Loggerhead Aquatics - est. 2008

Vision Statement

Loggerhead Aquatics is committed to excellence and dedicated to developing
world class citizens and world class athletes.

Mission Statement

The Loggerhead Aquatics Swim Team is a competitive program with the purpose and commitment to:
Advance the sport of swimming.
Recruit individuals who share our vision.
Provide swimmers with the highest quality coaching.
Create and maintain an enjoyable, safe, and productive swimming environment.
Recognize each individual and value his or her role in the success of our organization.
Encourage positive mental attitudes and mutual respect.
Teach and develop life skills through our swimming program.
Provide swimmers the opportunities to grow and succeed to their highest level, including the Olympic Dream.
To preserve the quality of the Loggerhead experience through appropriate growth and development.

Values

Excellence – reach maximum potential as athletes and coaches.
Develop strong work/goal relationships…balanced and realistic.
Develop an educationally sound and ethical program.
The Loggerhead program strives to instill in young swimmers an understanding of and appreciation for such concepts as high self-esteem, personal accountability, self-discipline, goal setting, and goal achievement as these ideas relate to their success in training and in competition. It is our belief that the process of achieving is as significant as realizing the achievement itself.

The Loggerhead coaching staff shall endeavor to teach, train, and motivate young people to achieve their ultimate potential in swimming in the belief that this experience will prove valuable to them as they grow and develop.

At each level of the Loggerhead program, swimmers are instructed to strive for excellence. Excellence represents achievements at which you know that you have done our utmost to become the best you are capable of becoming. This philosophy is consistent throughout the program, and every Loggerhead, novice to Olympian, is encouraged to “Be the Best You Can Be”.

Team Philosophy is encompassed in the words COURAGE and PERSEVERANCE
COURAGE is the willingness to accept risk(s) and endure failings. Courage does not exist unless there is a situation that presents the opportunity for success. We encourage our athletes to embrace these opportunities and not fear the outcome.

PERSEVERANCE is the backbone of success in any endeavor in life. One cannot succeed at the highest levels without enduring some set-backs. These difficult times can create a lack of faith, low self-esteem, and an obvious drop in enthusiasm. Perseverance is the quality that transcends these difficult times. It allows the individual to find the true strength of character.

Loggerhead Aquatics believes that COURAGE and PERSEVERANCE developed by swimming will prepare the individual for the challenges they will face in life.

When a young person becomes a member of Loggerhead Aquatics he/she learns the values of sportsmanship and team work. Swimming, through LA, provides physical, emotional and intellectual skills that will last a lifetime.
Loggerhead Aquatics is competitive program with the purpose and commitment to: advance the sport of swimming, recruit individuals who share our vision, provide swimmers with high quality coaching.

Convenience: The convenience of our whole facility package, when matched with our club team. The team will be able to use the main building for team meetings, stroke video viewing, etc.

Coaching: Nothing has a greater influence on the quality of children's sports than the excellence of the coach. The LA coaching staff consists of professionally trained coaches. They, as member coaches in the American Swimming Coaches Association, have access to the most comprehensive training and certification program for youth coaches of any sport in the United States. Certified coaches in USA Swimming programs possess training and experience in the physiology and psychology of adolescent development. Our coaching staff provides the assurances that the time your children spend in swimming will be quality time.

Electronic Communication Policy of the Loggerhead Aquatics

PURPOSE

Loggerhead Aquatics (the “Club”) recognizes the prevalence of electronic communication and social media in today’s world. Many of our swimmers use these means as their primary method of communication. While the Club acknowledges the value of these methods of communication, the Club also realizes that there are associated risks that must be considered when adults use these methods to communicate with minors.

GENERAL CONTENT

All communications between a coach or other adult and an athlete must be professional in nature and for the purpose of communicating information about team activities. The content and intent of all electronic communications must adhere to the USA Swimming Code of Conduct regarding Athlete Protection.

For example, as with any communication with an athlete, electronic communication should not contain or relate to any of the following:

drugs or alcohol use;
sexually oriented conversation; sexually explicit language; sexual activity
the adult’s personal life , social activities, relationship or family issues, or personal problems; and
inappropriate or sexually explicit pictures
Note: Any communication concerning an athlete's personal life, social activities, relationship or family issues or personal problems must be transparent, accessible and professional.

