Safety is Dallas United Crew’s most important value. Staff, coaches, and rowers are all responsible for keeping one another safe at all times. To help keep yourself and others safe, review the safety resources below.

For the safety of all athletes participating in on-water rowing activities, Dallas United Crew requires each athlete to demonstrate basic swimming competency prior to participating in boating activities.

The swim test must be administered and verified by a registered lifeguard and completed at an approved facility local to Dallas United Crew.

Swim Test Requirements

The athlete must successfully complete the following:

1. Swim 100 meters or yards continuously without stopping
2. Tread water for a minimum of 10 minutes as directed by the lifeguard
3. While in the water, correctly put on a life jacket (PFD)

Upon successful completion, the lifeguard must sign and verify the results of the swim test.

Local Testing Locations

Swim tests can be completed at any of the following facilities:

• White Rock YMCA
• Lake Highlands YMCA
• Semones Family YMCA
• Other registered lifeguard-supervised pools are accepted

To maintain a secure and orderly training environment on White Rock Lake, all Dallas United Crew athletes must fulfill two foundational on-the-water safety standards. These measures ensure our rowers respect our shared public waters and possess the self-rescue skills necessary for absolute peace of mind.

White Rock Lake is a vibrant, shared public asset. To prevent collisions and ensure the safety of all watercraft, a strict boating traffic pattern has been established through a joint partnership between all of the lake’s water-based organizations and the City of Dallas’ Parks and Recreation department.

• The Requirement: Every DUC athlete must thoroughly review, understand, and adhere to this official routing system during every single practice and competition.
• Review the Map: Use the link to the right to view the official traffic pattern blueprint before your first day on the water.

Self-reliance and composure are vital skills for any rower. Before any DUC athlete is permitted to row a single ($1\text$) or a pair ($2\text$) during daily practices or regattas, they must successfully pass our structured Boat Flip Test.

• The Purpose: This test is a standard safety procedure designed to assess an individual's competence, technique, and swift execution when managing an accidental capsize and regaining entry into a small shell.
• The Benchmark: Utilizing the industry-standard oar-on-gunnel technique (positioning the oar perpendicular to the boat's side to leverage yourself up), the athlete must deliberately capsize the boat, swim to the correct position, and successfully re-enter the shell—all within a strict 2-minute time frame.
• Learn the Protocol: For a step-by-step breakdown of the initial setup, capsize maneuver, and full test requirements, please review the complete testing document to the right.

As reports of sexual abuse in amateur sport made headlines in the 2010s, it had become clear: America deserved a safer sport culture.

To achieve this, a new paradigm anchored by a new organization would be needed. Authorized by Congress to help abuse prevention, education, and accountability take root in every sport, on every court. Dedicated solely to ending sexual, physical, and emotional abuse on behalf of athletes everywhere.

From this need, the U.S. Center for SafeSport was created.

Safeguarding is the range of measures USRowing employs to promote and protect the welfare of all participants, including their physical and psychological well-being. It’s the number one thing we can all do to be a part of making rowing safe- on the water and off. It takes us all.

The Safeguarding Team encompasses: Safety on the water and on land, SafeSport, and Referees programs.