Filming your swimmers - MAAPP

When thinking of filming your minor age swimmers under 18, keep this in mind. The GoSwim App complies with MAAPP.

The Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) by the U.S. Center for SafeSport are designed to protect minor athletes from abuse, including sexual misconduct and harassment, in all sports. When it comes to sharing videos of minor athletes, MAAPP includes specific guidelines and restrictions to ensure the safety and privacy of minors.

Here are the key points regarding a coach sharing a video of a minor athlete:

1. Parental Consent: Similar to COPPA, MAAPP requires that a coach must obtain explicit parental consent before sharing any videos of a minor athlete. This consent must be informed, meaning parents should understand what the video will be used for, where it will be shared, and who will have access to it.
2. Appropriate Content: The content of the video must be appropriate and not include any situations or imagery that could be considered inappropriate or compromising for the minor athlete. The video should strictly be related to the sporting activity and should not include any private or personal moments of the athlete.
3. Privacy and Confidentiality: MAAPP emphasizes the importance of maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of minor athletes. This means the video should not reveal any personal information about the athlete, such as their home address, school, or other identifying details beyond what is necessary for the sporting context.
4. Limitations on Sharing: The video should only be shared within the intended and approved platforms, such as team websites or official social media pages, and should not be disseminated beyond the scope of the consent given by the parents. Unauthorized sharing of the video, especially on public platforms, is prohibited.
5. Supervision and Transparency: MAAPP encourages transparency and supervision in all interactions between coaches and minor athletes. If a coach records or shares a video, it should be done in a manner that is open to oversight, such as having other team staff or parents present or aware of the video-sharing activity.
6. Mandatory Reporting: If a video or any related communication raises concerns about the safety or well-being of a minor athlete, the coach is required to report this immediately to the appropriate authorities, following the mandatory reporting guidelines established by SafeSport.

In summary, under MAAPP, a coach must obtain parental consent, ensure the video is appropriate and secure, and respect the privacy of the minor athlete. The video should only be shared within the boundaries of what has been agreed upon with the parents, and any concerns arising from the content must be reported.

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