New England Swim Coaches-
Make sure to remind your team to register for the Swimposium on Oct. 16. There is something for everyone: Parents, Officials, Coaches AND a clinic for athletes with Olympian Cullen Jones.
If you are interested in volunteering with Cullen during the clinic please send me an email (jbloom@westfieldymca.org)to let me know.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Swimmer of the Month
Hey New England Swim Coaches-
Nominate one of your swimmers for New England Swimming's "Swimmer of the Month."
The nomination form is on the NE Swim website (www.neswim.com). It's a simple form to fill out and a great way to get some recognition for your hard working swimmers.
Jamie
Nominate one of your swimmers for New England Swimming's "Swimmer of the Month."
The nomination form is on the NE Swim website (www.neswim.com). It's a simple form to fill out and a great way to get some recognition for your hard working swimmers.
Jamie
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Annual meeting this Saturday May 1
Coaches,
I hope to see you at the annual meeting in Wellesley on Saturday. We will have a coaches meeting following the regular membership meeting. Our coaches meeting will begin at 10:30am. Among our items of business we will be electing a new Sr. Coach representative and a new Jr. Coach representative. If you are interested in running for either of these positions please contact me at jbloom@westfieldymca.org so that I can put your name on the ballot.
See you on Saturday!
I hope to see you at the annual meeting in Wellesley on Saturday. We will have a coaches meeting following the regular membership meeting. Our coaches meeting will begin at 10:30am. Among our items of business we will be electing a new Sr. Coach representative and a new Jr. Coach representative. If you are interested in running for either of these positions please contact me at jbloom@westfieldymca.org so that I can put your name on the ballot.
See you on Saturday!
USA Swimming's 7-point Action Plan
USA Swimming Announces 7-Point Action Plan for a Safe and Positive Sport Environment (4/21/2010)
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 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.
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 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.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Letter from Chuck Wielgus to all USA Swimming Coaches
Everyone should have received a copy of this letter from our USA Swimming executive director. Here is another copy in case you did not get yours.
If you haven't already,please take the time to read this letter.
1
TO: All USA Swimming Member Coaches
FROM: Chuck Wielgus, Executive Director
DATE: April 11, 2010
SUBJECT: Child Protection Safeguards
In recent days our sport has been portrayed in a very bad light in the media. Sadly, I have also been portrayed as an insensitive, uncaring administrator and spokesperson
for USA Swimming. There are pieces of the recent 20/20 interview that I’d like to have back, there were important things left out, and there were pieces of the report that were untrue.
As a father myself, it breaks my heart to know that there are children out there who
have been taken advantage of by their coaches or others in positions of trust. It
reminded me to sit down with my daughters and have a very frank but very important
discussion about boundaries and appropriate behavior.
I also am extremely sorry if our organization has not done enough to provide the highest level of child protection safeguards and guidelines. We cannot shy away from this issue and we are going to need your help and participation. I want to encourage you to be proactive in addressing this topic with the young athletes, parents and other coaches with whom you work.
As a starting point, here are some very important factors to consider:
This is a societal issue. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that by
the age of 18, one in four girls and one in six boys have been sexually molested.
This amounts to approximately 39M victims in the U.S. alone.
Parents have the most important role. Parents need to talk with their children
about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable physical contact between
the child and their coach and other adults. Parents must also stress to their
children the importance of telling them anytime there is inappropriate or
questionable behavior by their coach or other adults.
Sexual abuse must be reported to the police. It is estimated that 30% of
sexual abuse incidents go unreported. Children and parents need to understand
2that it is not only okay to report these incidents, but that reporting is the only waythat sexual predators can be brought to justice and prevented from harming
others.
Child protection safeguards are both national and local. USA Swimming
provides a number of safeguards, but the most important application of
safeguards must take place at the club level.
USA Swimming’s current child protection safeguards are:
o Safety Training – all member coaches must be certified in CPR, First Aid
and Safety Training for Swim Coaches.
o Background Screening – all member coaches must clear (prior to joining
and then every two years) a criminal history screening that checks for
charges involving sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, among other
things.
o Education – by the second year of membership a coach must complete
the “Foundations of Coaching” course.
o Code of Conduct – our rulebook outlines a thorough Code of Conduct
that is applied to all members.
o Reporting of Complaints – our rulebook also details the procedures for
reporting any Code of Conduct violations. Complaints involving sexual
misconduct should be sent directly to my attention at USA Swimming HQ:
cwielgus@usaswimming.org. (It is worth noting that anyone can file a
complaint against a member … non-members may file complaints).
In addition to these safeguards, we are continually studying what other youthserving
organizations are doing to determine if there are other safeguards that
could enhance our child protection efforts. Two items that are under immediate
consideration are:
o Hot Line – we are currently working to establish an anonymous reporting
hotline so that victims who may be frightened can report any sexual abuse
and have this information relayed to police.
o Black List – we are studying the feasibility of making available a list of
names of individuals who have been banned for life from USA Swimming
for sexual misconduct, in order to provide a resource for other youthfocused
organizations.
