Moorestown Rowing Club
SafeSport
Policies & Guidelines
Draft
Introduction
This SafeSport policy explains the mandatory policies and procedures relating to Moorestown
Rowing volunteers, board members, employees, and contractors. While the mission of Moorestown Rowing Club is to create a competitive, community‐based youth rowing program our priority is the safety of our athletes, coaches, staff, and volunteers. Consequently, we take safety and professionalism very seriously. Any questions regarding this information should be directed to the Moorestown Rowing Safety Officer or the Moorestown Rowing Club Board of Directors whose contact information can be found on the Moorestown Rowing
website at www.moorestowncrew.org.
Who we are:
Moorestown Rowing Club is a non‐profit organization dedicated to the safe sport of rowing. We are affiliated with US Rowing.
Outline of Contents:
1. Location and Changing Room
2. Harassment, Bullying, Hazing, Discrimination, Retaliation
3. Prevention
4. Reporting
5. Awareness Training
6. Applicant Screening
7. Criminal Background Checks
8. Athlete Protection Policies
9. Supervision of Athletes
10. Social Media Policies/Electronic Communication
11. Travel
To whom these policies apply:
These policies apply to volunteers (defined for purposes of this policy as those volunteers in
frequent contact with the athletes such as chaperones or volunteer coaches), board members,
employees (coaches, riggers, support staff, etc.) and contractors (such as coaches and riggers
who are occasionally contracted employees). The intent of the policies is to ensure the safety
and well being of all the athletes and to follow the law. In addition to this policy, Board
Members have their own bylaws, and employees have their own employee handbook.
1. LOCATION & CHANGING ROOM FACILITIES
We are known as Moorestown Rowing Club, and we practice at the Camden Count Boathouse located at 7050 N. Park Drive, Pennsauken. There is no locker room to change in; all athletes are expected to come dressed and to change at their own home or other location.
2. HARASSMENT, BULLYING, HAZING, DISCRIMINATION, RETALIATION
Moorestown Rowing Club has a zero tolerance policy by anyone to participate in unlawful
harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, hazing, intimidation and/or unlawful discrimination or
retaliation. We follow all Federal, State and local laws and ordinances in applying equal
opportunity to all.
Volunteers, board members, employees, and contractors shall refrain from all forms of
misconduct, which include:
• Bullying
• Harassment
• Hazing
• Emotional misconduct
• Physical misconduct
• Sexual misconduct, including child sexual abuse
PROHIBITED CONDUCT
Child Sexual Abuse
(1) Any sexual activity with a child where consent is not or cannot be given. This includes
sexual contact with a child that is accomplished by deception, manipulation, force or
threat of force, regardless of the age of the participants, and all sexual interactions
between an adult and a child, regardless of whether there is deception or the child
understands the sexual nature of the activity.
Note concerning peer‐to‐peer child sexual abuse: Sexual contact between minors also
can be abusive. Whether or not a sexual interaction between children constitutes child
sexual abuse turns on the existence of an aggressor, the age difference between the
children, and/or whether there is an imbalance of power and/or intellectual capabilities.
(2) Any act or conduct described as child sexual abuse under federal or state law.
Exception
None
Examples
Sexually abusive acts may include sexual penetration, sexual touching or non‐contact sexual
acts such as verbal acts, sexually suggestive electronic , or written communications, exposure or
voyeurism.
Emotional Misconduct
(1) A pattern of deliberate, non‐contact behavior that has the potential to cause emotional or psychological harm to an athlete. Non‐contact behaviors include:
a. Verbal acts
b. Physical acts
c. Acts that deny attention and/or support
(2) Any act or conduct described as emotional abuse or misconduct under federal or state law (e.g. child abuse, child neglect) .
Exception
Emotional misconduct does not include professionally accepted coaching methods of skill
enhancement, physical conditioning, team building, discipline or improving athletic
performance.
Examples
Examples of emotional misconduct prohibited by this policy include, without limitation:
(1) Verbal Acts. A pattern of verbal behaviors that (a) attack an athlete personally (e.g., calling them worthless, fat or disgusting) or (b) repeatedly and excessively yelling at a particular participant or participants in a manner that serves no productive training or motivational purpose.
