Reading this is painful. I'm a USS Official. And USS Safe Sport's photography policy has completely lost the thread.

It started as photography prohibited behind the blocks during a start. Completely sensible. But it's just as quickly morphed into a collection of uninformed weekend Barney Fifes shouting down parents for having cell phones at all behind the blocks (which is the new - completely incomprehensible - policy).

I've even seen self-important Barney Fifes shouting down parents for being at the complete opposite end of the start of a 50m pool. Literally, the safest possible angle for Safe Sport concerns. The reason? There were unused "starting blocks" at the finish.

This is completely bananas. Everyone wants their kids protected, obviously. But the underlying Safe Sport concern was the misuse of photography *when posted online.* If that's happening, it's already unlawful; prosecute to the fullest extent of the laws.

Seeing people categorically assume any spectator with a cell phone is a pedophile is just wrong. Like the other poster wrote, these are typically parents, grandparents, sisters and brothers there to support their swimmers.

Moreover, the current "no electronics behind the blocks" policy leads to even more perverse results. You only want people sitting behind the blocks who are creepily staring at every single heat - instead of playing Candy Crush between heats? Really? That's a better outcome?

And this pace, Safe Sport will soon ban all photography (and all electronics) from meets whatsoever. After all, swimmers constantly have phones out on deck - how else are you passing those 4 hrs. sessions? And the spectators on the sides of the pool might be able to photograph swimmers diving into the warm up pool (especially when it runs perpendicular to the competition pool). Or maybe picking up a towel. It's only another few seasons before we assume anyone with a cell phone who walks by a pool is a pedophile.

We need to find an equilibrium, and fast. Banning all electronics behind the blocks is too far. Assuming any spectators with cell phones are pedophiles is completely insane.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes report this. It’s not a perfect system, but at least USA swimming has safe sport so we can reference it and have a reference point to recognize when things are wrong with conviction. Other sports do not have safesport and I have heard parents speculate about behavior that crosses the safesport line, for instance, “my 13 year old daughter said the coach texted her last night to remind her about x,y, z. Should I ask him to include me on those texts?”

Every sport under the US Olympic and Paralympic Committees is included in SafeSport.

And every sport not under the us olympic and Paralympic committees is not included. The kid in question participates in a sport that is not under the us Olympic and Paralympic committee.

Consider emailing the host club. I've pulled my phone out on deck as a marshal and been reprimanded immediately if I was even in the vicinity of the starting blocks.

Anonymous wrote:Why is "behind the blocks" special? Because it gives a view of butts?

Exactly, it’s a vulnerable position.

Why is "behind the blocks" special? Because it gives a view of butts?

Anonymous wrote:Yes report this. It’s not a perfect system, but at least USA swimming has safe sport so we can reference it and have a reference point to recognize when things are wrong with conviction. Other sports do not have safesport and I have heard parents speculate about behavior that crosses the safesport line, for instance, “my 13 year old daughter said the coach texted her last night to remind her about x,y, z. Should I ask him to include me on those texts?”

Every sport under the US Olympic and Paralympic Committees is included in SafeSport.

Anonymous wrote:It is. Recording devices are completely restricted on deck. It’s a safesport violation - they reiterated this in the deck meeting. Feel free to report.

We had a safesport violation last year with a club and this year we are at another club. I didn’t report it last year and I feel like I was really dumb not to. Report away. It’s the only way to clean the sport.

This isn’t accurate… it’s behind the blocks. Photo/video is generally allowed in other areas on deck, of course, venues/host clubs are allowed to make other policies, but as far as USAS and/or safe sport, it’s behind the blocks.

Anonymous wrote:Safe sport is a joke, and it is very gross that adults are filming from behind the blocks. There is a lot of stuff at a kids swim meet that causes me to pause.

Really? I’ve been at meets for more than a decade. I have seen people recording behind the blocks but:

- it’s been their own kid
- nothing was gross about it (recording was done very rarely and typically during a finish)

I chalk those things up to inexperience or forgetfulness. What the “lot of” stuff you’ve seen that causes you to pause?

If you know which club, I would report it to USA swimming.

If you see it in the moment, tell an official (preferably the deck ref but grab any official).

Yes report this. It’s not a perfect system, but at least USA swimming has safe sport so we can reference it and have a reference point to recognize when things are wrong with conviction. Other sports do not have safesport and I have heard parents speculate about behavior that crosses the safesport line, for instance, “my 13 year old daughter said the coach texted her last night to remind her about x,y, z. Should I ask him to include me on those texts?”

Safe sport is a joke, and it is very gross that adults are filming from behind the blocks. There is a lot of stuff at a kids swim meet that causes me to pause.

It is. Recording devices are completely restricted on deck. It’s a safesport violation - they reiterated this in the deck meeting. Feel free to report.

We had a safesport violation last year with a club and this year we are at another club. I didn’t report it last year and I feel like I was really dumb not to. Report away. It’s the only way to clean the sport.

Anonymous wrote:I was timing at a meet this weekend and a coach was videoing a swimmer behind the blocks, including the starts. I thought this was strictly prohibited?

It is definitely prohibited. But not for an official photographer after the start:


No cameras (including cell phone cameras) or other recording devices are allowed behind the blocks at any time. If you see a camera you should:
o Inform the camera user of the policy and request that it be put away.
o Inform the Meet Director or Facility Manager of the camera use. Do this even if
the camera user puts the camera away when asked.
o Exception: a credentialed, official Meet Photographer identified by the Meet
Director, stated in the Meet Announcement and available to all athletes is allowed behind the blocks after the start.

I was timing at a meet this weekend and a coach was videoing a swimmer behind the blocks, including the starts. I thought this was strictly prohibited?