BTWPC Club Privacy Policy

Protecting personal information is a core value of the Blue Thunder Water Polo Club ("Club," "we," "us," or "our"). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information about our athletes, families, coaches, volunteers, and other participants ("you" or "your").

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through:

• Our website and online registration systems

• Registration forms and applications (paper and electronic)

• Email, phone, and other communications with Club personnel

• Participation in Club events, programs, and activities

• Social media platforms operated by the Club

By participating in the Club's programs or providing information to us, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this Privacy Policy.

As a member club of USA Water Polo, we align our privacy practices with USA Water Polo's policies and procedures. This includes:

• Compliance with USA Water Polo's privacy requirements

• Protecting confidentiality of background check information

• Safeguarding athlete safety and personal data

• Supporting USA Water Polo's reporting and compliance obligations

• Maintaining confidentiality in disciplinary matters

We collect several types of information from and about participants, including:

• Full name, date of birth, and age

• Home address, email address, and phone number

• Parent/guardian names and contact information (for minor athletes)

• Emergency contact information

• Gender and demographic information

• USA Water Polo membership number and status

• Club registration and membership level

• Athletic history and skill level

• Team assignments and participation records

• Competition results and statistics

• Medical conditions, allergies, and medications

• Emergency medical information

• Injury reports and incident documentation

• Insurance information

• Medical release forms and physician clearances

• Payment information for registration fees and dues

• Billing addresses

• Payment history and account status

• Financial assistance applications (when applicable)

Note: We do not directly collect or store credit card information. Payment processing is handled by third-party payment processors who maintain their own privacy and security practices.

• Social Security Number (for background screening purposes)

• Background check results and status

• SafeSport training completion records

• CPR/First Aid certification status

• Photos and videos taken at Club events and practices

• Media releases and consent forms

• Social media posts featuring Club participants

• Email correspondence with Club staff

• Text message communications (when applicable)

• Phone call records

• Website contact form submissions

We collect information through various methods:

1. Directly from you when you register for programs, complete forms, or communicate with us

2. From parents/guardians when registering minor athletes

3. From USA Water Polo regarding membership status and compliance information

4. From background check providers for coaches and volunteers

5. Automatically through cookies and website analytics when you visit our website

6. Through observations during practices, competitions, and Club events

7. From third parties such as meet directors, tournament organizers, or other clubs (with appropriate consent)

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Processing registrations and managing memberships

• Assigning athletes to appropriate teams and training groups

• Coordinating practices, competitions, and events

• Managing rosters and maintaining participation records

• Tracking athletic development and progress

• Sending schedule updates, practice changes, and event notifications

• Providing important Club announcements and information

• Responding to inquiries and requests

• Coordinating with parents/guardians regarding their children's participation

• Sending newsletters and program updates

• Responding to medical emergencies

• Accommodating medical conditions and allergies

• Documenting injuries and incidents as required by USA Water Polo

• Ensuring coaches and volunteers meet safety training requirements

• Complying with concussion protocols and reporting requirements

• Verifying USA Water Polo membership status

• Conducting required background checks for coaches and volunteers

• Maintaining SafeSport compliance records

• Reporting to USA Water Polo as required

• Investigating and addressing policy violations or complaints

• Complying with legal obligations and responding to law enforcement requests

• Processing payments for registration, membership dues, and fees

• Tracking payment history and account status

• Managing refunds and financial adjustments

• Processing financial assistance applications

• Promoting the Club and the sport of water polo

• Sharing photos and videos on the Club's website and social media (with appropriate consent)

• Recognizing athlete achievements and team successes

• Recruiting new members and participants

• Analyzing program effectiveness and participation trends

• Conducting surveys and gathering feedback

• Planning future programs and offerings

• Improving the quality of coaching and instruction

We may share your personal information with third parties only in the following circumstances:

We may share your information when you have given us explicit permission to do so, such as:

• Sharing photos or videos featuring you or your child on social media

• Providing contact information to other families for carpool coordination

• Featuring athlete profiles in Club promotional materials

As a member club, we share information with USA Water Polo as required for:

• Registration and membership verification

• Competition rosters and eligibility

• Incident reporting (injuries, head injuries, disciplinary matters)

• SafeSport compliance and reporting

• Background check coordination and status verification

We share limited information necessary for participation in competitions:

• Athlete names, ages, and USA Water Polo membership numbers for roster verification

• Emergency contact information for tournament hosts

• Team affiliation and participation records

We engage third-party service providers to help operate our programs, including:

• Registration and payment processing platforms

• Email and communication service providers

• Website hosting and analytics services

• Background check providers

• Team management software providers

These service providers are prohibited from using your personal information for any purpose other than providing services to the Club.