(2) Physical Acts. A pattern of physically aggressive behaviors, such as (a) throwing sport
equipment, water bottles or chairs at, or in the presence of, participants; or (b) punching walls, windows or other objects.
(3) Acts that Deny Attention and/or Support. A pattern of (a) ignoring an athlete for
extended periods of time or (b) routinely or arbitrarily excluding participants from practice.
Note: Bullying, harassment, and hazing, defined below, often involve some form of emotional
misconduct.
Physical Misconduct
(1) Contact or non‐contact conduct that results in or reasonably threatens to cause physical harm to an athlete or other sport participants; or
(2) Any act or conduct described as physical abuse or misconduct under federal or state law (e.g. child abuse, child neglect, assault)
Exceptions
Physical misconduct does not include professionally accepted coaching methods of skill enhancement, physical conditioning, team building, appropriate discipline or improving athlete performance. For example, hitting, punching, and kicking are well‐regulated forms of contact in combat sports, but have no place in swimming.
Examples
Examples of physical misconduct prohibited by this Policy include, without limitation:
(1) Contact offenses . Behaviors that include:
(a) Punching, beating, biting, striking, choking or slapping an athlete
(b) Intentionally hitting an athlete with objects or sporting equipment
(c) Providing alcohol to an athlete under the legal drinking age (under U.S. law)
(d) Providing illegal drugs or non‐prescribed medications to any athlete
(e) Encouraging or permitting an athlete to return to play prematurely following a
serious injury (e.g., a concussion) and without the clearance of a medical professional
(f) Prescribing dieting or other weight‐control methods (e.g., weigh‐ins, caliper tests) without regard for the nutritional well‐being and health of athlete.
(2) Non‐contact offenses . Behaviors that include:
(a) Isolating an athlete in a confined space (e.g., locking an athlete in a small space)
(b) Forcing an athlete to assume a painful stance or position for no athletic purpose (e.g.
requiring an athlete to kneel on a harmful surface)
(c) Withholding, recommending against or denying adequate hydration, nutrition,
medical attention or sleep
Sexual Misconduct
(1) Any touching or non‐touching sexual interaction that is:
(a) Nonconsensual or forced
(b) Coerced or manipulated
(c) Perpetrated in an aggressive, harassing, exploitative or threatening manner
(2) Any sexual interaction between an athlete and an individual with evaluative, direct or
indirect authority. Such relationships involve an imbalance of power and are likely to
impair judgment or be exploitative
(3) Any act or conduct described as sexual abuse or misconduct under federal or state law
(e.g. sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, rape)
Note: An imbalance of power is always assumed between a coach and an athlete.
Types of Sexual Misconduct
Types of sexual misconduct include:
(1) Sexual assault
(2) Sexual harassment
(3) Sexual abuse
(4) Any other sexual intimacies that exploit an athlete. Minors cannot consent to sexual activity with an adult , and all sexual interaction between an adult and a minor is strictly prohibited.
Exceptions
None
Examples
Examples of sexual misconduct prohibited under this Policy include, without limitation:
(1) Touching offenses. Behaviors that include:
(a) Fondling an athlete’s breasts or buttocks
(b) Exchange of reward in sport (e.g., team placement, scores, feedback) for sexual favors
(c) Genital contact
(d) Sexual relations or intimacies between athletes and persons in a position of trust, authority and/or evaluative and supervisory control over athletes.
(2) Non‐touching offenses. Behaviors that include:
(a) A coach discussing his or her sex life with an athlete
(b) A coach asking an athlete about his or her sex life
(c) A coach requesting or sending a nude or partial‐dress photo to an athlete
(d) Exposing athletes to pornographic material
(e) Sending athletes sexually explicit or suggestive electronic or written messages or
photos (e.g. “sexting”)
(f) Deliberately exposing an athlete to sexual acts
(g) Deliberately exposing an athlete to nudity (except in situations where locker rooms
and changing areas are shared)
(h) Sexual harassment; specifically, the sexual solicitation, physical advances, or verbal or nonverbal conduct that is sexual in nature, and
a. Is unwelcome, offensive or creates a hostile environment, and the offending
individual knows or is told this
b. Is sufficiently severe or intense to be harassing to a reasonable person in the context
Authority and Trust. Once the unique coach‐athlete relationship is established, the
authority and trust on the part of the coach over the athlete shall be assumed, regardless of
age. Accordingly, sexual interaction or intimacies between a coach and an athlete or other
participant are prohibited, regardless of age, both during coaching and during that period
following coaching.
