Athlete Protection Training

The Athlete Protection Training is provided through the U.S. Center for SafeSport. The required course is found on the USA Swimming LEARN site and must be renewed annually. All new and existing adult members of USA Swimming, including adult athletes, must satisfactorily complete Athlete Protection Training as required by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

POLICY

Training

This training is required for all new and existing members, including coaches, officials, chaperones, meet directors, and adult athletes.

If you have registered with USA Swimming for the first time, you need to take the "Athlete Protection Training: SafeSport ^TMTrained core course"

Pre-requisite

New members will be required to have their USA Swimming membership application form and payment processed by their Local Swimming Committee registrar before they can sign in to complete the course.

The Cost

The course is free of charge and, upon completion, should update in your membership record within 24 hours. Initiate the course by entering your information in the boxes below.

START THE TRAINING

To complete Athlete Protection Training: SafeSport^TM Trained course, please follow these directions:

Enter your first name, last name, and birthday. Make sure to use the name on your USA Swimming Registration. Click the Search button.
When the system finds you, click on "CONTINUE" to access the LEARN site.
You must take the course(s) within the "Athlete Protection Training" module to complete the requirement.
Once you have completed your courses, your membership record will update within 24 hours with a new APT expiration date.
Your APT will expire 12 months after you complete the certificate.

Start the Process

First Name

Last Name

Birthdate

Members with Cognitive Disabilities

USA Swimming recognizes the required training course may not be appropriate for some adult athlete members with cognitive disabilities. For any such adult athlete member, please reference this information for exemptions and accommodations. Additionally, completing this training may be triggering or re-traumatizing for victims/survivors. Exemptions for this requirement may be made on a case-by-case basis. Requests may be made to USA Swimming.

LEARN MORE

REQUEST AN EXEMPTION

FAQs and Safe Sport Contact Directory

Have more questions?

Contact LEARN

How long is the Athlete Protection Training?

The Athlete Protection Training: SafeSport™ Trained core course will take you about 90 minutes. "Refresher" will take about 35 minutes. You may stop the course at any time and pick up where you left off the next time you log in.

Do I take the same course every year?

No, you will take "Athlete Protection Training: SafeSport™ Trained core course" one year and "Refresher" the next. If you have taken the core course previously: You can renew your Athlete protection Training by taking a Refresher Course as early as 90 days prior and up to your expiration date. The refresher training must be completed no later than the date of expiration on your learn dashboard or you will be required to retake the core course again.

What is the difference between the ‘APT core course’ and the ‘APT for Adult Athletes’? Does the ‘APT for Adult Athletes’ meet the APT educational requirement for 18+ swimmers?

The curriculum of those two courses is quite different. Both courses are developed by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

The Core course is the requirement and covers the key topics that the congressional mandate said that youth sport organizations need to educate about. Athletes ages 18 and older are required to take this course due to their potential contact with minor athletes.

The Adult Athlete course is an optional course that covers the specific areas of boundaries and power dynamics between adult athletes and adult coaches.

Will I receive credit for this course?

Yes, if you have a member account. If you create a non-member account, you will not receive credit for the courses you take.

How do I come back to LEARN if I logout?

As a member, you MUST ALWAYS enter LEARN by entering your name and DOB in the form above. If you make a non-member account on LEARN, you will not receive credit for the courses you take.

How often do parents need to take the “Parent’s Guide to Misconduct in Sport” course?

The parents course “Parent’s Guide to Misconduct in Sport” will expire from the LEARN dashboard after 18 months. Parents will need to take this course again when the club is planning to renew their Safe Sport Club Recognition status.

How often do athletes ages 12-17 need to take the “Safe Sport for Athletes” course?

The athletes course (ages 12+) “Safe Sport for Athletes” will expire from the LEARN dashboard after 18 months. Athletes (ages 12+) will need to take this course again when the club is planning to renew their Safe Sport Club Recognition status.

Athletes age 18+ are still required to take the Athlete Protection Training: SafeSport™ Trained core course or "Refresher" yearly to meet membership requirements.

I get a "No Results Found" message when I enter my information. What does that mean?

You may have a typo in your name or birthday. Double check and resubmit.
If everything is correct, and you are or have ever been a member of USA Swimming, it is possible there is a typo in your membership information in the USA Swimming database. Contact your LSC registrar.
You have never been registered with USA Swimming. You must join through your LSC. New members will be required to have your application form and payment processed by your LSC registrar before you can sign in to complete the course.