FLYING FISH HEADS CODE OF CONDUCT

Overview

The Pittsburgh Flying Fish Heads and Social Club (FFH) seeks to help our community achieve a healthy balance of fitness and fun. This requires a positive, safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment. 

To that end, the FFH Code of Conduct defines our expectations for members, coaches, and visitors – all of whom must agree to abide by this Code of Conduct. Participants enter into this agreement by participating in any FFH activity. The privileges of membership and participation may be withdrawn or denied if an individual’s behavior is inconsistent with mission and values of FFH or US Masters Swimming (USMS) or if such behavior is deemed detrimental to the reputation of FFH and/or USMS.

Code of Conduct

Swimmers shall: 

  • Obey all facility and government-imposed rules and share the pool responsibly and courteously. 

  • Follow all coaching staff instructions and make honest efforts to follow workouts as given; swimmers may modify the given workout only if their adjustments do not interfere with other swimmers. It is expected that such swimmers will notify their lane mates and position themselves accordingly.

  • Respect coaches’ judgements about their safety. Coaches are responsible first and foremost for the safety of all swimmers present at a workout. The judgment of the coach in charge shall be respected as final by all swimmers. If a swimmer feels that such a judgment or decision is unfair or in error, the swimmer should first speak to the coach and make an effort to resolve the issue. If unable to reach a resolution that way, the swimmer is encouraged to bring the matter to the attention of the leadership team or file a written grievance.

All coaches, members, and visitors are expected to: 

  • Maintain an environment of kindness and respect that is free from harassment and intimidation. 

  • Refrain from publicly judging, criticizing, or otherwise creating a hostile environment. 

  • Discriminatory, intolerant, or abusive language or behavior of any kind is unacceptable at the pool, any FFH-sponsored activity, or any USMS event. 

If unable to resolve conflicts on their own in a civil and reasonable manner, members or visitors should contact a coach or, when appropriate, a leadership team member. If an adequate resolution is not reached, the next step is to reach out to the USMS Allegheny Mountain Region board. 

Penalties for Violation of the Code of Conduct

If a member or visitor violates the Code of Conduct, any or all of the following penalties may be applied at the discretion of the coaching staff:

  • Private reprimand

  • Suspension from practice without reimbursement of fees paid

  • Revocation of membership and denial of participation. This penalty shall be used in cases of egregious, repeated, and/or irresolvable violations, and it requires concurrence of the leadership team.

At the FFH Leadership team's discretion, any member of the coaching staff determined to be violating the Code of Conduct may be subject to disciplinary action, including termination of employment.

Conclusion

FFH aims to be a diverse group of people who can safely enjoy time together both in the water and away from the pool. We rely deeply on each other’s commitment to creating an environment that is kind caring, and inclusive.