THE ASPEN SWIM CLUB TEAM POLICY ON ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION 

 

USA Swimming clubs are now required to implement an electronic communication policy. 

 

PURPOSE:    The Aspen Swim Club (the “Club”) recognizes the prevalence of electronic communication and social media in today’s world. Many of our swimmers use these means as their primary method of communication. While the Club acknowledges the value of these methods of communication, the Club also realizes that there are associated risks that must be considered when adults use these methods to communicate with minors.

  1. All communications between head coach(es) or other adults and an athlete must be professional in nature and for the purpose of communicating information about team activities. The content and intent of all electronic communications must adhere to the USA Swimming Code of Conduct regarding Athlete Protection.

  2. Communications will be:

    1. Transparent: All electronic communication between Head coach(es) and athletes should be transparent.

    2. Accessible: All electronic communication between Head coach(es) and athletes should be considered a matter of record and part of the Club’s records.

    3. Professional: All electronic communication between Head coach(es) and an athlete should be conducted professionally as a representative of the Club. This includes word choices, tone, grammar, and subject matter.

  3. Social Media: Coaches will not accept any “friend” request from an athlete on any form of social media (Facebook, etc.). In addition, the coach will remind the athlete that this is not permitted. Athletes, coaches, and parents are not permitted to post to social media any photos or video of athletes or coaches without knowledge and permission.

  4. Athlete Reminder: Athletes should remember that swimming for the club is a privilege, and they are expected to portray themselves, their team, and their community in a positive manner at all times. Many employers, college admissions officers, and athletic recruiters review social networking sites as part of their evaluation of an applicant. Carefully consider how others may perceive the information and content that you share about yourself.

  5. Texting:  Texting only shall be used for the purpose of communicating information directly related to team activities and may only be done in limited circumstances (like dates of meet, etc).  Texts to athletes under the age of 18 should include a parent on the text.

  6. Email:   While email may be the best way to contact Head coach(es) and board members, email as a form of communication should only be used when necessary, needs to be written in a professional tone, and may pertain only to your swimmer(s). Non-urgent emails may take up to 1 week to receive a response.  Coaches are not required to respond to email on weekends or between the hours of 6pm-9am. If this privilege is abused or if the communication is inappropriate, parents may have limits placed on how they use this form of communication. When communicating with an athlete through email, a parent, another Head Coach, or a board member must also be copied.

  7. Request to discontinue all electronic communications:  The parents or guardians of an athlete may request in writing that their child not be contacted by coaches through any form of electronic communication.