• CENTRAL BUCKS AQUATICS SAFE SPORT INFORMATION
    (including Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy [MAAPP] link and supplemental MAAPP information)

    Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Aquatics is a part of the Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Community School of the Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks School District and includes Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Swim Team. As part of our continued commitment to safeguarding our athletes, Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Aquatics (including Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Swim Team [CBST]) complies with USA Swimming’s Safe Sport policy and education requirements. This compliance is demonstrated in many ways including (but not limited to):

    The mission statement of Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Aquatics is posted online as follows: Our mission is to provide a safe environment in which the community is supported in developing strong bodies and minds while achieving a healthy lifestyle. 

    Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Aquatics observes USA Swimming’s Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) as documented in CBST’s customized MAAPP and the supplemental information in this document. A link to CBST’s customized MAAPP is available . This document and CBST’s customized MAAPP should be reviewed together for completeness and reference information about applicability, definitions, and exceptions.

    Additional policies to safeguard athletes such as those listed below are also in place.

    • CB Aquatics Action Plan to Address Bullying
    • CB Aquatics Photography Policy

    MAAPP and our other policies are accessible for our team on the CBST and/or CB Aquatics website, are agreed to as part of the annual or seasonal registration process, are referred to periodically in email communications, and are discussed (in part or in whole) periodically on deck with the athletes.

    CB Aquatics follows many other related policies and procedures to promote athlete safety such as a concussion protocol, education of operational risk directors and other meet personnel and adherence to the operational risk director handbook, consistent hiring procedures including reference checks, annual coach performance reviews, frequent head coach observation of assistant coaches, late pick-up policy, policy for athletes returning to participation after illness or injury, and many other school district and CB Aquatics policies and procedures. CB Aquatics staff are required to read and be aware of all CB Aquatics policies which, along with our coaching protocols, provide information to our staff regarding their responsibilities to prevent, identify, and respond to bullying, harassment, and discrimination. CB Aquatics also follows all federal, state, and local laws.

    In addition to related trainings and clearance requirements for employment in the Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks School District, CBST’s adult non-athlete USA Swimming members complete Athlete Protection Training annually as part of their compliance with USAS requirements. Additionally, adult athlete members of CBST-USAS complete Athlete Protection Training by their 18th birthday. Athlete Protection / Safe Sport information (including training links) is made available to our parents and athletes through our website and is mentioned in team emails and the online registration process.

    CB Aquatics has designated Safe Sport coordinators (CB Aquatics manager and assistant managers), and all CB Aquatics administrative staff and the head coach discuss Safe Sport matters regularly to ensure compliance and development of the best practices for CB Aquatics and its athletes. New guidance including best practices provided by USA Swimming and the Safe Sport office are reviewed frequently and considered for inclusion in CB Aquatics procedures.

    Participants in CB Aquatics teams (and other CB Aquatics programs) are responsible to be aware of and adhere to all CB Aquatics behavior expectations as documented through MAAPP, our handbooks (including code of conduct), websites (CB School District and team), online registration, emails, or otherwise communicated policy/procedure statements. Such compliance is a condition of team and (when applicable) USA Swimming membership.

    CB Aquatics keeps open lines of communications and communicates regularly with coaches, athletes, parents, and volunteers to create accountability and encourage everyone to speak up if they observe behavior inconsistent with the expectations of CB Aquatics, Â鶹´«Ã½, and/or USA Swimming. We establish open communication between leadership, coaching staff, and athletes to create a transparent culture and foster an environment in which concerns are handled efficiently before they escalate. To accomplish these communication goals, Safe Sport information is provided as per above, the aquatics manager has periodic meetings with the swimmers, the head coaches hold parent meetings, the captains have discussions with the senior group at practice during which athletes have an opportunity to develop a comfortable team culture and express concerns, coaches take time periodically to discuss team culture as well as speaking up and appropriate boundaries with athletes, frequent emails are sent (including policy/procedure statements approximately once per month and as needed), and emails and team websites include information about who to contact with any issues. When a concern arises, team leadership is receptive to information provided and addresses the concern in a positive and timely manner (including providing feedback to the person who brought the concern), maintaining confidentiality to the extent practicable given CB Aquatics’ responsibility to investigate the matter.

