raising the Bar, a Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships program, collaborates with the

Marin Prevention Network, Marin County Office of Education, Marin Health and

Human Services, schools, local coalitions and youth organizations to shift the norms

of substance use and encourage modeling of healthy choices to create a healthier

environment for all Marin County youth.

We ask that all parents and caregivers abstain from using alcohol, tobacco, marijuana

and other substances and youth-focused events, sports competitions and team

celebrations. Please join us to ensure the well being of our youth by promoting healthy

modeling at all events in person or virtual.

For more information, please visit raisingthebarmarin.org.

 

Sincerely,

Strawberry Seals Swim Team

 

 

 

Raising the Bar, Keep Youth Events Substance Free Questions and Answers

 

1) What is Raising the Bar (RTB)?

Raising the Bar is a Marin county initiative that aims to shift the norms of substance

use and encourage modeling of healthy choices by keeping youth events substance

free. This important initiative was created in 2017 when the California County

Health Rankings released data showing that Marin County ranked higher than 80%

of all counties in California for excessive adult drinking. Higher than average rates

were also similar in the youth data.

 

2) Marin County Data:

• Between grades 7 and 9 current alcohol use increases by 325%.

• 41% of Marin County 9th graders have used alcohol or other drugs to get high.

• 31% of Marin County 11th graders reported that they have either driven in a car

after using alcohol or other drugs, or been driven by a friend who has used alcohol

or other drugs.

• Marin County 11th graders current BINGE DRINKING rate is double the state

average (2X)

• Parents have a significant influence on their kid’s decisions regarding alcohol. By

working together to prevent underage alcohol consumption, we can have a direct

impact on the health of our local youth and decrease the short and long-term

consequences of substance use for adolescents, families, and our community as a

whole.

 

3) How can parents support their youth and Raising the Bar, Keep Youth Events

Substance Free?

• Refrain from using or offering alcohol or other substances at all school events, on the

sidelines at games, tournaments, pre/post season sports events, and other youth-

focused activities.

• Practice healthy parent modeling at youth focused events, virtually or in-person. It's

important for youths to see that all - adults and youths alike - can have a good time

without drinking or using substances when participating in youth events.

 

4) What if I host a party at my house and it's adults only?

We are primarily interested in keeping youth-centered events substance free as a way

to model healthy behavior in their presence. When youths are not present, serving

alcohol is at the discretion of the host.