In order to protect our athletes, Cougar Aquatics follows all USA Swimming and Safe Sport Guidelines to provide a safe and postive learning environment for everyone to enjoy and thrive in. Please view our policies and links down below to learn more information. 

Please review the documents below. Before any athlete and family can join our team, they must sign the last page of our Team Handbook to show agreement and understanding of our policies and USA Swimming policies. We also require that parents fill out the photgraphy/video form. Ths form is required for photos to be taken of your child at meets, practices, events, etc. It is also needed in order for us to use the underwater cameras for technique and instructional purposes. Please contact our parent board at [email protected] for any questions on our forms or policies. 

We also require all parents and 13 & Over athletes to complete the Online Safe Sport Education module offered through USA Swimming for free. To view the courses please visit www.usaswimming.org/learn. Athletes need to take the Safe Sport Education for Athletes & Parents need to take the Safe Sport Education for Parents. 

Cougar Aquatics Safe Sport Chair: Kelly Pollestad - [email protected]

Inland Empire Safe Sport Contact: April Walkley - [email protected]

 

Cougar Aquatics MAAPP Policy 

Cougar Aquatics Photography Policy 

Cougar Aquatics Bullying Policy 

Cougar Aquatics Team Handbook

Cougar Aquatics Agreement Form 

Team Travel Consent Form

 

To deal with a Safe Sport concern, contact USA Swimming at (719)-866-4578 or at the following link https://www.usaswimming.org/safe-sport/report-a-concern

Contact the U.S. Center for Safe Sport to make a report. Call 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233) or use the online reporting form at https://safesport.i-sight.com/portal or find more information at http://www.uscenterforsafesport.org/

 

Best Practice Guidelines The following Best Practice Guidelines are strongly recommended for all USA Swimming members.

1. Parents should be encouraged to appropriately support their children’s swimming experience.
2. All swimming practices should be open to observation by parents.
3. Coaches should not initiate contact with or accept supervisory responsibility for athletes outside club programs and activities.
4. When only one athlete and one coach travel to a competition, at the competition the coach and athlete should attempt to establish a “buddy” club to associate with during the competition and when away from the venue.
5. Relationships of a peer-to-peer nature with any athletes should be avoided. For example, coaches should avoid sharing their own personal problems with athletes.
6. Coaches and other non-athlete adult members should avoid horseplay and roughhousing with athletes.
7. When a coach touches an athlete as part of instruction, the coach should do so in direct view of others and inform the athlete of what he/she is doing prior to the initial contact. Touching athletes should be minimized outside the boundaries of what is considered normal instruction. Appropriate interaction would include high fives, fist bumps, side-to-side hugs and handshakes.
8. Coaches should avoid having athletes as their favorites. They should also avoid creating a situation that could be perceived as them having favorites.
9. Gift-giving, providing special favors or showing favoritism to individual athletes is strongly discouraged
 

Locker Room Misconduct

In the event of Locker room misconduct - an investigation will begin through the Safe Sport process. We will make sure to get all sides of the incident and then will report the incident to the appropriate party (local law enforcement, parent board, USA Swimming, US Center for Safe Sport, etc.). We will work closely with USA Swimming Safe Sport to come to the most appropriate course of action and disciplinary action. Locker room misconduct will not be tolerated and all accusations will be thoroughly looked at.