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​