Privacy Policy

BEYOND THE WHISTLES — PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated: December 2025

Beyond the Whistles (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy of athletes, parents, coaches, and all visitors to our website:
https://beyondthewhistles.com

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and the rights you have regarding your personal data.

1. Who We Are

Beyond the Whistles is a swimmer-focused athlete discovery and recruiting platform designed to help coaches, athletes, and families connect through verified information, ethical recruiting practices, and academic fit.

Our website address is: https://beyondthewhistles.com

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

a. Information You Provide Directly

  • Contact information (name, email, phone, etc.)
  • Athlete profile details (bio, times, events, academic interests)
  • Coach profile information (program, division, location)
  • Sponsor inquiries
  • Messages sent through forms
  • Comments on articles or posts

When visitors leave comments, we collect:

  • The information submitted in the comments form
  • IP address and browser user-agent string (for spam detection)

If you use Gravatar, an anonymized hash of your email may be shared with Gravatar to display your avatar. Their privacy policy is available at:
https://automattic.com/privacy/

b. Media Uploads

If you upload images (e.g., athlete headshots, meet photos), avoid uploading photos containing EXIF GPS data, as visitors may be able to download and extract location data.

c. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies to improve your experience. Cookies may be set when:

  • Leaving a comment (name/email stored for convenience for 1 year)
  • Logging in (temporary cookie to check your browser)
  • Managing account sessions
  • Editing or publishing posts
  • Preferences such as dark mode or display options

Login cookies last 2 days (or 2 weeks if “Remember Me” is selected). Screen-preference cookies may last 1 year.

A non-personal cookie is stored when editing posts to track the post ID.

We may also use:

  • Analytics cookies
  • Security & spam-prevention cookies
  • Session cookies for navigation and authentication

d. Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles or athlete pages may include embedded videos, maps, images, or posts.
Embedded content behaves the same as visiting the other website directly.

These sites may:

  • Collect data
  • Use cookies
  • Install third-party tracking tools
  • Monitor interaction with embedded content
  • Track behavior if you are logged in to their platform

Examples: YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Hudl, SwimCloud, etc.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use data for purposes including:

  • Creating and displaying athlete and coach profiles
  • Improving matchmaking between athletes and programs
  • Communicating with athletes, parents, coaches, and sponsors
  • Responding to inquiries
  • Sending platform updates or newsletters (only if you opt in)
  • Moderating comments and preventing spam
  • Maintaining site security and performance
  • Complying with legal obligations

We never sell personal data to third-party marketers.

4. Who We Share Your Data With

We may share data with:

  • Service providers (hosting, analytics, spam detection, email services)
  • Security tools to prevent unauthorized access or spam
  • Gravatar, when leaving comments (if used)
  • Legal authorities if required by law, subpoena, or to protect platform integrity

If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

5. How Long We Retain Data

  • Comments: Stored indefinitely for recognition of future comments.
  • User profiles: Stored until the user edits or deletes their data.
  • Athlete profiles: Retained until removed by the athlete/parent or upon verified request.
  • Coach accounts: Retained for the duration of the subscription or until deletion.
  • Sponsor inquiries: Retained for communication and recordkeeping.

Administrators may view, edit, or delete submitted information.

6. Your Rights Over Your Data

If you have an account or have interacted with the site, you may request:

  • A copy of all personal data we hold about you
  • Corrections to inaccurate information
  • Deletion of some or all of your data
  • Removal of athlete profiles at any time (with verification)

We will provide an exported file of your data upon request.
Deletion requests do not apply to required data we must retain for:

  • Legal compliance
  • Security
  • Fraud prevention
  • Platform integrity

To make a request, email: privacy@beyondthewhistles.com

7. Where Your Data Is Sent

  • Visitor comments may be checked through automated spam-detection services.
  • Analytics and performance tools may process anonymized data.
  • Email providers may process contact form submissions.

All processors are selected to maintain reasonable security standards.

8. How We Protect Your Data

We use industry-standard safeguards including:

  • Secure hosting
  • Encryption for data transmission (HTTPS)
  • Limited administrator access
  • Strong authentication policies
  • Regular updates and security monitoring

No online service is 100% secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect your information.

9. Children’s Privacy

Beyond the Whistles is used by youth athletes, but we collect data only with consent from the athlete or a parent/guardian.
We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13 without parental approval.

10. Contact Us

For privacy questions, data requests, or concerns, contact:
privacy@beyondthewhistles.com