Imbalance of Power. Factors relevant to determining whether there is an imbalance of
power include, but are not limited to:
(a) The nature and extent of the coach’s supervisory, evaluative, or other authority over the athlete being coached
(b) The actual relationship between the parties
(c) The parties’ respective roles
(d) The nature and duration of the sexual relations or intimacies
(e) The age of the coach
(f) The age of the athlete or participant
(g) Whether the coach has engaged in a pattern of sexual interaction with other athletes or participants
Exception. This section does not apply to a pre‐existing relationship between two spouses or life partners.
Bullying
(1) An intentional, persistent and repeated pattern of committing or willfully tolerating
physical and nonphysical behaviors that are intended, or have the reasonable potential,
to cause fear, humiliation or physical harm in an attempt to socially exclude, diminish or
isolate the targeted athlete(s), as a condition of membership
(2) Any act or conduct described as bullying under federal or state law
Exceptions
Bullying does not include group or team behaviors that (a) are meant to establish normative
team behaviors, or (b) promote team cohesion.
For example, bullying does not include verbal admonitions to encourage team members to train
harder and to push through a difficult training regime.
Examples
Examples of bullying prohibited by this Policy include, without limitation:
(1) Physical behaviors. Behaviors that include (a) hitting, pushing, punching, beating, biting, striking, kicking, choking, or slapping an athlete, and/or (b) throwing at, or hitting an athlete with objects such as sporting equipment.
(2) Verbal and emotional behaviors. Behaviors that include (a) teasing, ridiculing, intimidating, (b) spreading rumors or making false statements, or (c) using electronic communications, social media, or other technology to harass, frighten, intimidate or humiliate (“cyber bullying”).
Harassment
(1) A repeated pattern of physical and/or non‐physical behaviors that (a) are intended to cause fear, humiliation or annoyance, (b) offend or degrade, (c) create a hostile environment, (d) reflect discriminatory bias in an attempt to establish dominance, superiority or power over an individual athlete or group based on gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression or mental or physical disability or (e) are retaliatory in nature, defined as of taking adverse action against an individual who makes a good faith complaint or assertion regarding these policies.
(2) Any act or conduct described as harassment under federal or state law
Exceptions
None
Examples
Examples of harassment prohibited by this Policy include, without limitation:
(1) Physical offenses. Behaviors that include (a) hitting, pushing, punching, beating, biting,
striking, kicking, choking or slapping an athlete or participant, and/or (b) throwing at or
hitting an athlete with objects including sporting equipment.
(2) Non‐physical offenses . Behaviors that include (a) making negative or disparaging
comments about an athlete’s sexual orientation, gender expression, disability, religion,
skin color, or ethnic traits, (b) displaying offensive materials, gestures, or symbols, (c)
withholding or reducing playing time to an athlete based on his or her sexual orientation.
Hazing
(1) Coercing, requiring, forcing or willfully tolerating any humiliating, unwelcome or dangerous activity that serves as a condition for (a) joining a group or (b) being socially accepted by a group’s members
(2) Any act or conduct described as hazing under federal or state law.
Exception
Hazing does not include group or team activities that (a) are meant to establish normative team
behaviors or (b) promote team cohesion.
Examples
Examples of hazing prohibited by this Policy include, without limitation:
(1) Requiring, forcing or otherwise requiring the consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs
(2) Tying, taping or otherwise physically restraining an athlete
(3) Sexual simulations or sexual acts of any nature
(4) Sleep deprivation, otherwise unnecessary schedule disruption or the withholding of
water and/or food
(5) Social actions (e.g. grossly inappropriate or provocative clothing) or public displays (e.g. public nudity) that are illegal or meant to draw ridicule
(6) Beating, paddling or other forms of physical assault.