Member clubs, as independent businesses, must also employ responsible hiring
practices. At a minimum we recommend the following:
3
o Raise Awareness – by openly talking about the topic of sexual
misconduct you will help young athletes, parents and coaches all become
more comfortable with recognizing what is inappropriate behavior.
o Conduct Thorough Reference Checks – club leaders must take the time
to thoroughly check the personal and professional background and
previous experiences of coaches before they are hired. Do not simply rely
on USA Swimming’s criminal background screening; checking driving
records and other police records are also important. Clubs should not only
check references from prior employers, but should seek input from other
parents whose children previously swam for the coach.
o Stress the Importance of Reporting – Sexual abuse is a criminal act
and must be reported to the police. Reporting to USA Swimming is also
important because we can then take action to expel the offending adult
from our organization, and hopefully keep them from becoming involved
with any other youth organization.
I hope this information is helpful to you as you address this very important issue with the young athletes, coaches and parents with whom you work.
Thank you very much for giving this your most serious consideration and attention.
If you haven't already,please take the time to read this letter.
1
TO: All USA Swimming Member Coaches
FROM: Chuck Wielgus, Executive Director
DATE: April 11, 2010
SUBJECT: Child Protection Safeguards
In recent days our sport has been portrayed in a very bad light in the media. Sadly, I have also been portrayed as an insensitive, uncaring administrator and spokesperson
for USA Swimming. There are pieces of the recent 20/20 interview that I’d like to have back, there were important things left out, and there were pieces of the report that were untrue.
As a father myself, it breaks my heart to know that there are children out there who
have been taken advantage of by their coaches or others in positions of trust. It
reminded me to sit down with my daughters and have a very frank but very important
discussion about boundaries and appropriate behavior.
I also am extremely sorry if our organization has not done enough to provide the highest level of child protection safeguards and guidelines. We cannot shy away from this issue and we are going to need your help and participation. I want to encourage you to be proactive in addressing this topic with the young athletes, parents and other coaches with whom you work.
As a starting point, here are some very important factors to consider:
This is a societal issue. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that by
the age of 18, one in four girls and one in six boys have been sexually molested.
This amounts to approximately 39M victims in the U.S. alone.
Parents have the most important role. Parents need to talk with their children
about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable physical contact between
the child and their coach and other adults. Parents must also stress to their
children the importance of telling them anytime there is inappropriate or
questionable behavior by their coach or other adults.
Sexual abuse must be reported to the police. It is estimated that 30% of
sexual abuse incidents go unreported. Children and parents need to understand
2that it is not only okay to report these incidents, but that reporting is the only waythat sexual predators can be brought to justice and prevented from harming
others.
Child protection safeguards are both national and local. USA Swimming
provides a number of safeguards, but the most important application of
safeguards must take place at the club level.
USA Swimming’s current child protection safeguards are:
o Safety Training – all member coaches must be certified in CPR, First Aid
and Safety Training for Swim Coaches.
o Background Screening – all member coaches must clear (prior to joining
and then every two years) a criminal history screening that checks for
charges involving sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, among other
things.
o Education – by the second year of membership a coach must complete
the “Foundations of Coaching” course.
o Code of Conduct – our rulebook outlines a thorough Code of Conduct
that is applied to all members.
o Reporting of Complaints – our rulebook also details the procedures for
reporting any Code of Conduct violations. Complaints involving sexual
misconduct should be sent directly to my attention at USA Swimming HQ:
cwielgus@usaswimming.org. (It is worth noting that anyone can file a
complaint against a member … non-members may file complaints).
In addition to these safeguards, we are continually studying what other youthserving
organizations are doing to determine if there are other safeguards that
could enhance our child protection efforts. Two items that are under immediate
consideration are:
o Hot Line – we are currently working to establish an anonymous reporting
hotline so that victims who may be frightened can report any sexual abuse
and have this information relayed to police.
o Black List – we are studying the feasibility of making available a list of
names of individuals who have been banned for life from USA Swimming
for sexual misconduct, in order to provide a resource for other youthfocused
organizations.
Member clubs, as independent businesses, must also employ responsible hiring
practices. At a minimum we recommend the following:
3
o Raise Awareness – by openly talking about the topic of sexual
misconduct you will help young athletes, parents and coaches all become
more comfortable with recognizing what is inappropriate behavior.
o Conduct Thorough Reference Checks – club leaders must take the time
to thoroughly check the personal and professional background and
previous experiences of coaches before they are hired. Do not simply rely
on USA Swimming’s criminal background screening; checking driving
records and other police records are also important. Clubs should not only
check references from prior employers, but should seek input from other
parents whose children previously swam for the coach.
o Stress the Importance of Reporting – Sexual abuse is a criminal act
and must be reported to the police. Reporting to USA Swimming is also
important because we can then take action to expel the offending adult
from our organization, and hopefully keep them from becoming involved
with any other youth organization.
I hope this information is helpful to you as you address this very important issue with the young athletes, coaches and parents with whom you work.
Thank you very much for giving this your most serious consideration and attention.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The power is back on!!!
Friday's swimming will get underway this evening with warm-ups beginning at 5:30. We will swim a combined 11-12, & 10 and under timed finals session. All of Friday's relays will take place on Saturday. The 11-12 200 medley relays will go off before the 500's in the prelim session and the 10 and under medley relays will be the last event of the session.
No Power at the UVAC
No power at the pool this morning has put us into wait and see mode for 12 and under age group championships. At this time we will wait until 11:30am to see if we can run the 10 and under session and the 11-12 morning events will kick off at 5:30 tonite as timed finals!
We were all silly to think that thunderstorms would be the only reason we would ever have to clear the pool!
We were all silly to think that thunderstorms would be the only reason we would ever have to clear the pool!
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