With April being Child Abuse Prevention Month, it is an important time to recognize some of the USA Swimming Safe Sport programs and initiatives that you and your club can utilize. See what is available below:

Reporting a Concern
If there is a concern you may have, USA Swimming and the U.S. Center for Safe Sport have put together step-by-step instructions on how you can report an issue. Click here to view more.

Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy
The Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) 2.0 was implemented in September 2021. There are numerous documents, resources, videos and more that can help you understand the policy and why it was implemented.

Safe Sport Club Recognition
Become a USA Swimming Safe Sport Recognized Club today! This program allows clubs to demonstrate its commitment with USA Swimming to creating a healthy and positive environment free from abuse for all athletes. In addition, USA Swimming Safe Sport recognized clubs receive a number of benefits and opportunities, such as pop-up tents, virtual visits from U.S. National Team members, grants and more. To learn more about how your club can become USA Swimming Safe Sport recognized, head to www.usaswimming.org/ssrp.

Free Trainings
USA Swimming has numerous educational opportunities and Safe Sport training sessions for coaches, athletes and parents. Head to USA Swimming’s Webinars & Presentations page to see when the next monthly Safe Sport Club Recognition trainings are. Free training for parents and athletes can be found at USA Swimming’s LEARN website here.  

Safe Sport Activity Books
The Activity Books are still available! These books are designed to help start and guide USA Swimming Safe Sport conversations between trusted adults and athletes. To purchase books, please visit our purchasing page here. PDF versions for 5-11 year olds and 12-18 year olds are also available to download.

Red Flags Behaviors
During last year’s Child Abuse Prevention Month, USA Swimming posted an article about Red Flag Behaviors. Read the piece here to learn what behaviors to be on the lookout for. If you aren’t sure whether concerning behavior should be reported, contact local law enforcement or child protective services. In addition, you can reach out to USA Swimming’s Safe Sport staff at SafeSport@usaswimming.org and the U.S. Center for SafeSport here.  

Resources in Spanish
USA Swimming Safe Sport provides numerous resources in Spanish for our members. Some examples include model policies to address bullying or photography, Safe Sport best practices and MAAPP sample forms.
Check back to www.usaswimming.org for more Safe-Sport related articles throughout the month of April. If you would like any additional information, resources or have any questions, please reach out to SafeSport@usaswimming.org or head to www.usaswimming.org/safe-sport.