(7) Excessive training requirements focused on individuals on a team
Comment: Activities that fit the definition of hazing are considered to be hazing regardless of an athlete’s willingness to cooperate or participate.
3. PREVENTING SEXUAL ABUSE OR “GROOMING”
Moorestown Rowing Club has a zero tolerance policy by anyone to participate in sexual abuse or “grooming” (or any unlawful act) of children/young adults and takes precautions by employing a vendor most knowledgeable in this area to help do a criminal background check on those individuals described in section four (4) below interacting directly with children and young adults. Moorestown also relies on volunteers, board members, employees, and contractors to immediately report any perceived or known violations of any of these policies.
4. REPORTING
Moorestown Rowing Club’s policies and procedures require anyone who may witness or become aware of any perceived or known violation to these policies to report abuse, misconduct and violations of its SafeSport Policy by reporting as soon as possible, but in any event within 24 hours, to the Moorestown Rowing Safety Officer or the Moorestown Rowing Club’s Board of Directors and/or directly to the police. To do so, volunteers, board members, employees (including coaches, riggers, and support staff), and contractors should have a basic understanding of sexual abusers, as well as “grooming,” the most common strategy offenders use to seduce their victims. Using a combination of attention, affection and gifts, offenders select a child, win the child’s trust (and the trust of the child’s parent or guardian), manipulate the child into sexual activity, and keep the child from disclosing abuse.
In the event a volunteer, board member, employee, or contractor is approached by a parent,
athlete, or any other individual, regarding concerns or perceived or known violations of this
policy, the volunteer, board member, employee, or contractor shall record the information,
offer the parents or athlete the appropriate contact information, and report the concerns or
perceived or known violations of this policy the Moorestown Rowing Safety Officer or the Moorestown Rowing Club’s Board of Directors and/or directly to the police as soon as possible, but in any event within 24 hours.
Parents, athletes, or any other individual may let their concerns be known in either oral or
written form, and may request to remain anonymous. Notwithstanding, a sample reporting form that highlights pertinent information requested is included at the end of this policy.
5. AWARENESS TRAINING IN PREVENTION REQUIRED
Volunteers, board members, employees, and contractors, must complete the SafeSport online
training concerning misconduct in sport and complete the test at the completion of the course
prior to performing services for the Rowing Club. Misconduct in sport includes:
• Bullying
• Harassment
• Hazing
• Retaliation
• Emotional misconduct
• Physical misconduct, and
• Sexual misconduct, including child sexual abuse
Upon satisfactory completion of the SafeSport online quiz, the volunteer, board member,
employee, or contractor will receive a certificate of completion, a copy of which must be
provided to the Moorestown Rowing Safety Officer.
Those employees and/or volunteers who are required to take awareness training will take
athlete awareness training every two (2) years, and shall complete the training before they
have contact with athletes.
6. APPLICANT SCREENING
New employees and contractors (“applicant or applicants”) must consent to, and pass, a formal
applicant screening process before performing services for the Moorestown Rowing Club.
Elements of our screening process include, as applicable, written application, personal
interview, reference check and criminal background check.
EDUCATION ABOUT CLUB’S PROTECTION POLICIES
To deter applicants who may be at risk of abusing athletes or participants from applying for
positions, the Moorestown Rowing Club educates its applicants about its protection policies and
offers applicants an early opt‐out by:
• Requiring SafeSport online awareness training before placement and/or before working with athletes and participants
• Informing applicants about our policies and procedures relevant to prevention
• Asking applicants to review and agree to our policies and procedures before proceeding with the process
• Requiring applicants to sign a document acknowledging review of our policies and procedures.
PERSONAL INTERVIEW
Board members will interview applicants whose experience and credentials are considered a fit
for available positions. During this interview, the Moorestown Rowing Club will ask questions to
encourage discussion, clarify responses and expand on the applicant’s answers to questions
from any written application.
REFERENCES
At their discretion, the Moorestown Rowing Club may request applicant to provide references who may be contacted (either by phone or in writing) and asked specific questions regarding the applicant’s professional experiences, demeanor and appropriateness for involvement with
minor athletes and participants.
7. CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK POLICY
All applicants, potential volunteers, and potential board members will be required to pass a
criminal background check that complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act before providing
services for the Moorestown Rowing Club . New Jersey, Federal and local rules/1 regulations will be followed.
PROCESS
The Moorestown Rowing Club shall provide the applicant, potential volunteer, or potential board
member the instructions to sign up for the background check from its vendor. The applicant,
potential volunteer, or potential board member shall provide the necessary information to
allow the vendor to perform the criminal background check. The applicant, potential
volunteer, or potential board member shall release Moorestown Rowing Club from any and all
liability that results from participating in the Criminal Background check.
POTENTIALLY DISQUALIFYING FACTORS
Criminal History
Information that could disqualify an applicant, volunteer, or board member includes, but is not limited to, felony arrests, pleas of no contest and criminal convictions—especially if the underlying criminal behavior involved sex or violence. The Vendor will comply with all Federal, State and local rules regarding this.
________
1 applicants, and potential volunteers aged 18 and under will not be required to complete a criminal background
check.
Full Disclosure
Each applicant, volunteer, or board member has the affirmative duty to disclose his or her
criminal history. Failing to disclose or intentionally misrepresenting an arrest plea or conviction
history in an application or any other information provided by an applicant, volunteer or board
member during the screening process is grounds for employment, volunteer and/or
membership revocation or restriction, regardless of when the offense is discovered.
• If an applicant, potential volunteer or potential board member (1) is arrested, (2) pleas, or (3) is convicted of a crime other than a traffic offense during the screening process, the applicant is required to disclose such information immediately.
• In the event a person is serving as a volunteer, board member, employee, or contractor and (1) is arrested, (2) pleas, or (3) is convicted after the completion of the screening process, he or she has an affirmative duty to disclose such information immediately to his or her supervisor or the board of the Moorestown Rowing Club.
• Any applicant, potential volunteer, or potential board member who has been banned by another sport organization, as temporarily or permanently ineligible, must self‐disclose this information. A failure to disclose is a basis for disqualification for potential applicants, volunteers, or board members.
FINDINGS
Notice of findings will be provided to each applicant, potential volunteer, or potential board
member in accordance with New Jersey, Federal and local laws/ordinances/regulations: The
vendor will be responsible for handling this under all applicable laws and regulations.
8. ATHLETE PROTECTION POLICY
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
Overview
In the event that any volunteer, board member, employee, or contractor observes
inappropriate behaviors (i.e., policy violations), suspected physical or sexual abuse, or
misconduct, it is the personal responsibility of each volunteer, board member, employee, or
contractor to immediately report his or her observations to the Moorestown Rowing Safety Officeror the Moorestown Rowing Club’s Board of Directors and/or directly to the police when appropriate, as soon as possible, but in any event within 24 hours.
The Moorestown Rowing Club is committed to creating a safe and positive environment for athletes’ physical, emotional and social development and to ensuring that it promotes an environment free of misconduct.
The Moorestown Rowing Club recognizes that the process for training and motivating athletes will vary with each coach and athlete, but it is nevertheless important for everyone involved in
sport to support the use of motivational and training methods that avoid misconduct.
VIOLATIONS
Although these policies are designed to reduce child sexual abuse and other misconduct, it can
still occur. When the reporter has at least a reasonable suspicion of abuse, the Moorestown Rowing board of directors will turn the investigation over to a trained professional to ensure the proper legal steps are followed.
WILLFULLY TOLERATING MISCONDUCT
It is a violation of this Athlete Protection Policy if a volunteer, board member, employee, or
contractor, knows of misconduct, but takes no action to intervene on behalf of the athlete(s).
You could be assuming your own liability for failure to take the appropriate steps as prescribed
above.
9. SUPERVISION OF ATHLETES
During training and competition, the Moorestown Rowing Club strives to create two‐deep leadership and minimize one‐to‐one interactions to create a safe training environment and to protect athletes.
APPROPRIATE ONE‐ON‐ONE INTERACTIONS
Individual Meetings
An individual meeting may be necessary to address an athlete’s concerns, training program, or
competition schedule. Under these circumstances, coaches, employees, volunteers, and board
members are to observe the following guidelines:
• Any individual meeting should occur when others are present and where interactions an be easily observed.
