WSA Media Policy

How WSA takes, stores, and posts team and game photos and video, and the rules for staff, volunteers, parents, and spectators. Effective October 6, 2026.

1. Purpose and scope

This policy applies to Wasatch Sports Academy, LLC, a Utah limited liability company (“WSA”), its staff, coaches, volunteers, contractors, athletes, parents and guardians, and spectators at every WSA practice, game, event, and online channel. It works together with the WSA Child Safety Program (Section 7.1, photos and video; Section 8, changing areas), the Photo/Media Consent, the Media Release Form, and the Privacy Policy.

2. Consent comes first

• WSA posts or publishes an athlete’s image only if a parent or guardian has opted in on the Photo/Media Consent. Promotional uses (paid ads, press, print) also require the matching tier on the Media Release Form. If the two forms differ, WSA follows the more restrictive choice.
• Before posting, the person posting checks every identifiable athlete against the roster media flags in the Portal. If any athlete in the image has opted out or cannot be confirmed, the image is not posted, or that athlete is cropped or blurred so they cannot be identified.
• For athletes age 13 and older, WSA also asks for the athlete’s own agreement and honors an athlete’s request not to be photographed.

3. Names, tags, and locations

• No full names. Captions use first name only, and only where the Media Release allows a name. Full names are used only if the parent checked the press/awards box on the Media Release Form.
• No tagging of children on any platform, and no links to an athlete’s or family’s personal accounts.
• No locations: no school names, home addresses, or neighborhood details; location services and geotags are turned off, and photo metadata (EXIF/GPS) is removed before posting.
• No real-time location: game and practice images are posted only after the team has left the venue. Future practice locations are shared only with registered families in the Portal.

4. What WSA posts

• Team and action photos in uniform and in public view that show athletes positively and meet generally accepted standards of decency.
• Never: injuries, medical treatment, athletes in distress or being disciplined, partial undress, swimwear or changing, or images that could embarrass an athlete.
• Channels: WSA website and Portal, WSA’s official social media accounts (none yet; accounts will be listed at www.wsautah.com), family newsletters, and, only with the Media Release tier, print/fliers, paid ads, and press.

5. Taking and storing images

• Official images are taken by the WSA media lead or staff approved by WSA, on WSA-owned devices or WSA-controlled accounts.
• Images are stored in WSA’s access-controlled storage (Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, or the WSA website’s private Supabase storage) with multi-factor sign-in. Access is limited to staff who need it.
• Images are deleted from any personal or temporary device within 48 hours after upload to WSA storage.
• Retention: usually until the end of the season, though some images may be kept longer, then deleted or archived; removed sooner when consent is revoked (Section 9).
• Images are never sold, licensed to third parties, or used to train facial-recognition or AI systems.

6. Staff and volunteer phone and photo rules

• No personal photos or video of athletes on personal devices except as approved under Section 5 for official WSA use, and then transferred and deleted as required.
• Never post WSA athletes on personal social media accounts, and never send images to an athlete privately. Electronic communication follows the Child Safety Program’s open-and-transparent rule (a parent or second adult included).
• No one-on-one photo or video sessions with an athlete; any photography must be observable and interruptible.
• Coaching video (for example technique review) is recorded only on WSA-approved devices/accounts, shared only with the athlete’s parent and coaching staff, and deleted at the end of the season.
• Phones are put away while actively supervising athletes, except for safety, emergencies, attendance, and approved media.

Changing areas, restrooms, and locker rooms No images, video, or audio of any kind in restrooms, locker rooms, or changing areas — by anyone, at any time. No phones or cameras may be used in these areas. This applies to staff, volunteers, athletes, parents, and spectators.

7. Parents and spectators

• Families may take photos and video of their own child in public areas for personal, non-commercial use.
• Do not post other children’s full names, tag other children, or share images showing identifiable children of other families without their parents’ permission. Respect families who have opted out.
• No filming in changing areas or restrooms, and no filming of injuries or medical care.
• Drones are not allowed at WSA activities without WSA’s prior written approval and compliance with FAA rules and the venue’s rules.
• WSA or the venue may ask anyone to stop filming, and may remove a spectator who does not follow this policy.

8. Livestreams and recording of games

• Livestreams of WSA games or practices require WSA’s prior written approval, and compliance with the venue’s and any league’s rules.
• Approved livestreams use wide shots of play, no athlete names or numbers linked to names on screen, and no close-ups of athletes who have opted out.
• Parents may livestream only their own child, privately to family, with no other identifiable athletes featured.
• Recorded game video posted by WSA follows all rules in Sections 2–5.

9. Takedown requests

Any parent, guardian, or athlete may ask WSA to remove an image or video at team@wsautah.com or (801) 657-6671. WSA will remove the image from WSA-controlled websites, the Portal, and WSA social media accounts within 5 business days (and immediately for any image that may violate this policy or endanger a child). WSA will tell the requester when it is done. WSA cannot recall printed material already distributed or remove copies posted by others, but will ask third parties to remove them where possible.

10. Press and outside media

Requests from news media or outside photographers go to team@wsautah.com or (801) 657-6671. Outside media may photograph only athletes whose parents have checked the press tier on the Media Release Form, and may not interview an athlete without a parent’s permission.

11. Reporting and enforcement

• Report a concern about an image or about someone photographing children to the WSA Safety Officer (team@wsautah.com or (801) 657-6671) or any coach.
• Any image that may be child sexual abuse material is reported immediately to law enforcement and the NCMEC CyberTipline, and to Utah DCFS (1-855-323-3237) as required. Do not copy, forward, or delete it; preserve the device for law enforcement.
• Violations by staff or volunteers may lead to retraining, suspension, removal, and reporting under the Child Safety Program. Violations by parents or spectators may lead to removal from the venue or the program.

12. Training and review

All staff and volunteers receive this policy before working with athletes and acknowledge it in writing. WSA reviews this policy at least annually and after any incident.