Hello MPST GCSL Championship Families:  

Please Read the Notice for Gwinnett County Swim League

ATTENTION ALL PARENTS ATTENDING THE GCSL COUNTY MEET:

There are three MAJOR changes to the GCSL County Meet this year that we want to bring to your attention. On June 23rd, USA Swimming enacted enhancements to their Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) which will affect our meet. The changes are:

• NO Parents will be allowed on deck. This is a non-negotiable policy of Georgia Tech, GA Swimming, and USA Swimming as part of SafeSport. Only authorized adults (including Volunteers) will be allowed on deck. All Volunteers will be provided a copy of the MAAPP (also attached to this email) upon check-in and sign an acknowledgment form.
• Parents can drop off their athletes at the stairs at the end of the spectator hallway. Coaches will be there to meet up with the swimmers to escort them to their team area.
• There are NO CAMERAS allowed on deck and parent volunteers (Timing, Staging, Etc) are advised not to use their camera phones.

Please note the information below that has already been communicated to your team to answer additional questions that you may have.

We look forward to a safe and enjoyable event and would like to thank you all in advance for your patience and understanding as we adjust to the new rules. As always, the safety of our athletes is our #1 priority and we will be supporting the Ga Tech Security team in enforcing these rules. Security is in place to enforce these policies and they are not up for debate. Non-compliance is subject to immediate ejection from the premises by Ga Tech Security.

SafeSport Changes that are affecting the County Meet this year:

• What is SafeSport?
  • SafeSport is the Olympic community’s initiative to recognize, reduce and respond to misconduct in sport. The six primary types of misconduct are Bullying, Harassment, Hazing, Emotional Misconduct, Physical Misconduct, and Sexual Misconduct, including Child Sexual Abuse.
  • USA Swimming’s and the GCSL’s top priority is to keep our athletes safe. No form of abuse, including child sexual abuse, has a place in our sport. As a part of our continued commitment to safeguarding our athletes, USA Swimming has enacted enhancements to their Safe Sport policy and education requirements.
  • On April 29, 2019, USA Swimming released its Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) which is found here: https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/safe-sportdocuments/maapp/usaswimmingmaapp.pdf. All USA Swimming member clubs are required to implement MAAPP in full by June 23, 2019.

• Will parents be allowed on deck to escort their small children during warmups?
  • NO. This is a non-negotiable policy of Georgia Tech, GA Swimming, and USA Swimming as part of SafeSport.

No unauthorized adults will be allowed on deck.

• This year, we will be setting up a place at the back stairway (at the end of the spectator hallway) where a parent can drop off their swimmer off with a coach. We are also providing passes for up to 5 Assistant Coaches to help with your children.

• What happens if there is an emergency?
  • You will be quickly reunited with your swimmer. They will either be brought to you in the stands, or you will be quickly escorted to your child on deck by security. The goal of SafeSport is to protect our children, not put them in more harm. So, we (along with Ga Tech) are committed to accommodating these situations should they arise.

• Since no cameras are allowed on deck this year, will swimmers be able to take pictures of each other and their teammates while on deck with their phones?
  • Absolutely. There are no SafeSport guidelines around swimmers having fun. That is encouraged and includes taking goofy pictures of each other. The no camera policy is intended to govern the interactions between athletes and adults at Youth sporting events.

Regards,

Tad Thompson

Meet Director