• Where possible, an individual meeting should take place in a publicly visible and open area, such as the corner of the boathouse or the boathouse grounds.
• If an individual meeting is to take place in an office, the door should remain unlocked and open.
• If a closed‐door meeting is necessary, the coach, employee, volunteer, and/or board member must inform another coach, employee, volunteer, and/or board member and ensure the door remains unlocked.
Individual Training Sessions
An individual training session(s) with an athlete may also be desired or necessary. Under these
circumstances, written permission of a minor athlete’s parent or guardian is required in
advance of the individual training session(s), and the Moorestown Rowing Club encourages parent(s) and guardian(s) to attend the training session.
SUPERVISION OF ATHLETES
Moorestown Rowing Club endeavors to ensure minor athletes will not be left unattended or
unsupervised during the Moorestown Rowing Club activities. However, Moorestown Rowing Club cannot guarantee athletes will be continually monitored and never be left without coaching or volunteer supervision. Athletes are participating at their own risk.
PROHIBITED ONE‐ON‐ONE INTERACTIONS
The Moorestown Rowing club coaches, employees, volunteers, and board members are prohibited from being alone with an individual athlete in any closed room or closed building, unless required by safety reasons.
PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH ATHLETES
Appropriate physical contact between athletes and coaches is a productive and inevitable part
of sport. Athletes are more likely to acquire advanced physical skills and enjoy their sport
participation through appropriate physical contact. However, guidelines for appropriate
physical contact reduce the potential for misconduct in sport.
APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL CONTACT
The Moorestown Rowing Club adheres to the following principles and guidelines in regards to
• physical contact with our athletes:
Common Criteria for Appropriate Physical Contact
Physical contact with athletes – for safety, consolation and celebration – has multiple criteria in
common which make them both safe and appropriate. These include:
• The physical contact takes place in public.
• There is no potential for, or actual, physical or sexual intimacies during the physical contact.
• The physical contact is for the benefit of the athlete, not to meet an emotional or other need of an adult.
Safety
The safety of our athletes is paramount and in many instances we make the athletic space safer
through appropriate physical contact. Examples include:
• Spotting an athlete so they will not be injured by a fall or piece of equipment.
• Positioning an athlete’s body so they more quickly acquire an athletic skill, get a better sense of where their body is in space, or improve their balance and coordination.
• Making athletes aware they might be in harm’s way because of other athletes practicing around them or because of equipment in use.
• Releasing muscle cramps
Celebration
Sports are physical by definition and we recognize participants often express their joy of
participation, competition, achievement, and victory through physical acts. We encourage
these public expressions of celebration, which include:
• Greeting gestures such as high‐fives, fist bumps, and brief hugs.
• Congratulatory gestures such as celebratory hugs, “jump‐arounds” and pats on the back for any form of athletic or personal accomplishment
Consolation
It may be appropriate to console an emotionally distressed athlete (e.g., an athlete who has
been injured or has just lost a competition). Appropriate consolation includes publicly:
• Embracing a crying athlete.
• Putting an arm around an athlete while verbally engaging them in an effort to calm them down (“side hugs”).
• Lifting a fallen athlete off the playing surface and “dusting them off” to encourage them to continue competition
PROHIBITED PHYSICAL CONTACT
Prohibited forms of physical contact, which shall be reported immediately under our Reporting
Policy include, without limitation:
• Asking or having an athlete sit in the lap of a coach, administrator, employee, volunteer, or board member.
• Lingering or repeated embraces of athletes that go beyond the criteria set forth for acceptable physical contact.
• Slapping, hitting, punching, kicking, or any other physical contact meant to discipline, punish, or achieve compliance from an athlete.
• “Cuddling” or maintaining prolonged physical contact during any aspect of training, travel, or overnight stay.
• Playful, yet inappropriate contact that is not a part of regular training, (e.g., tickling or “horseplay” wrestling).
• Continued physical contact that makes an athlete obviously uncomfortable, whether expressed or not.
• Any contact that is contrary to a previously expressed personal desire for decreased or no physical contact, where such decreased contact is feasible in a competitive training environment.
