Monday, October 24, 2022
North Aquatics Club Earns Safe Sport Recognition Honor
North Aquatics Club (NAC) in Frankfort, Illinois has made a dedicated effort to weave USA Swimming’s Safe Sport policies into their team operations and culture, using the trainings and education not only as a regular part of their team communication, but also as a way for the athletes to bond and have fun together. In 2022, the team earned USA Swimming’s Safe Sport Club Recognition status. Board president Susie Murphy provides a closer look at how Safe Sport has become an important part of the Sharks team in this month’s Safe Sport spotlight.
1. What are three ways your team implements Safe Sport policies for your athletes, parents and coaches?
Twice a season, we hold parent meetings. One focus of these meetings is education. Safe Sport education has a place in every meeting we hold. We teach and remind our families where on the website they can gain access to Safe Sport policies and reporting mechanisms.
We have tried to send out Safe Sport info and education requests during "down time." During the season, parents and swimmers are often so busy. Therefore, we have made a big effort to use July-August and February-March as a time to ask parents and swimmers to complete online Safe Sport training modules. This has proven extremely effective for us.
Each winter, we have held a team meeting session with our oldest athletes. We use this as a time for team building along with the opportunity to remind them about help and protections available to them. In the past, we have brought in outside speakers for these events. We provide pizza and dessert and have finished off with a fun practice on these nights.
2. How effective do you feel these policies have been in shaping your team’s culture?
The mission of the North Aquatics Club is to provide the organization and spirit of a competitive swim team, while also allowing swimmers to feel good about themselves, grow as individuals and learn to effectively work with coaches and teammates in a safe and supportive environment. Every participant is a valued member of the team and educating our families to be aware of how to address concerns is extremely critical in shaping our culture. Having a love for the sport of swimming is the centerpiece of our organization. We take great effort in educating our families and following the policies to ensure a safe environment for our athletes. It is very easy for us to form a tight-knit community within our NAC Sharks family when everyone feels valued and safe.
3. What advice would you give other clubs in implementing Safe Sport procedures into their team operations?
Safety and culture MUST come first. Athletes and parents need to feel valued within your organization. In order to implement Safe Sport procedures, you need 100% buy-in from coaches, athletes and their families. Keep the fun in the sport, keep the lines of communication open and members of your community will step up and go above and beyond every time. We know our NAC Sharks families sure have!
For more on USA Swimming's Safe Sport Recognition Program, visit https://www.usaswimming.org/safe-sport/safe-sport-recognition-program.
1. What are three ways your team implements Safe Sport policies for your athletes, parents and coaches?
Twice a season, we hold parent meetings. One focus of these meetings is education. Safe Sport education has a place in every meeting we hold. We teach and remind our families where on the website they can gain access to Safe Sport policies and reporting mechanisms.
We have tried to send out Safe Sport info and education requests during "down time." During the season, parents and swimmers are often so busy. Therefore, we have made a big effort to use July-August and February-March as a time to ask parents and swimmers to complete online Safe Sport training modules. This has proven extremely effective for us.
Each winter, we have held a team meeting session with our oldest athletes. We use this as a time for team building along with the opportunity to remind them about help and protections available to them. In the past, we have brought in outside speakers for these events. We provide pizza and dessert and have finished off with a fun practice on these nights.
2. How effective do you feel these policies have been in shaping your team’s culture?
The mission of the North Aquatics Club is to provide the organization and spirit of a competitive swim team, while also allowing swimmers to feel good about themselves, grow as individuals and learn to effectively work with coaches and teammates in a safe and supportive environment. Every participant is a valued member of the team and educating our families to be aware of how to address concerns is extremely critical in shaping our culture. Having a love for the sport of swimming is the centerpiece of our organization. We take great effort in educating our families and following the policies to ensure a safe environment for our athletes. It is very easy for us to form a tight-knit community within our NAC Sharks family when everyone feels valued and safe.
3. What advice would you give other clubs in implementing Safe Sport procedures into their team operations?
Safety and culture MUST come first. Athletes and parents need to feel valued within your organization. In order to implement Safe Sport procedures, you need 100% buy-in from coaches, athletes and their families. Keep the fun in the sport, keep the lines of communication open and members of your community will step up and go above and beyond every time. We know our NAC Sharks families sure have!
For more on USA Swimming's Safe Sport Recognition Program, visit https://www.usaswimming.org/safe-sport/safe-sport-recognition-program.