Safe Sport Best Practices

The following Best Practice Guidelines are strongly recommended for all USA Swimming members:

Parents should be encouraged to appropriately support their children’s swimming experience.
All swimming practices should be open to observation by parents.
Coaches should not initiate contact with or accept supervisory responsibility for athletes outside club programs and activities.
When only one athlete and one coach travel to a competition, they should attempt to establish a “buddy” club at the competition to associate with during the event and when away from the venue.
Coaches should avoid peer-to-peer relationships with athletes. For example, coaches should not share personal problems with athletes.
Coaches and other adult members should avoid horseplay or roughhousing with athletes.
When a coach touches an athlete as part of instruction, it should be done in view of others, and the athlete should be informed of the action beforehand. Touching should be limited to what is necessary for instruction. Appropriate interactions include high fives, fist bumps, side-to-side hugs, and handshakes.
Coaches should avoid favoring specific athletes or creating the appearance of favoritism.
Gift-giving, special favors, or any actions that could show favoritism toward individual athletes are strongly discouraged.