Expectations of Member School Teams

The Midwest Scholastic Rowing Association (MSRA) supports the SafeSport campaign lead by USRowing.  While the MSRA does not have individual athlete or coach members, it expects that all member school teams have their own SafeSport document as required for USRowing organizational membership, and as such individuals should utilize their school team SafeSport document.  Accordingly, coaches are expected to complete training regarding misconduct in sport. Misconduct in sport includes:

·  Bullying
·  Harassment
·  Hazing
·  Emotional misconduct
·  Physical misconduct, and
·  Sexual misconduct, including child sexual abuse

Inappropriate Behavior

The inherent imbalance of power in adult relationships with student-athletes requires us to maintain healthy boundaries in our interactions with them. Some examples of subtler as well as more obvious inappropriate behaviors include (but are not limited to) the following:

1.     Any romantic, dating, or sexual relationship with student-athletes is strictly prohibited, as is any other activity with students that could be considered romantic or sexual in nature.

2.     Any romantic, sexual, or overly familiar behavior or communications (including inappropriate personal stories and history) with student-athletes whether in person or indirectly through the use of email, telephone, social networking or other communication, electronic or otherwise.

3.     Any behavior of a coach or volunteer toward a student-athlete that is intended to arouse (sexually) either the coach, volunteer or the student-athlete.

4.     Harassing conduct of any coach or volunteer toward any student-athlete. This includes, but is not limited to:

·  Epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, or threatening, intimidating or hostile acts which relate to gender, age, race, religious affiliation, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. ·  Written or graphic material that defames or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group – because of gender, age, race, religious affiliation, ethnicity, or sexual orientation – that is placed on walls, bulletin boards, or elsewhere on MSRA sponsored regatta premises, or that is circulated in the community, either physically or electronically.

·  Physical contact which may be interpreted as being sexual in nature, including touching, pinching, or brushing the body, even in cases where the behavior is welcomed by the student-athlete.

·  Verbal harassment, such as sexual innuendoes, suggestive comments, sexual propositions, threats, and jokes that pertain to gender, age, race, religious affiliation, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

·  Non-verbal conduct such as leering, whistling, or obscene gestures, or circulation of material that pertains to gender, age, race, religious affiliation, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Responding and Reporting

As participants in the MSRA, we need to be aware of incidence of harassing behavior and to correct observed behavior on the spot and report the behavior to a MSRA Board member.  Participants, coaches and regatta volunteers, while attending a MSRA sponsored regatta may contact a MSRA Board member or the LOC director in the case of concerns or reports of suspected violations who will channel the report through the MSRA Chair to local law enforcement:

Local law enforcement via 911

Jim O'Brien                (representative of the Kensington Metro Park)

4570 Huron River Pkwy

Milford, MI 48380

810-819-0670

A follow-up report will include the following:

·  Date

·  Name and age of children involved

·  Statement of relevant conduct (which can simply be a tip, not always an officially reported act)

·  Statement from the accused

·  List of possible witnesses

·  Name of person reporting