Rutherford Water Rats

RFD swim and dive teams provide a safe and positive environment for all our athletes. RFD practices align with the NVSL Safe Practice Guidelines, SafeSport commitment, and CDC Heads Up Concussion Awareness. 

NVSL Safe Practice Guidelines start on page 14 of the 2026 NVSL Handbook.

RFD supports the NVSL commitment to uphold SafeSport principles and fostering a secure and positive environment for all participants.

NVSL requires all coaches and Team Reps to complete annual SafeSport training. 

RFD recommends free optional age-appropriate awareness training from SafeSport for parents, volunteers, and athletes to prevent abuse, harassment, and misconduct. Training emphasizes SafeSport measures such as: limiting one-on-one interactions, adult supervision of practices, appropriate conduct, and mandatory abuse prevention training.

Accessing SafeSport Training 

All training courses are available through the NVSL SafeSport Portal.

• NVSL Organization Member ID: 14926812681 
• Organization Field: Please enter your pool name. 

Additional Instructions & Accessing Courses: 

• Parents, Youth, and Kids Courses: 
• SafeSport_Parent_and_Youth_Course_Instructions_pdf
• SafeSport_NVSL2026_pdf
• NVSL SafeSport Commitment

RFD supports our athlete's health and safety. NVSL requires coaches to take annual Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concussion awareness training. RFD supports NVSL's policy that follows CDC's Return to Play Progression.

Online Concussion Training shares the latest guidance on concussion safety and prevention. The training provides essential information to help coaches spot signs and symptoms of possible concussions and steps to take if one occurs. The training helps coaches prioritizes concussion safety. 

RFD Safety Best Practices:

1. Feet-first pool entry for warmup
2. Swim on right side of the lane to avoid collision (Lane Etiquette)
3. Look before you jump or dive; do not jump on or land on another athlete
4. Dive "out" (do not dive "down")
5. Sprint lanes are one-way
6. Relay take-off practice is under supervision of a coach
7. Coaches remove athletes from play from potential concussion
8. Athletes Return to Play after healthcare provider clears athlete.

RFD Concussion Action Plan is:

1. Stop Play
2. Remove the athlete
3. Notify Parents
4. Document the injury

Additional Information:

• Fact Sheet for Parents
• Fact Sheet for Athletes ages 11 - 13
• Fact Sheet for Athletes ages 14 - 18
• CDC Heads Up Information