USA Swimming Announces 7-Point Action Plan for a Safe and Positive Sport Environment

USA Swimming Announces 7-Point Action Plan for a Safe and Positive Sport Environment
Organization Will Share Key Learnings and Best Practices with Other Youth-Focused Organizations
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –

USA Swimming announced today the immediate implementation of a 7-Point Action Plan to address the issue of child protection in the sport. The plan outlines seven action steps to make certain the best possible safeguards are in place for the organization’s 300,000 members.

The action plan was shared today with the USA Swimming membership in an open letter from President Jim Wood and Executive Director Chuck Wielgus.

“As leaders of our sport in this nation, we have a responsibility to help create a safe and positive environment for children and young adults who are our members,” writes USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus. “We fully recognize that parents expect USA Swimming to do everything possible to protect their children from individuals who would do them harm, and we take very seriously the trust they have placed in our organization. USA Swimming is determined to continue to demonstrate its commitment to the welfare of its members.” (A full copy of the letter can be found here.)

As set forth in the action plan, USA Swimming will do the following:

1. Develop and disseminate comprehensive guidelines addressing acceptable coach behavior.

2. Enhance the system for reporting sexual abuse to USA Swimming and law enforcement.

3. Review USA Swimming’s Code of Conduct, as well as those of other top youth organizations.

4. Review USA Swimming’s current background screening program and determine if enhancements can be made.

5. Produce stronger communications to member clubs, which are responsible for hiring and employing coaches, regarding pre-employment screening, and the responsibility associated with hiring club employees.

6. Evaluate the process for sharing coaching history records with member clubs and other youth organizations.

7. Educate athletes, parents, coaches and club leaders on this important issue.

The organization will consult closely with both its stakeholders and outside experts in executing this plan.

“We are taking decisive action today, but this is only the beginning,” said USA Swimming President Jim Wood. “The USA Swimming Board of Directors, national staff and our dedicated volunteers will continue to work together and seek the necessary expertise – both from within the swimming community and from outside sources – to evaluate and improve our protocols and safeguards.”

USA Swimming will share its key learnings with other youth organizations both inside and outside of the Olympic movement.

“While we must properly focus our efforts on the micro world of swimming, we must simultaneously recognize the much broader societal implications,” said Wielgus. “Our efforts should seek to both learn from others and then in turn share what we learn so that not only will the membership of USA Swimming benefit, but other youth organizations may also find ways to enhance their own safeguards and educational efforts.”
The 7-point plan will enhance USA Swimming’s existing child protection safeguards, which are:1) Background Screening: In 2006, USA Swimming implemented a Background Screening requirement for all member coaches. The process, required before membership is granted and then every two years, screens for both criminal convictions and for criminal charges involving felonies, illegal drugs and sexual misconduct. 2) Code of Conduct: USA Swimming vigorously enforces its Code of Conduct, which specifically prohibits any form of abusive behavior.
3) Club & Coach Education: When considering coach hires, USA Swimming encourages clubs to conduct pre-employment screening beyond the criminal background screen. Coaches are required to have current certification in CPR, First Aid, and Safety Training for Swim Coaches. Additionally, all coaches must take and pass the “Foundations of Coaching,” test, before registering for the second year of coaching. 4) Reporting/Investigation/Board of Review: Sexual abuse is a criminal activity, and one that should be immediately reported to the local police. As a secondary level of reporting, anyone can file a complaint with the Executive Director of USA Swimming. These complaints are immediately turned over to legal counsel who may engage the services of a third-party private investigator. Complaints with merit go forward to the National Board of Review which has the authority to suspend or revoke membership when appropriate.

About USA Swimming: As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 300,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.

Committee Recommends Additional Athlete Representative on USOC Board

The following sentence is the part that caught my eye, but beyond the quote you will find the full release.

- Tyler

"In the report, the committee recommends increasing the USOC Board by four voting directors (from 11 to 15), comprised of two independent members, one Athletes Advisory Committee (AAC) member and one National Governing Bodies (NGB) Council member."


Independent Advisory Committee Presents Findings to U.S. Olympic Committee Board of Directors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Board of Directors met today in Colorado Springs, Colo., for its quarterly meeting, during which it heard findings from the independent advisory committee tasked by the Board in December 2009 to assess the USOC's governance structure. The 14-member committee, which was chaired by Paul Tagliabue, presented a report on their findings, which can be found at www.teamusa.org.

In the report, the committee recommends increasing the USOC Board by four voting directors (from 11 to 15), comprised of two independent members, one Athletes Advisory Committee (AAC) member and one National Governing Bodies (NGB) Council member. The committee recommended that any USOC Board members nominated by the AAC or NGB Council should not be required to sever their ties with the applicable council.

The committee's report recommends that the current USOC bylaws governing the process of election of AAC and NGB members should change to a new process, through which each council nominates a slate of three candidates from which the USOC Nominating and Governance Committee selects one to recommend to the full Board for its consideration.

"The strategies and initiatives critical to achieving the USOC's core mission need to be set by the USOC Board and then embedded in the USOC's organizational structure and culture," Tagliabue said. "These strategies should be given consistent priority by the USOC's leadership and implemented on a sustained basis in the years ahead. At their core, the committee's recommendations recognize that the USOC needs to have a strong, engaged and collaborative Board, with an active role in oversight and strategic planning."

