Friday, April 28, 2023
Safe Sport Spotlight: Tanja Avant
Tanja Avant, Safe Sport Chair for Gulf Swimming and Co-Director of Competitive Age Group Swimming for Katy Aquatic Team For Youth, shares her insight on how to make the Safe Sport Club Recognition Program (SSRP) a priority.
How did you get involved with Safe Sport?
My whole life was spent in and around the water. I swam competitively in high school and absolutely loved it; I wanted to share that love with the kids I taught. I initially got involved with Safe Sport to ensure my daughter was swimming in a safe and inclusive environment. The longer I coached, the more invested I became in the children - they became my “swim kids” - and I wanted them to compete in a safe and inclusive environment. One of the first things I noticed when interviewing with Katy Aquatics was they weren’t Safe Sport Recognized. When hired, one of my goals was to become recognized within the first six months. It took eight months but by January 2022, we were approved. This accomplishment pushed me to get involved with the LSC (Local Swimming Committee), where I served on the Club Development Committee (2021), became the Club Development Committee Chair (2021-22) and am currently the Safe Sport Chair. My goal for Gulf Swimming is to be a resource to our athletes, coaches and parents, be the driving force for our clubs to become Safe Sport Recognized and to create programming that is focused on fostering a safe swimming culture.
Why is the SSRP program important?
How can clubs or LSCs make SSRP a top priority?
My advice can be summed up in two words: Get involved. If you want to make changes, get involved. LSCs need to make sure they have someone in the Safe Sport Chair position willing to work directly with Safe Sport concerns and be a valuable resource. Here are some tips:
How did you get involved with Safe Sport?
My whole life was spent in and around the water. I swam competitively in high school and absolutely loved it; I wanted to share that love with the kids I taught. I initially got involved with Safe Sport to ensure my daughter was swimming in a safe and inclusive environment. The longer I coached, the more invested I became in the children - they became my “swim kids” - and I wanted them to compete in a safe and inclusive environment. One of the first things I noticed when interviewing with Katy Aquatics was they weren’t Safe Sport Recognized. When hired, one of my goals was to become recognized within the first six months. It took eight months but by January 2022, we were approved. This accomplishment pushed me to get involved with the LSC (Local Swimming Committee), where I served on the Club Development Committee (2021), became the Club Development Committee Chair (2021-22) and am currently the Safe Sport Chair. My goal for Gulf Swimming is to be a resource to our athletes, coaches and parents, be the driving force for our clubs to become Safe Sport Recognized and to create programming that is focused on fostering a safe swimming culture.
Why is the SSRP program important?
SSRP is important because it gives a clear framework on how to start the process for creating a safe environment for all swimmers and coaches. In my mind, by completing the tasks and earning SSRP approval, clubs show their commitment to making competitive swimming a safe place where our athletes can learn and grow, both on and off the pool deck. Yes, at first, it is a lot of checking the boxes and ensuring policies and procedures are set in place but these are just steppingstones to help create a safe environment. SSRP allows you to create programming around topics which you may not initially think involve Safe Sport but if left unchecked could lead to issues and breaks in culture. This program leads to learning opportunities and creating positive team culture.
How can clubs or LSCs make SSRP a top priority?
My advice can be summed up in two words: Get involved. If you want to make changes, get involved. LSCs need to make sure they have someone in the Safe Sport Chair position willing to work directly with Safe Sport concerns and be a valuable resource. Here are some tips:
- Create programming around Safe Sport and/or related topics.
- Work in conjunction with other Chairs to weave Safe Sport learning opportunities into every LSC sponsored event.
- Create a resource and links page on your LSC website.
- Be a resource for clubs to ask questions about SSRP progress.