    For basic information about Safe Sport and CBST contacts follow this link:

    PARENT SAFE SPORT INTRODUCTION WITH CBST CONTACTS

    Click  for safe sport information on the USA Swimming website.

    Follow these links for free safe sport training courses (Note: these links are also on the USA Swimming Safe Sport page linked directly above.)

    •  (for athletes 18 and older and non-athletes registered with USA Swimming)

     

    CB Aquatics Supplements to Policies included in MAAPP

    As part of compliance with the USA Swimming Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP), member clubs are required to implement MAAPP which includes policy sections related to the following topics:

    • One-on-One Interactions
    • Meetings and Individual Training Sessions
    • Electronic Communications
    • In-Program Transportation and Lodging
    • Locker Rooms and Changing Areas
    • Massages, Rubdowns and Athletic Training Modalities

    CBST’s MAAPP (which is the USA Swimming MAAPP customizable document) is available here: .

    While CBST adheres to MAAPP in full and CBST’s customized MAAPP linked above constitutes our complete policies related to some of these items, CBST has supplements related to the following sections: Locker Rooms and Changing Areas, and In-Program Transportation and Lodging. This supplemental information is provided below and is in addition to the complete MAAPP as documented in CBST’s MAAPP document. These policies should be reviewed with reference to CBST’s MAAPP (linked above) for information about applicability, definitions, and exceptions.

    Locker Rooms and Changing Areas Information in Addition to MAAPP

    In conjunction with the Locker Rooms and Changing Areas section of MAAPP, the following information and guidelines are provided and designed to maintain personal privacy as well as to reduce the risk of misconduct in locker rooms and changing areas.

     

    The following is a description of our practice and competition facilities to allow athletes and their families to plan their use:

     

    We practice at: CB South High School

    This location has: A changing area and locker room available to swimmers/divers which is shared with other high school student swimmers/divers. As such, there are likely to be swimmers/divers who are not associated with CB Aquatics in the changing area around the time of practice.

     

    We practice at: CB East High School

    This location has: A changing area and locker room available to swimmers/divers which is shared with other high school student athletes. As such, there are likely to be other student athletes who are not associated with CB Aquatics in the changing area around the time of practice.

     

    The following are in addition to the specific Locker Rooms and Changing Areas sections of MAAPP as noted:

     

      • MAAPP Locker Rooms and Changing Areas section II addition: It is the Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Aquatics policy that no adult/parent may be in any high school locker room. (Note that during swim lessons only, parents or guardians are permitted to assist their children under the age of seven in the locker rooms. Locker room to be used is the locker room that matches the gender of the adult.)

     

    For cases in which athletes need assistance with their uniform or gear (for example, a young child), or an athlete’s disability warrants assistance, we require that a parent speak with a coach and the CB Aquatics Manager beforehand so we can ensure the public restrooms within the building can be made accessible. If you are to use the public restrooms, be sure your child understands the plan including where to meet you and that athletes must be fairly dry (not dripping) and wearing shoes to move from the pool to the restrooms.

     

    If you find that your child has been in the locker room for an extended period of time and you want to check on your athlete, approach a coach and ask that the coach check on your child’s status in the locker room. Please show respect for other changing athletes - do not open the door or hold open the door upon exit of another athlete to look or call into the locker room.

     

      • MAAPP Locker Rooms and Changing Areas section IV addition: CB Aquatics prohibits any use of cell phones or other devices with any recording capabilities (audio, still camera, video, etc.) for any purpose other than calling 911 in an emergency in locker rooms, rest rooms, or other changing areas.

