Athlete Health and Safety
USAWP SafeSport | USAWP MAAPP | USAWP Rules Governing Conduct | SafeSport Training | USAWP Education and Training
Pegasus Aquatics, together with USAWP, is committed to helping create and maintain a safe and healthy environment in which athletes can thrive. To that end, USAWP and Pegasus Aquatics have adopted the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) from the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
The MAAPP, a collection of proactive prevention and training policies for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, was released by the U.S. Center for SafeSport in 2019 to support organizations and individuals in preventing abuse in sport and meeting requirements set by federal law.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport, together with the MAAPP, outlines and defines misconduct and identifies everyone who is required to complete SafeSport training and education concerning child abuse prevention. Those individuals required to do so include all adult USAWP members who have regular contact with or authority over minors, including volunteers and travel parents. The MAAPP also details the proper ways to report suspicions of abuse and misconduct and outlines how those reports are handled.
The MAAPP's prevention policies and procedures limit one-on-one interactions that are not “observable and interruptible” between minor athletes and adults who are not their parent/legal guardian.
These prevention policies address the following areas:
A. One-on-One Interactions, which include meetings, private lessons, athletic training
B. Locker Rooms and Changing Areas
C. Social Media & Electronic Communications
D. Transportation
E. Lodging
The required Prevention Policies must be followed by each of the following:
- Adult participants of USAWP (coaches, Masters athletes, officials) who have regular contact with Pegasus minor athletes.
- Adult participants expressly authorized by Pegasus to have regular contact with minor athletes (such as travel parents and other volunteers).
- Adult participants expressly authorized by Pegasus to have authority over minor athletes (such as lifeguards and trainers).
- Adult staff and board members of Pegasus.
- Any adult participant at a facility that is partially or fully under the control and/or supervision of Pegasus.
Effective June 1, 2022, all parents/guardians with regular access to the pool deck or who regularly chaperone athletes on out of town tournaments also will be required to maintain current SafeSport Core training. Training can be found at the following link under Education & Training: USAWP SafeSport Policies
The purpose of these policies is to protect both participating minors and adults. Training and education for athletes, coaches and officials, volunteers, and parents regarding abuse prevention is critical to ensure our athletes have a safe environment in which to thrive. Accordingly, the U.S. Center for SafeSport provides free on-line training focused specifically on the understanding of and compliance with the MAAPP, including customized training sessions for coaches, parents, adult athletes, and administrators. FREE online training is available to USAWP members as well as parents/guardians. Training can be accessed on the U.S. Center for SafeSport's website at this link.
In addition to the training available on the SafeSport website, Pegasus periodically will offer in-person training separately to parents, players and coaches. Pegasus also periodically will provide links via email to free online SafeSport training classes.
If any athlete, coach, parent, volunteer or other participant has questions regarding details of the MAAPP, the USAWP SafeSport Policies or available training not otherwise available in the provided links or has an issue with the provided links, please contact the Athlete Safety Officer for Pegasus, Patrick Melley, ([email protected]) or Laurie Dunlap ([email protected]). They will assist in helping you find the published information and appropriate training.