Whether one is an athlete, coach, or parent, the guiding principle to always use in communication is to ask: “Is this communication something that someone else would find appropriate or acceptable in a face-to-face meeting?” or “Is this something you would becomfortable saying out loud to the intended recipient of your communication in front of the intended recipient’s parents, the coaching staff, the board, or other athletes?”

With respect to electronic communications, a simple test that can be used in most cases is whether the electronic communication with swimmers is Transparent, Accessible and Professional.

Transparent: All electronic communication between coaches and athletes should be transparent. Your communication should not only be clear and direct, but also free of hidden meanings, innuendo and expectations.

Accessible: All electronic communication between coaches and athletes should be considered a matter of record and part of the Club’s records. Whenever possible, include another coach or parent in the communication so that there is no question regarding accessibility.

Professional: All electronic communication between a coach and an athlete should be conducted professionally as a representative of the Club. This includes word choices, tone, grammar, and subject matter that model the standards and integrity of a staff member.

If your communication meets all three of the T.A.P. criteria, then it is likely your method of communication with athletes will be appropriate.

FACEBOOK, MYSPACE, BLOGS, TWITTER, AND SIMILAR SITES

Communication between coaches and athletes should adhere to the above T.A.P. criteria. Coaches and athletes are not permitted to “private message” each other through Facebook. Coaches and athletes are not permitted to “instant message” each other through Facebook chat or other IM method. Coaches and athletes are not permitted to “direct message” each other through Twitter.

The Club has an official Facebook page and Twitter account that athletes and their parents can “friend” for information and updates on team-related matters.

TEXTING

Subject to the general guidelines mentioned above, texting is allowed between coaches and athletes during the hours from 7am until 9pm (on rare cases such as meets and travel trips this may vary). Texting only shall be used for the purpose of communicating information directly related to team activities.

EMAIL

Email communication between coaches and athletes should adhere to the above T.A.P. guidelines.

REQUEST TO DISCONTINUE ALL ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

The parents or guardians of an athlete may request in writing that their child not be contacted by coaches through any form of electronic communication.

Action Plan of Loggerhead Aquatics to Address Bullying

PURPOSE

Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at Loggerhead Aquatics (the “Club”) and will not be tolerated. Bullying is counterproductive to team spirit and can be devastating to a victim. The Club is committed to providing a safe, caring and friendly environment for all of our members. If bullying does occur, all athletes and parents should know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. Anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell a coach, board member or athlete/mentor.

Objectives of the Club’s Bullying Policy and Action Plan:

To make it clear that the Club will not tolerate bullying in any form.
To define bullying and give all coaches, parents and swimmers a good understanding of what bullying is.
To make it known to all parents, swimmers and coaching staff that there is a policy and protocol should any bullying issues arise.
To make how to report bullying clear and understandable.
To spread the word that Loggerhead Aquaticstakes bullying seriously and that all swimmers and parents can be assured that they will be supported when bullying is reported.

WHAT IS BULLYING?

The USA Swimming Code of Conduct prohibits bullying. Generally, bullying is the use of aggression, whether intentional or not, which hurts another person. Bullying results in pain and distress.

The USA Swimming Code of Conduct defines bullying in 304.3.7. Bullying is the severe or repeated use by one or more USA Swimming members of oral, written, electronic or other technological expression, image, sound, data or intelligence of any nature (regardless of the method of transmission), or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at any other member that to a reasonably objective person has the effect of:

causing physical or emotional harm to the other member or damage to the other member’s property;
placing the other member in reasonable fear of harm to himself/herself or of damage to his/her property;
creating a hostile environment for the other member at any USA Swimming activity;
infringing on the rights of the other member at any USA Swimming activity; or
materially and substantially disrupting the training process or the orderly operation of any USA Swimming activity (which for the purposes of this section shall include, without limitation, practices, workouts and other events of a member club or LSC).

REPORTING PROCEDURE

An athlete who feels that he or she has been bullied is asked to do one or more of the following things:

Talk to your parents;
Talk to a Club Coach;
Write a letter or email to the Club Coach;
Make a report to the USA Swimming Safe Sport staff.

There is no express time limit for initiating a complaint under this procedure, but every effort should be made to bring the complaint to the attention of the appropriate club leadership as soon as possible to make sure that memories are fresh and behavior can be accurately recalled and the bullying behavior can be stopped as soon as possible.
HOW WE HANDLE BULLYING

If bullying is occurring during team-related activities, we STOP BULLYING ON THE SPOT using the following steps:

Intervene immediately. It is ok to get 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.

If bullying is occurring at our club or it is reported to be occurring at our club, we address the bullying by FINDING OUT WHAT HAPPENED and SUPPORTING THE KIDS INVOLVED using the following approach:

FINDING OUT WHAT HAPPENED

First, we get the facts.
1. Keep all the involved children separate.
2. Get the story from several sources, both adults and kids.
3. Listen without blaming.
4. Don’t call the act “bullying” while you are trying to understand what happened.
5. It may be difficult to get the whole story, especially if multiple athletes are involved or the bullying involves social bullyingor cyber bullying. Collect all available information.
Then, we determine if it's bullying.There are many behaviors that look like bullyingbut require different approaches. It is important to determine whether the situation is bullying or something else.
1. Review the USA Swimming definition of bullying;
2. To determine if the behavior is bullying or something else, consider the following questions:
  - What is the history between the kids involved?
  - Have there been past conflicts?
  - Is there a power imbalance? Remember that a power imbalance is not limited to physical strength. It is sometimes not easily recognized. If the targeted child feels like there is a power imbalance, there probably is.
  - Has this happened before? Is the child worried it will happen again?
Remember that it may not matter “who started it.” Some kids who are bullied may be seen as annoying or provoking, but this does not excuse the bullying behavior.
Once you have determined if the situation is bullying, support all of the kids involved.

SUPPORTING THE KIDS INVOLVED

Support the kids who are being bullied
1. Listen and focus on the child. Learn what’s been going on and show you want to help. Assure the child that bullying is not their fault.
2. Work together to resolve the situation and protect the bullied child. The child, parents, and fellow team members and coaches may all have valuable input. It may help to:
  1. Ask the child being bullied what can be done to make him or her feel safe. Remember that changes to routine should be minimized. He or she is not at fault and should not be singled out. For example, consider rearranging lane assignments for everyone. If bigger moves are necessary, such as switching practice groups, the child who is bullied should not be forced to change.
  2. Develop a game plan. Maintain open communication between the Club and parents. Discuss the steps that will be taken and how bullying will be addressed going forward.
Be persistent.Bullying may not end overnight. Commit to making it stop and consistently support the bullied child.

Address bullying behavior
1. Make sure the child knows what the problem behavior is.Young people who bully must learn their behavior is wrong and harms others.
2. Show kids that bullying is taken seriously.Calmly tell the child that bullying will not be tolerated. Model respectful behavior when addressing the problem.
3. Work with the child to understand some of the reasons he or she bullied.For example:
  1. Sometimes children bully to fit in or just to make fun of someone is a little different from them. In other words, there may be some insecurity involved.
  2. Other times kids act out because something else—issues at home, abuse, stress—is going on in their lives. They also may have been bullied. These kids may be in need of additional support.
Involve the kid who bullied in making amends or repairing the situation.The goal is to help them see how their actions affect others. For example, the child can:
1. Write a letter apologizing to the athlete who was bullied.
2. Do a good deed for the person who was bullied, for the Club, or for others in your community.
3. Clean up, repair, or pay for any property they damaged.
Avoid strategies that don’t work or have negative consequences:
1. Zero tolerance or “three strikes, you’re out” strategies don’t work. Suspending or removing from the team swimmers who bully does not reduce bullying behavior. Swimmers may be less likely to report and address bullying if suspension or getting kicked off the team is the consequence.
2. Conflict resolution and peer mediation don’t work for bullying. Bullying is not a conflict between people of equal power who share equal blame. Facing those who have bullied may further upset kids who have been bullied.
Follow-up.After the bullying issue is resolved, continue finding ways to help the child who bullied to understand how what they do affects other people. For example, praise acts of kindness or talk about what it means to be a good teammate.
Support bystanders who witness bullying. Every day, kids witness bullying. They want to help, but don’t know how. Fortunately, there are a few simple, safe ways that athletes can help stop bullying when they see it happening.
1. Be a friend to the person being bullied;
2. Tell a trusted adult – your parent, coach, or club board member;
3. Help the kid being bullied get away from the situation. Create a distraction, focus the attention on something else, or offer a way for the target to get out of the situation. “Let’s go, practice is about to start.”
4. Set a good example by not bullying others.
5. Don’t give the bully an audience. Bullies are encouraged by the attention they get from bystanders. If you do nothing else, just walk away.

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