     

      • MAAPP Locker Rooms and Changing Areas section VII addition: CB Aquatics monitors the locker rooms in the following ways: We conduct a sweep of the locker rooms and changing areas before athletes arrive, in between practice groups when possible, when an issue arises, and at the end of practices with coaches checking the locker rooms that match their own gender. Coaches remind the athletes often that if an issue arises in the locker room an athlete should get a coach. We ask that our families please reinforce this procedure frequently with their athletes.

     

      • MAAPP Locker Rooms and Changing Areas section VIII addition: See specific CB Aquatics policy above in the MAAPP Section II addition – no parents are allowed to enter locker rooms.

     

     

    In-Program Transportation and Lodging Information in Addition to MAAPP

    Occasionally CBST will offer team travel to designated meets or training trips. Team travel means that CBST will provide options for transportation and overnight accommodations, so the swimmers attend meets under the supervision of the coaches. Age group swimmers may not participate in team travel. While meals will be eaten as a group, swimmers will be responsible for personal meal costs.  The meets for which team members travel to a venue and stay overnight with their families are not considered team travel meets. Swimmers are expected to either travel with the team or travel with a parent (or a designated adult 21 years of age or older). Hotel arrangements made by a parent should never be made in which a swimmer is in a room alone, even if the swimmer is being “watched after” by another parent or a sibling.  Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks School District, Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Aquatics, and the Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Swim Team cannot be held accountable for any swimmer who is not travelling with the team and/or is left in a hotel room alone or unsupervised at any time during the course of a meet.

    Examples of potential team travel may be Middle Atlantic Senior Champs (long course), Sectionals, Junior Nationals, Grand Prix meets, and Olympic Training Center trips. 

    As noted above, MAAPP contains a section regarding in-program transportation and lodging.

    Additional In-Program Transportation and Lodging details related to CBST are as follow:

    1. Permission forms
      1. A completed multi-day permission slip must be received in the office before arrangements will be made on behalf of a swimmer.
      2. Emergency/Insurance Medical Consent/Authorization to Treat Cards must be received in the office (only for swimmers who travel with the team) before a swimmer leaves for a meet.  Cards are kept on file for the academic year (September-August).  New cards will be needed each academic year.
      3. CBST team travel is group travel (involving more than one swimmer), however, if a situation arose in which only one athlete was travelling to a competition without family members so needed coach supervision, CBST staff would determine the best option to make accommodations while complying with this policy and the athlete would be required to have his/her parents’ (or legal guardian’s) written permission in advance. However, it is most likely that a parent/guardian would be required to travel with the athlete.

     

    1. Transportation
      1. Vehicles may only be driven by CBST personnel with proper insurance clearance.  Written permission from a parent is required of all swimmers who ride in a coach’s personal vehicle.
      2. Any swimmer who arrives at the meet with the team and leaves the meet without the team or their own parent must have prior written permission from a parent.
      3. Each swimmer riding in a vehicle during a team travel meet MUST have an individual seat and seatbelt in the passenger portion of the vehicle (not in the front passenger seat).
      4. Any swimmer being transported by CBST personnel AT ANY TIME during a team travel meet will be financially responsible for a FULL share of the transportation expenses.
        1. Transportation expenses include vehicle rental, fuel, tolls, parking, and any other related items, including a coach/staff airfare and other travel expenses.
        2. The total transportation expense is to be divided by the number of swimmers riding the van for any portion of the team travel meet.
        3. For the safety of our swimmers, we must reserve a seat/seatbelt (in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, not the front passenger seat) for each swimmer using the van (even once) during a team travel meet; therefore, each swimmer using the van will be charged accordingly. A swimmer riding the van from hotel to competition venue – even once – will be assessed a full share of the transportation expenses.

