SAFESPORT POLICY
Bainbridge Water Polo adheres to SafeSport policies to ensure the health and safety of our athletes.
Dear Members,
The health and safety of our athletes is, and must always be, our top priority. While USA Water Polo works to grow our sport and enhance the competitiveness of our national teams, it takes all of us to ensure that our athletes thrive in an environment and culture that promotes their greatest potential and optimal performance. That means that, if you see or suspect something that threatens our athletes’ well-being, you need to report it to us at report@usawaterpolo.org, or to the U.S. Center for SafeSport by visiting https://uscenterforsafesport.org/.
As the sport’s governing body in the United States, USA Water Polo governs the rules of water polo, covering the play, procedures, equipment, and officiating of water polo. We cannot, however, be everywhere at all times. We need YOU to be our eyes and ears on the ground and part of our team to promote athlete safety.
In the spirit of teamwork, we are providing detailed information regarding our relevant policies, rules, and procedures on this page. We want to hear from you if there are any questions, concerns or ideas. We thank you for sharing in our passion for water polo.
Sincerely,
Jamie Davis
CEO, USA Water Polo
If you have a concern, please report it to our Athlete Safety Committee or directly to SafeSport.
USA Water Polo's Key Positions
Zero-Tolerance for Abuse
USA Water Polo has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind. Abusive behavior has absolutely no place in this or any other sport. USA Water Polo members and participants are prohibited from misconduct, including but not limited to sexual, emotional and physical misconduct, which includes acts of bullying, hazing, and harassment as set forth in our Rules of Conduct and the U.S. Center for SafeSport's Code, which are incorporated into our rules, along with our Minor Abuse Prevention Policies.
Health and Safety
In addition to our Rules Governing Conduct, USA Water Polo members have access to free training courses regarding athlete safety through the U.S. Center for SafeSport. We also seek to protect our athletes by requiring all of our coach members to take the SafeSport Center’s Core SafeSport training, as well as annual refresher courses offered by the SafeSport Center. Also, all of our coach members are required to submit to periodic background checks and to have passed USA Water Polo approved first aid courses, which include training on concussion recognition.
SafeSport Alignment
In full compliance with the Amateur Sports Act and in cooperation with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, USA Water Polo has formally adopted rules of conduct and grievance procedures for enforcing its rules that strictly address abuse and, through the Center, provide instant, anonymous methods for reporting abuse of any type. The founding of the U.S. Center for SafeSport in 2017 was an important step to address abuse in the Olympic movement. The Center has exclusive jurisdiction to address instances of sexual abuse and discretionary jurisdiction to address instances of other types of abuse. USA Water Polo forwards all reports regarding abuse to the Center to allow it to determine whether it wishes to exercise jurisdiction or to allow USA Water Polo to do so through USA Water Polo’s grievance procedures.
Commitment to Privacy
USA Water Polo does not share with the public the details of reported rule violations out of concern for the privacy rights of the individuals involved and to protect the confidentiality of those who have filed grievances. In the event that a USA Water Polo member would like to check the status of any individual they can access the SafeSport Center’s Centralized Disciplinary Database by clicking here, to determine if the individual is subject to a sanction by the SafeSport Center.
For additional information, we encourage Bainbridge Water Polo members, families, and spectators to refer to the USA Water Polo information page on SafeSport.