10. SOCIAL MEDIA POLICIES/ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
Common Sense must be used in all Social Media to avoid allegations of unlawful conduct of any
kind. Questions regarding this section should be directed to the Board of Directors of the
Moorestown Rowing Club.
IMAGERY
From time to time, digital photos, videos of practice or competition, and other publicly
obtainable images of the athlete – individually or in groups – may be taken. These photos
and/or videos may be submitted to local, state or national publications, used in the Moorestown Rowing Club videos, posted on the Moorestown Rowing Club website(s), or offered to the Moorestown Rowing Club membership in electronic form. It is the default policy of the Moorestown Rowing Club to allow such practices as long as the athlete or athletes are in public view and such imagery is both appropriate and in the best interest of the athlete and the Moorestown Rowing Club. Imagery must not be contrary to any rules as outlined above.
REQUEST TO DISCONTINUE ALL ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS OR IMAGERY
The parents or guardians of an athlete may request in writing that their child not be contacted
by any form of electronic communication by coaches (photography or videography). This
request must be made in writing to the Moorestown Rowing Club Board of Directors.
MISCONDUCT
Social media and electronic communications can also be used to commit misconduct (e.g.,
emotional, sexual, bullying, harassment, and hazing). Such communications by coaches, staff,
volunteers, administrators, officials, board members, parents, or athletes will not be tolerated
and are considered violations of our SafeSport policy.
VIOLATIONS
Violations of the Moorestown Rowing Club’s policy should be reported to any member of the board.
11. TRAVEL
Travel will be a standard aspect of our competitive season and the Moorestown Rowing Club has established policies to guide our travel to minimize one‐on‐one interactions and reduce the risk of misconduct. Adherence to these travel guidelines will increase athlete safety and improve the competitive experience while keeping travel a fun and enjoyable experience.
LOCAL AND TEAM TRAVEL
We distinguish between travel to training, practice and local competition (“local travel”), and
team travel involving a coordinated overnight stay (“team travel”).
Local Travel
Local travel occurs when the Moorestown Rowing Club does not sponsor, coordinate, or arrange for travel. For local travel, athletes or their parents/guardians (for minor athletes) are responsible for making all travel arrangements. In these instances it is the responsibility of the athlete or their parents/guardians (for minor athletes) to ensure the person transporting the athlete maintains all safety and legal requirements, including, but not limited to, a valid driver’s license, proper insurance, well‐maintained vehicle, and compliance with all state laws.
In an effort to minimize one‐on‐one interactions, the Moorestown Rowing Club employees,
contractors, volunteers and/or board members, who are not also acting as a parent, should not
drive alone with an unrelated athlete and should only drive with at least two other athletes or another adult at all times, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the athlete’s parent or
guardian in advance of travel. In any case where an employee, contractor, volunteer, and/or
board member is involved in the athlete’s local travel, a parental release is required in advance.
Efforts must be made to ensure that employees, contractors, volunteers, and/or board
members are not alone with an athlete, e.g., picking the athletes up in groups.
Coaches, employees and volunteers who are also an athlete’s guardian may provide shared
transportation for any athlete(s). We encourage guardians to pick up their athlete first and drop
off their athlete last in any shared or carpool travel arrangement. We also recommend
completing a shared travel declaration form signed by the parents/guardians of any minor
athlete who is being transported as part of such a carpool arrangement.
Team Travel
Team travel is travel to competitions or overnight travel that occurs when the Moorestown Rowing Club sponsors, coordinates, or arranges for travel so that our teams can compete locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally. Because of the greater distances, employees,
contractors, volunteers, and board members will often travel with the athletes. However, no
employee, contractor, volunteer, or board member will engage in team travel without the
proper safety requirements in place, including valid drivers’ licenses, proper insurance,
well‐maintained vehicles, and compliance with all state laws.
The Moorestown Rowing Club makes reasonable efforts to provide adequate supervision through coaches and other adult chaperones but cannot guarantee a child or minor will be supervised 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Thank you for your anticipated cooperation in following these policies. Should you have any
questions or concerns, please address them immediately with the Moorestown Rowing Safety
Officer, or the Moorestown Rowing Club Board of Directors.