     

    1. Overnight Accommodations
      1. Hotel reservations will be made by CBST with the following considerations in mind:
        1. The property will meet AAA standards of at least two diamonds (but ideally a property will rate at least three diamonds).
        2. There should be an on-site restaurant for team meals.
        3. Breakfast to be included in the room rate when possible.
        4. When possible, rates will not exceed $150 per night for double occupancy (taxes not included).
      2. For larger meets (Senior Champs, for example) CBST will attempt to arrange a parents’ block of rooms at the same property.
      3. Swimmers who do not attend the entire meet may have to make alternate arrangements.
      4. Roommate assignments will be made by the head coach.
        1. Only same competition category swimmers may share a room.
        2. All swimmers must have at least one roommate for the duration of the meet. If a circumstance arises in which an adult athlete (18 or older) needs to stay in a room alone we will work with the athlete and parents to determine if that is possible while otherwise complying with this document.
      5. Swimmers are not permitted to be in the rooms of swimmers in the opposite competition category.
      6. Hotel expenses will be billed based on the number of nights and the number of swimmers per room.
      7. A prorated portion of total coaches’ accommodation expenses will be charged to each swimmer participating in team travel.

     

    1. Meals
      1. A coach will attend all team dinners.
      2. There may be more than one team dinner on any given evening in order to accommodate swimmers who are attending finals and those who are not.
      3. All meal expenses will be calculated by separate checks.  Swimmers will need personal cash when travelling as they will be responsible to pay for their own breakfast, when continental breakfasts are not available, and their own lunches and dinners at all meets.
      4. Coaches’ meal expenses are paid by CBST.
      5. No room service without permission of the coach.  Swimmers will be responsible for all incidental charges.

     

    1. Behavior
      1. Swimmers are expected to remain with the team and coach at all times during the trip.  Swimmers are not to leave the competition venue, the hotel, a restaurant, or any other place at which the team has gathered without the permission of the coach.  When visiting public places such as shopping malls, movie theaters, etc., swimmers will stay in groups of no less than three persons.
      2. Curfews set by the coaches are to be observed. 
      3. Behavior should reflect respect for the privacy of others.
      4. Decisions and directions from the coach are final.
      5. The Codes of Conduct of Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks Aquatics (as documented in the team handbook, various policies, and email communications), The Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks School District, and USA Swimming will be followed at all times.
      6. Appropriate behavior in public places is expected at all times.  Swimmers are expected to treat their hotel room with respect. 
      7. Swimmers are to refrain from inappropriate physical contact and the use of inappropriate language at all times.
      8. Any swimmer who does not positively reflect the high standards of club behavior may be dismissed from the trip and immediately returned home at the swimmer’s expense, disqualified from one or more events, and/or banned from participation in future team travel, the team, and potentially the LSC.  Discipline may include but may not be limited to the above and could result in financial penalties.   
      9. The Head Coach or a designee shall make a written report of travel policy or code of conduct violations to the appropriate club and/or LSC leadership and the parent or legal guardian of any affected minor athlete. 

     

    1. Billing
      1. A deposit of the approximate full cost of the trip must be received by the stated deadline in order for the CB Aquatic’s staff to make arrangements for your swimmer’s team travel reservation.  Deposits will be applied to actual costs. Deposits are only refundable if the staff cannot make travel arrangements for your swimmer or if the final cost of the trip is less than the deposit amount and there are no other outstanding amounts due in the swimmer’s (or swimmer’s siblings’) account(s).
      2. In the event that your swimmer withdraws after the team deadline, you will be responsible for all fees incurred by CBST that are not billable to other swimmers.  This will typically include 100% of the hotel room costs for however many days reserved/remaining as no one swimmer may be left in a room alone.
      3. In the unlikely event that team travel arrangements can be made after the deadline, an additional non-refundable administrative fee, that will not be applied to your expenses, of $125 will be required by the late deadline given at that time.
      4. The remaining team travel meet expenses will be billed to swimmers’ accounts as soon after the trip as possible.
      5. Expenses will be reflected on invoices as transportation/hotel/entry fees.

     

     

    v. 12/2024