GREAT MIAMI ROWING CENTER    SAFESPORT POLICY

GREAT MIAMI ROWING CENTER (GMRC) SUPPORTS USROWING’S SAFESPORT STANDARDS

ATHLETE PROTECTION POLICY

COMMITMENT TO SAFETY

Overview
In the event that any member or volunteer observes inappropriate behaviors (i.e., policy violations), suspected physical or sexual abuse, or misconduct, it is the personal responsibility of each member and volunteer to immediately report his or her observations to a GMRC board member.

Members and volunteers should not attempt to evaluate the credibility or validity of the misconduct. Complaints and allegations will be addressed by the GMRC board. GMRC 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.

Prohibited Conduct
Coaches, contractors, volunteers, and athletes shall refrain from all forms of misconduct, which include:

• Bullying
• Harassment
• Hazing
• Emotional misconduct
• Physical misconduct
• Sexual misconduct

Exception:  Physical or emotional misconduct does not include professionally-accepted coaching methods of skill enhancement, physical conditioning, team building, discipline or improving athletic performance.

WILLFULLY TOLERATING MISCONDUCT
It is a violation of this Athlete Protection Policy if any member, coach, contractor, or volunteer knows of misconduct, but takes no action to intervene on behalf of the athlete(s), member, coach or volunteer.

REPORTING
Coaches, volunteers and athletes of GMRC shall follow the reporting procedures set forth in the reporting procedures. GMRC does not investigate suspicions or allegations of abuse, or attempt to evaluate the credibility or validity of such allegations, as a condition of reporting suspicions or allegations to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

Violations of the Athlete Protection Policy shall be reported pursuant to our Reporting Procedures and will be addressed under our Disciplinary Rules and Procedure.

REPORTING PROCEDURE
To Whom to Report
Members, contractors and volunteers may report to:

1. Coach or supervising volunteer with whom they are working
2. Club Board Member
3. Where applicable, appropriate law enforcement authorities

How to Report
GMRC will take a report in the way that is most comfortable for the person initiating a report including an anonymous, in-person, verbal or written report. Regardless of how you choose to report, it is helpful to GMRC for individuals to provide, at a minimum, (1) the name of the complainant(s); (2) the type of misconduct alleged and the name(s) of the individual(s) alleged to have committed the misconduct.

• Confidentiality -To the extent permitted by law, and as appropriate, GMRC will keep confidential the complainant’s name on request, not make public the names of potential victims, the accused perpetrator or the people who made a report of physical and sexual abuse to the authorities.
• Anonymous Reporting -GMRC recognizes it can be difficult for an athlete, teammate, friend or family member to report an allegation of misconduct and strives to remove as many barriers to reporting as possible. Anonymous reports may be made without the formality of completing an Incident Report Form:
  • by completing the Reporting Form without including their name
  • by expressing concerns verbally, electronically, or in writing to a GMRC board member

“Whistleblower” Protection
Regardless of outcome, GMRC will support the complainant(s) and his or her right to express concerns in good faith. GMRC will not encourage, allow or tolerate attempts from any individual to retaliate, punish, allow or in any way harm any individual(s) who reports a concern in good faith. Such actions against a complainant will be considered a violation of our guidelines and grounds for disciplinary action.

Bad-Faith Allegations
A report of abuse, misconduct or policy violations that is malicious, frivolous or made in bad faith is prohibited. Such reports will be considered a violation of our guidelines and grounds for disciplinary action. Depending on the nature of the allegation, a person making a malicious, frivolous or bad-faith report may also be subject to civil or criminal proceedings.

HOW REPORTS ARE HANDLED
Notification- Following GMRCs notice of a credible allegation that results in the removal of a coach, member, contractor, or other volunteer, GMRC may consider the circumstances in which it will notify other athletes with whom the accused individual may have had contact. At GMRC’s discretion, as appropriate, and after consultation with counsel, GMRC may notify its coaches, contractors, volunteers, and/or athletes of any allegation of abuse or other criminal behavior that (1) law enforcement authorities are actively investigating; or (2) that GMRC is investigating internally. Advising others of an allegation may lead to additional reports of abuse and other misconduct.

Disciplinary Rules and Procedure- While GMRC endeavors to provide support and guidance to participants on a day-to-day basis, it is also important for GMRC to have a formal procedure for disciplinary action to address alleged violations of its policies and other inappropriate behaviors.

• Disciplinary Rules- GMRC recognizes that there are varying levels of misconduct. For example, physical and sexual misconduct are serious violations that may result in immediate dismissal. Less serious misconduct, and depending on the circumstances, might be dealt with more appropriately through dialogue and a verbal warning. In all cases, GMRC’s disciplinary procedures and actions will be proportionate, reasonable and applied fairly and equally.
• Disciplinary Procedure- On receipt of an allegation, GMRC will determine in its discretion the appropriate steps to address the conduct based on several factors, including the nature, scope, and extent of the allegations. GMRC’s disciplinary response will depend on the nature and seriousness of the incident and in extreme cases, misconduct will result in immediate summary dismissal.
• Disciplinary Action- Sanctions for violations of our guidelines will be proportionate and reasonable under the circumstances. In addition to day-to-day guidance, GMRC may take the following disciplinary actions, without limitation:
  • Provide the individual with guidance, redirection and instruction
  • Temporary suspension from competition
  • File a formal incident report
  • Issue a verbal warning
  • Issue a written and/or final written warning
  • Engage in restorative practices, i.e., creation of a respectful and safe dialogue when a misunderstanding or harm has occurred
  • Suspend or terminate involvement or membership.

Safe Sport Reporting Form

Please use the following reporting form and submit to the current officers of Great Miami Rowing Center by: 

1. Email: President@greatmiamirowing.com
2. Place in collection box in the shed at 110N B Street
3. Mail to PO Box 1035, Hamilton, Ohio 45012 

   
   
   IMPORTANT NOTICE:   GMRC does not investigate suspicions or allegations of child physical or sexual abuse or attempt to evaluate the credibility or validity of such allegations as a condition for reporting to appropriate law enforcement authorities.

Education and Awareness Training

• All coaches (paid and volunteer), and all GMRC Board members are required to be Safe Sport certified.

  Effective January 1, 2022, participants 18 years of age or older are now required to take SafeSport training.  This means:

  • Completing an initial comprehensive online training course offered by the U.S. Center for Safe Sport; and
  • Every year thereafter, completing a short online “refresher” course.     
  • The Safe Sport course teaches about the nature of misconduct in sport and provides actionable information to better protect athletes.
     
• Visit the website https://safesporttrained.org/
  • Members that currently have a training account:
    • If you already had an account on safesport.org or athletesafety.org, you can access the new site by going to https://safesporttrained.org.
    • Click Login on the upper right, enter your email address as your Username, and click Forgot Password.  This will send a password reset notification to your email address.  Follow the instructions to create a new, secure password and log into the training site. 
  • Members that do not have a training account but need one:
    • If you do not have an account on safesport.org, select Enrollment Key on the landing page and enter the following key: NGBUSR-RFKt8f. Fill out the form with all the required information and your new account will be set up. 

    • If you are unsure if you have an account or not, follow the instructions for members that currently have a training account. Test any possible email addresses you may have used. If the system cannot verify an account exists, follow the steps for members that do not have a training account. 

• The SafeSport site will ask for the individual’s USRowing number – if you do not remember your member number, use the member number lookup or click here https://membership.usrowing.org/individual/join to find your member number. If you are still having trouble, contact USRowing at (609) 751-0700 or  members@usrowing.org. Even if you are only a Basic Member (which is required to complete the US Rowing online waiver for your GMRC membership) you will have been issued a USRowing number.

  • PLEASE NOTE that you will need your own USRowing member number and your own email address to access the training.  If you are an Adult Participant but will not be participating as an athlete, coach or referee, you can register at no cost under the support staff category to obtain your USRowing member number. You must be affiliated with a member organization to receive a support staff membership.  
     
• Once you have completed the online course or annual refresher, save a PDF copy of the completion certificate and email it to the GMRC Safety Officer at clach12@gmail.com
  • A current certificate must be on file with GMRC prior to contact with athletes.
  • If SafeSport training is not completed prior to attending a regatta, an adult participant (18 years and older) will not be allowed to participate. 
  • The training is free for all members of USRowing. We want to emphasize this is not just USRowing policy, but it is required by law and supported by the USOPC. 

Please note, if you are 18 years of age or older, you will be required to take the SafeSport Core Training or a Refresher Course prior to participation. Training must be completed annually. 

Applicant Screening

Coach employment screening with GMRC includes an application, interviews, reference checks, and criminal background checks. Each applicant has an 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 the applicant during the screening process is grounds for non-employment, or revocation or restriction of employment, regardless of when the offense is discovered.

Information that could disqualify an applicant includes, but is not limited to, arrests, pleas of no contest and criminal convictions—especially if the underlying criminal behavior involved sex or violence. No decision will be made on an individual’s eligibility for work if they have a pending court case for any of the potentially disqualifying offenses until the pending case concludes.

Each applicant has the affirmative duty to fully 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 during the screening process is grounds for revocation or restriction of employment, volunteer duties and/or GMRC membership, regardless of when the offense is discovered.

Any applicant who has been banned from another sports organization or educational institution, temporarily or permanently, must disclose this information. Failure to disclose is a basis for disqualification from employment with GMRC.

Criminal Background Checks

All GMRC coaches are required to submit a background check with the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) and show clearance on their record every 2 years prior to beginning their coaching responsibilities.
● To complete the background check, contact president@greatmiamirowingcenter.com for information.

If you need further assistance with the SafeSport training site, please contact the U.S. Center for SafeSport directly at 720-676-6417or on their Help Portal at https://safesporttrained.org.