We may disclose your information when required by law or when we believe disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with legal process, court orders, or government requests

• Report suspected child abuse to law enforcement and the U.S. Center for SafeSport

• Enforce our policies and protect our legal rights

• Protect the safety and security of our participants and staff

• Respond to emergencies involving health or safety risks

We may share aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you, such as:

• Overall participation statistics

• Team performance data

• General demographic information about Club membership

We do NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties

• Share your information for third-party marketing purposes

• Share detailed background check results (only pass/fail status is shared)

• Publicly disclose the details of disciplinary matters or grievances

• Share mobile information with third parties for marketing purposes

We take special care to protect the privacy of athletes under 18 years of age:

• We require parental/guardian consent before collecting personal information from minor athletes

• Parents/guardians have the right to review, update, or delete their child's information

• Parents/guardians control media release permissions for their children

• We collect only information necessary for program participation and safety

• We do not require minor athletes to provide personal information beyond what is necessary

• We limit the personal information displayed publicly (e.g., using first names only on social media unless consent is provided)

• We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

• Adult staff and coaches follow our Social Media Policy regarding electronic communications with minor athletes

• One-on-one communications with minor athletes must include a parent/guardian or another adult

• Parents have the right to opt their children out of certain communications

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information:

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption for online forms and data transmission

• Password-protected systems and databases

• Regular software updates and security patches

• Firewalls and intrusion detection systems

• Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis

• Secure storage of paper documents containing personal information

• Restricted access to offices and file storage areas

• Secure disposal of documents containing personal information

• Background checks for individuals with access to personal information

• Privacy and security training for staff and volunteers

• Confidentiality agreements with service providers

• Regular review and updating of security practices

• Incident response procedures for data breaches

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, please be aware that:

• No method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure

• You should exercise caution when submitting personal information online

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account passwords

• We will notify affected individuals and appropriate authorities in the event of a data breach involving personal information

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

We retain information for current participants for the duration of their active participation plus:

• Registration and participation records: 7 years after participation ends

• Financial records: 7 years for tax and accounting purposes

• Medical and injury reports: 7 years or until the athlete reaches age 25, whichever is longer

• Background check results: Duration of affiliation plus 7 years

• Disciplinary records: Permanently or as required by USA Water Polo and SafeSport

After participants leave the Club, we may retain limited information for:

• Historical records and alumni relations

• Legal compliance and potential claims

• Re-registration purposes if they return to the Club

When information is no longer needed, we securely destroy it through:

• Shredding of paper documents

• Secure deletion of electronic files

• Physical destruction of storage devices when necessary

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

You have the right to:

• Request access to your personal information

• Review the information we maintain about you or your child

• Receive a copy of your personal information

• We will respond to access requests within 30 days

You have the right to:

• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information

• Update your contact information, medical information, or emergency contacts

• Request that we update information we maintain about you

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain limitations:

• We may retain information required by law or for legitimate business purposes

• We may retain information necessary to protect legal claims

• We must retain certain records as required by USA Water Polo and SafeSport

• Deletion of certain information may affect your ability to participate in Club programs

You have the right to:

• Opt out of non-essential communications (newsletters, promotional emails)

• Choose your preferred method of communication

• Unsubscribe from email lists using the link provided in each email

• Note: You cannot opt out of essential communications regarding your membership, safety, or program participation

You have the right to:

• Opt out of having photos or videos featuring you or your child shared publicly

• Revoke media release consent at any time

• Request removal of existing photos or videos (subject to feasibility)

• We will make reasonable efforts to honor opt-out requests going forward

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information we collect, use, and share

• Right to request deletion of personal information

• Right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)

• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

Cookies are small text files that websites place on your computer or device to collect information about your website usage.

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Remember your preferences and settings

• Understand how visitors use our website

• Analyze website traffic and performance

• Improve website functionality and user experience

• Facilitate online registration processes

We may use third-party analytics services (such as Google Analytics) that use cookies to collect and analyze website usage data. This information is aggregated and does not identify individual visitors.

You can control cookies through your browser settings:

• Set your browser to warn you when cookies are being placed

• Block all cookies

• Delete cookies after visiting our website

• Please note that blocking cookies may affect website functionality

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, services, or platforms:

• USA Water Polo website

• Competition registration platforms

• Social media platforms

• Payment processing services

• Team management platforms

Important: This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to:

• Reflect changes in our practices

• Comply with new legal requirements

• Address new technologies or services

• Improve clarity and transparency

When we make changes:

• We will post the updated Privacy Policy on our website

• We will update the "Last Revised" date at the top of this document

• We will notify you of material changes via email or prominent notice on our website

• Your continued participation after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Blue Thunder Water Polo Club

23648 Susana Ave, Torrance, CA 90505

Email: btmwaterpolo@gmail.com

Phone: +1 (310) 502-8049

For privacy concerns related to USA Water Polo, contact:

USA Water Polo

6 Morgan, Suite 150

Irvine, CA 92618

Email: privacyquestions@USAWaterPolo.org

We will respond to your privacy inquiries within 30 days.

For more information about privacy and data protection:

• USA Water Polo Privacy Statement: https://usawaterpolo.org/sports/2018/12/20/privacy-statement.aspx

• U.S. Center for SafeSport: www.uscenterforsafesport.org

• Federal Trade Commission - Privacy and Security: www.ftc.gov/privacy

• California Consumer Privacy Act: oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa

• Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA): www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-reform-proceedings/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule