Aloha Aquatics Association (AAA) is committed to ensuring the protection of our athletes. To aid in this effort, please review the materials below to understand and spread the principles of USA Swimming's Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) and other Safe Sport information. It is imperative that all athletes, parents, coaches, administrators, officials, and volunteers become familiar with these principles.
Information about USA Swimming's Safe Sport Program
AAA's Safe Sport Coordinator – Shanna Barnes
AAA MAAPP 2.0 Policy
The Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) addresses one-on-one interactions, social media and electronic communications, travel: local and team, locker rooms and changing areas and massages, rubdowns and athletic training modalities. Every USA Swimming club, Zone and LSC is required to implement the MAAPP in full.
Aloha Aquatics Association's Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy
Aloha Aquatics Association Swimming Bullying Prevention
Bullying behaviors lead to a negative team environment if not handled properly and quickly. USA Swimming provides a free online course on bullying prevention for adults. Bully Prevention
Please click here to review Aloha Aquatics Association's Action Plan to Prevent Bullying.
Aloha Aquatics Association Best Practice Guidelines
AAA follows these Best Practice Guidelines for all our 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.
Aloha Aquatics Association Grievance Procedure
Our grievance procedure provides swimmers, parents, coaches, club leaders and employees a system to address and report grievances in a productive, systematic way. Please read about how we handle grievance procedure here
DEAL WITH A SAFE SPORT CONCERN
Where to start with your conern...
When making the decision to report a concern you have, it can often feel intimidating and overwhelming. Please use these guidelines to help you on the first step “Where do I report?” Please use the provided links which will additionally help you get in touch with the appropriate people.
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. If you are not sure who to contact with a concern please contact Safe Sport Staff at the National Office and we will be sure to talk through your concern, answer your questions and connect you with the correct people.
AAA Safe Sport Coordinator - Shanna Barnes
If you concern deals with any of the following:
- Sexual Misconduct
- Sexual Harassment
- Sexually Explicit/Inappropriate Communication through Social Media
Please contact the U.S. Center for Safe Sport to make a report. Use the online reporting form, call 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233), or find more information at www.uscenterforsafesport.org.
Text anonymous tips to 888-270-SWIM (7946)
If your concern deals with any of the following:
- Criminal Charges
- Use, Sale, or Distribution of illegal drugs
- Physical Abuse
- Inappropriate Touching
- Lap Sitting
- Coaches sharing hotel rooms with Athletes
- Rubdown or Massage performed by coaches
- Pictures or video taken in locker rooms or changing areas
Please contact [email protected] at the National Office or complete the online reporting form.
If your concern deals with any of the following:
- Fraud
- Deception
- Recruiting
Please make a report through your Zone Board of Review by referencing our Zone Directors List.
If your concern deals with any of the following:
- Peer to Peer Bullying
- Adult to Athlete Bullying
- Parent Issues
- Violations of team rules and team code of conduct
Please make a report on your team. We have provided a proposed letter of correspondence to assist you in beginning this process.
MANDATORY REPORTING RULE
Pursuant to federal law, all adults authorized to interact with minor or amateur athletes who learn of facts that give reason to suspect that a child has suffered an incident of child abuse, including sexual abuse, shall make a report of the suspected abuse to law enforcement and/or your state’s designated agency within 24 hours.
ARTICLE 306
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
.1 It is every member’s responsibility to promptly report any incident regarding sexual misconduct by a member as described in Article 304.3.8 to USA Swimming’s Director of Safe Sport. Reporting must occur when an individual has firsthand knowledge of misconduct or where specific and credible information has been received from a victim or knowledgeable third party. Various state laws may also require reporting to law enforcement or to a designated child protection agency.
.2 No member shall retaliate against any individual who has made a good faith report under 306.1.
.3 False reporting of sexual misconduct made in bad faith is prohibited.
.4 Neither civil nor criminal statutes of limitation apply to reports of cases of sexual abuse.”
