A10 - USA Swimming Safe Sport Program: Implementing Abuse Prevention in a Sports Community

USA Swimming faced litigation and national media attention in the Spring of 2010 following allegations of sexual abuse made against members coaches.  This workshop will detail its journey in the three years since that time, discussing the organization’s identification of and work with partner agencies CWLA and Praesidium, Inc., its implementation of a comprehensive abuse prevention program, and its gradual and important shift from a reactive to proactive approach.  We will engage the audience in a discussion of lessons learned and a future outlook for the integration of abuse prevention across sports organizations.

Presenters: Susan Woessner, USA Swimming, Colorado Springs, CO; Britt Darwin-Looney, Praesidium, Inc, Arlington, TX; and Andrea Bartolo, CWLA, Washington, DC