In addition, the committee recommended that a minimum of one seat on the Board should be reserved for a person with Paralympic leadership experience, with the creation of a Paralympic Advisory Council to be chaired by this representative.

"On behalf of the USOC, I would like to extend my utmost appreciation to Paul and the entire committee for their tireless work over the last four months," said USOC Chairman Larry Probst. "Our first reaction is that they have done a tremendous job consulting with their constituents and putting together thoughtful recommendations. It is now our job to take the time needed to carefully consider and discuss these recommendations, as well as any comments or questions we may receive from our constituents."

Other recommendations of the committee:

• The USOC's CEO should be added as a non-voting, ex-officio member of the Board.

• The Board should consider extending the renewal terms for directors from two years to four years.

• The Board should consider extending the term limits for the Chairman of the Board in order to allow increased ability for international relationship building.

• The Board should eliminate the position of First Vice President International. These responsibilities should fall under the CEO.

• The Board should eliminate the position of the Board Liaison. The responsibility for communication between the Board and the U.S. Olympic Assembly should fall under the CEO.

"I would like to thank Paul for the tremendous leadership he has shown through this process," said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. "All 14 members of the committee graciously volunteered their time to help the Olympic Movement in the United States continue moving in the right direction. As any of our athletes can attest to, success doesn't come overnight, and we will be diligent about discussing these findings, listening to our constituents, continuing to work hard and taking action at the appropriate time."

The USOC's Board will discuss the substantive recommendations of the committee at its meeting in June after allowing constituents to provide feedback.

The independent advisory committee consisted of members with deep experience in Olympic sports, national amateur sports governing bodies, other aspects of the Olympic Movement, youth and pro sports, and not-for-profit organizations. Members included:

David A. Brandon: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Domino's Pizza LLC, Regent Emeritus University of Michigan, former football player for the University of Michigan

Ann Cody: Paralympian in wheelchair basketball and track & field, current member of the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board

Raul J. Fernandez: Chairman and CEO of ObjectVideo, co-owner of the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics

Skip Gilbert: USA Triathlon Executive Director, Chair of the NGB Council

Courtney Johnson: Olympic water polo silver medalist, past member and leader of the AAC, attorney

Jim McCarthy: former USOC Board member, Chef de Mission for the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team, past CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, attorney

Jon Naber: Olympic swimming gold medalist, Immediate Past President of the U.S. Olympians Association, sports broadcaster, corporate speaker

Jeanne Picariello: Chair of the Multi-Sport Organizations Council, Chef de Mission of the 2004 U.S. Paralympic Team, retired Colonel, U.S. Army

Hugh B. Price: past President and CEO of the National Urban League, Princeton professor, former member of The New York Times editorial board

Patrick G. Ryan: Chairman of World Sport Chicago, past chairman and CEO of Chicago 2016, founding chairman of Aon Corporation

Paul Tagliabue: Advisory Committee Chairman, National Football League (NFL) Commissioner from 1989-2006, Chairman of the Board of Georgetown University

John W. Thompson: Chairman of the Board of Symantec Corporation, minority investor with the Golden State Warriors

Matt Van Houten: Chair of the AAC, member of Board of Directors for USA Team Handball, U.S. Team Handball Men's National Team member, attorney

Brian Whitcomb: former U.S. Cycling Track National Team member, AAC member

MAKE A SPLASH

The Press Release below was sent out by the USA Swimming Foundation recently to announce the growth and success the water safety program is experiencing. For a video clip of the importance of water safety from an international stand point, check out this program in Bangladesh.

PRESS RELEASE

USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash Initiative Teaches 200,000th Child
National Water-Safety Initiative Reaches Milestone in Three Years

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash initiative has reached a milestone, teaching its 200,000th child to swim. The Make a Splash initiative, created in 2007 in response to the fact that drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death for youth in America, is a national child-focused water safety initiative that aims to provide the opportunity for every child in the nation to learn to swim.

“To think that in three short years, 200,000 children have gotten the opportunity to learn this essential life skill is incredible,” said Chris LaBianco, Chief Development Officer for the Foundation. “It’s amazing to see what we can accomplish by bringing this issue to the attention of the American public, and by having a dedicated network of local providers who are willing to make a difference.”

Make a Splash works by educating parents through a national awareness campaign, and providing opportunities for kids to learn to swim through its 184 local partner clubs in 37 states. To date, more than 211,000 children have taken lessons through Make a Splash Local Partners.

The initiative also focuses on ethnically diverse areas. Research shows that drowning statistics are far worse in African- American and Hispanic communities where children drown at a rate almost three times higher than Caucasian children in similar age groups. The USA Swimming Foundation is committed to changing these statistics through the Make a Splash initiative.

To become a local partner program, lesson providers are required to a percentage of their lessons for free or at a low cost swimming lessons, or to provide another form of water safety education to their communities. Local partner programs are eligible for support from the USA Swimming Foundation including marketing rights and grant monies. Grant money is raised by the USA Swimming Foundation through local donors and funding from corporate partners such as ConocoPhillips. Members of the public can also “sponsor a swim lesson,” by visiting www.makeasplash.org.

For more information on Make a Splash and to find a local partner program in your area, visit www.makeasplash.org.