James River Crew SafeSport Policy

1. Application
This policy shall apply to every volunteer, athlete, parent or other person attending a practice, study hall, competition, or other event directly associated with James River Crew, or acting in an official capacity for James River Crew. The adult and youth members of James River Crew work as a team to ensure that we practice and compete in an environment of fairness and proper treatment for all.

2. Participation with James River Crew
Participation with James River Crew requires both adults and students meet minimum requirements.

2.1 Adult Volunteers
Adult Volunteers include anyone with a position of authority over, having frequent contact with the athletes, or acting in a limited capacity that engenders authority.  Adult volunteers must complete background checks through Chesterfield county Public Schools (CCPS).  The appropriate level should be completed and proof of completion submitted to both the Head Coach and the Booster Club President before the individual assumes any role of authority/responsibility related to the students. This meets the requirement for criminal background checksby USRowing.

2.2 Athletes
Athletes are any members of James River Crew over whom authority is exercised. All youth participants with James River Crew are Chesterfield County Public Schools students.  They will meet the requirements of CCPS to participate in a sport.  Further, they will complete all forms and education required by CCPS.

2.3 Mandatory Disclosure
Any person associated with James RiverCrew who is accused, arrested, indicted or convicted of a criminal offense against a child must notify the appropriate team authority so that proper action can be taken.

3. Prohibited Conduct
The definitions of prohibited conducts below reflect portions of the definitions set forth in the USRowing Safesport Policy at http://usrowing.org/Safety/SafeSport.aspx.  The full definitions in the USRowing policy apply, and must be understood by all James River Crew Adult Volunteers.  The CCPS definitions of misconduct also apply.

3.1 Bullying
A. An intentional, persistent and repeated pattern of committing or willfully tolerating physical and non-physical 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; or B. Any act or conduct described as bullying under federal or state law.

3.2 Hazing
A. 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; or B. Any act or conduct described as hazing under federal or state law

3.3 Harassment (including sexual harassment)
A. 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 or (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 B. Any act or conduct described as harassment under federal or state law.

3.4 Emotional Misconduct
A. A pattern of deliberate, non-contact behavior that has the potential to cause emotional or psychological harm to an athlete. Non-contact behaviors include: 1) verbal acts 2) physical acts 3) acts that deny attention or support; or B. Any act or conduct described as emotional abuse or misconduct under federal or state law (e.g. child abuse, child neglect).

3.5 Physical Misconduct
A. Contact or non-contact conduct that results in, or reasonably threaten to, cause physical harm to an athlete or other sport participants; or B. Any act or conduct described as physical abuse or misconduct under federal or state law (e.g. child abuse, child neglect, assault).

3.6 Sexual Misconduct (including child sexual abuse)
A. Any touching or non-touching sexual interaction that is (a) nonconsensual or forced, (b) coerced or manipulated, or (c) perpetrated in an aggressive, harassing, exploitative or threatening manner; B. 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; or C. Any act or conduct described as sexual abuse or misconduct under federal or state law (e.g. sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, rape).

4. Education and Training
Members of James River Crew will complete training to maximize our understanding of how best to ensure proper treatment of our teammates.

4.1 Annual Volunteers
Training Each year before the beginning of a new Fall season, the adult volunteers of James River Crew will:
A. Review this policy and the supporting documents: 1) CCPSAthletic Handbook for Athletes and Parents 2) CCPSStandards of Student Conduct Handbook 3) USRowing Internal Policies and Participant Safety Handbook (Sections 3-5), B. Complete the SafeSport online training course and submit certificates to the Head Coach, C. Gather all the adult volunteers together for a discussion of the policies.  Highlight any changes noted in CCPSand USRowing policies.  Ensure all coaches and other adults with continuing authority over athletes are familiar with the rules, and prepared to enforce them. D. Decide on any necessary updates to this policy.

4.2 New Volunteer Training
Every new volunteer will be expected to complete the annual volunteers training above.  The discussion session does not need to include all current volunteers, but must have a minimum of three people.

4.3 Athlete Training
The Head Coach will arrange for a specific study hall session in which all students currently with the team will be present to review this team policy.  All prohibited conduct will be defined.  Intervention, reporting, and enforcement will also be discussed.

5. Prevention
The good conduct and intentions of James River Crew members will serve as the primary prevention mechanism.  The following additional prevention principles apply:

5.1 Supervision
Students will be supervised by adults at all times on land.  This includes practices, competition, and study hall. On the water, supervision will be in accordance with Virginia Boat Club rules on the presence of safety launches or with rules for the specific competition.

5.2 Dress Code
James River Crew has established a dress code modified from the CCPSdress code and consistent with appropriate attire for our sport.  This dress code will be monitored daily and enforced by the coaches.

5.3 Overnight Travel
On overnight travel, athletes and coaches will bunk by gender.  Athletes and coaches will sleep in separate rooms.

6. Intervention
Every member of James River Crew who witnesses prohibited misconduct is encouraged to intervene in a positive manner to end the conduct.  This intervention must not involve further misconduct.

6.1 Adult Volunteers
Adult Volunteers must intervene to protect other members of James River Crew.  The adult’s actions are their own responsibility, chosen carefully based on their own safety and the best way to end the misconduct properly.  This can include calling the proper authorities.

6.2 Athletes
Athletes are not required to intervene, and must consider their own safety carefully before taking any interaction to intervene.

7. Reporting
Every member of James River Crew who is aware of past, ongoing, or planned misconduct listed above as prohibited is encouraged to report the conduct. All reporting must be discrete.

7.1 Adult Volunteers
Adult Volunteers must report prohibited misconduct to the Head Coach and the President of James River Rowers. If reporting to these individuals is not appropriate or does not result in correct action, the next step is reporting to the Athletic Director of James River High School.

7.2 Athletes
Athletes are not required to report, but please do.  Your best reporting options are your parents the Head Coach, the James River Rowers President, or the school’s athletic director.  But whatever path is taken to report is preferable to doing nothing.  Tell an adult and we will act.

7.3 Confidentiality
To ensure maximum reporting of prohibited conduct, all reports will be kept confidential to the maximum extent possible. Confidentiality is dependent upon reporting to people who must follow this burden of confidentiality.

7.4 Good Faith
All reports must be made in good faith.  Facts must be stated as facts.  Hearsay must be identified as such.  False reports, if found to be so, are subject to discipline.

8. Enforcement
James River Crew is not equipped to investigate or punish conduct of the severity identified above.  Enforcement will require CCPS assistance, and will be consistent with CCPS procedures.

8.1 Suspension during Investigation
The Coaches and James River Rowers reserve the right to ask anyone to step away from James River Crew while prohibited conduct is being investigated.

8.2 Objections to Enforcement
Actions Anyone with objections to this policy or actions taken by James River Crew should first discuss those objections with the coaches and James River Rowers. The next recourse is speaking with James River High School’s Athletic Director.

9. Updates
This policy will be edited and updated as needed.  At minimum, it will be endorsed by the coaches and James River Rowers before each fall season begins.