Athlete Protection Training Requirement for Adult Athletes

Starting June 23, 2019, adult athletes will be required to complete the USA Swimming Athlete Protection Training. This resource is intended to provide information regarding this membership requirement.

USA Swimming requires all adult members to complete Athlete Protection training. Previously, this requirement did not extend to adult athlete members. This training and education requirement is not a part of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP)

As a membership requirement, adult athletes who are currently 18 and older must complete this training. Adult athletes will be given a 30-day grace period in which to complete the training. Those athlete members who are 17, about to turn 18, must complete this training by their 18th birthday. Successful completion the training, on an annual basis, is now a membership requirement of adult athletes, and failure to complete it will result in an athlete’s inability to swim in a meet or at practice. This is the same membership requirement for all non- athlete members.

Frequently Asked Questions A: An adult athlete is an athlete member age 18 years and older.

Q: What is an adult athlete?
Q: Can an athlete take the training before they turn 18?

A: Yes. Subject to parental consent, an athlete can access and complete the training prior to turning 18.

Q: How is the training accessed?
A: An adult athlete will access the same training that non-athlete members must take at www.usaswimming.org/apt. The athlete member will enter his or her name and date of birth to initiate the process and log into the LEARN platform. Once in the LEARN system the athlete will access the Athlete Protection Training.

Q: Which courses are required to complete Athlete Protection Training?
A: Adult athlete must take the Athlete Protection Training: Core Course. Upon completion of the course, the athlete will receive a completion certificate.

To renew, members will annually alternate between taking a refresher course and the Core Course from the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

Q: Will the free athlete training count towards the requirement?
A: No. The course labeled “Free Safe Sport Training for Minor Athletes” does not satisfy the requirement. Adult athletes must complete the “Athlete Protection Training”.

Q: Can athletes take the training in a large group with one login to the training?
A: No. Each adult athlete must login to LEARN with their own name and date of birth, otherwise there will not be a way to track that they have completed the training. Suggestion: Take a training practice time and have all the athletes that must complete the training in one place, with their own electronic device. Have them log in on their own but complete the training in a group setting. This way the club can account for them taking it.

Q: How will an adult athlete be able to show that they completed the training?

A: Once the adult athlete completes the training, the athlete’s member record in SWIMS will populate an updated training expiration date. The athlete’s Deck Pass account will also reflect whether the adult athlete has completed the training.

Q: How will an LSC or meet official know whether an adult athlete has completed the training? A: The meet recon report will reflect whether an adult athlete has completed the training.

Q: Is there a grace period in order to complete the training?
A: Yes. There is a 30-day grace period given to the adult athletes to complete this initial training requirement.

Q: Do masters swimmers have to complete the training?
A: This APT training requirement is a USA Swimming adult athlete membership requirement. If a U.S. Master’s Swimming member is also a USA Swimming athlete member, is only required to complete the training as a requirement of continued athlete membership in USA Swimming.

Q: What happens if an adult athlete competes in a meet without completing the training?
A: If an adult athlete member competes when their membership requirement was not satisfactorily fulfilled, swim time would not be valid. This will affect an adult athlete’s’ ability to achieve qualifying times.

Q: How will a club know whether or not adult athlete members have completed the training?
A: A club will be able to view whether or not an athlete member has completed the training by viewing the roster in the Club Portal. Clubs will also be able to run a Membership Status report and a custom member report as well.

Q: How will a Meet Director know that an athlete is ineligible to swim?
A: When a Meet Director runs a recon report, any athlete that has not completed the training will show as ineligible. This will be similar to those non-athlete members who will show up for not having up to date credentials.

Q: Does an adult athlete registering for Single Meet Open Water membership required to complete the training before being able to compete?
A: No. Adult athletes registering for Single Meet Open Water membership will not have regular, frequent and/ or direct contact with minor athletes and therefore is not required to complete APT as a requirement of membership.

Q: Is it expected that those adult athletes with developmental delays or disabilities complete the training?
A: No. Adult athletes with cognitive delays are not required to complete the Athlete Protection Training. The U.S. Center for SafeSport has given the USA Swimming the authority to decide how to apply the education and training requirement to these athlete members. Currently, USA Swimming is working on the best solution to be finalized and communicated by July 23, 2019 (implementation date of June 23 plus the 30-day grace period).

Q: Is the Athlete Protection Training be available in other languages?
A: Yes. Currently, the training is offered in English, Spanish and French.

Q: Is the training available for the hearing and vision impaired?

A: The training is currently available in closed caption for the hearing impaired. It is not currently available in a form available for vision impaired. Suggestion: A solution to this would be for the athlete to complete the training alongside an aid or someone else to help relay the information.

UPDATED QUESTIONS (March 11, 2020)