USA Swimming has updated its Athlete Protection Training (APT) requirement as it relates to 17-year old members who are approaching their 18th birthdays.
Previously, members had a 30 day grace period after their 18th birthday to complete their APT requirement before they risked having their membership suspended. Now, USA Swimming says that members who have not completed their APT requirement by their 18th birthday will be suspended. That means that they will be ineligible to compete at USA Swimming sanctioned meets, club practices, and “all other related activities.”
USA Swimming calls the change an “administrative decision that we decided to incorporate into the launch of the new SWIMS database.”
The new policy is effective September 1, 2022.
USA Swimming will be rolling out its new SWIMS 3.0 results database this fall, hoping to improve and modernize the results management system.
The organization will send all members a reminder 30 days before their 18th birthday, and again on their 18th birthday, to complete their APT requirement.
USA Swimming rolled out its new Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) in 2019, and with it came the new requirement that all adult members, including athlete members, complete Athlete Protection Training. At the time, USA Swimming warned athletes that results earned by athletes who had not completed their APT could be invalidated – including qualifying times for meets like the Olympic Trials.
The APT includes three courses: sexual misconduct awareness education, mandatory reporting and emotional and physical misconduct. The APT is not the “Free Safe Sport Training for Minor Athletes” program, and that program does not satisfy the APT requirement.
USA Swimming notified all members aged 17 and over of the change this week via email.