What USA Swimming Does for Its Members

Very often clubs, swimmers and coaches ask what USA Swimming does for them besides providing insurance. On October 27-28, USA Swimming held a workshop to answer that question. After finally being able to reach Colorado Springs after an early blizzard that closed down their airport, the workshop participants from each LSC learned about the vast resources available from USA Swimming. The first thing we learned is that USA Swimming is a huge resource. As we know, dues were raised several years ago and USA Swimming has put $2 million of that increase towards club development. The workshop provided us with information available to swimmers, coaches, and clubs. The workshop also introduced USA Swimming personnel who are available to help us. We know now who to contact for help for individual clubs, Swimposiums and camps. I will try to highlight some of these USA Swimming resources.

Swimmers are the first and most important recipients of these benefits. A swimmer is simply required to be registered with USA Swimming (through Missouri Valley for us) and to participate in meets with the same ID number that registered them to reap these benefits. Swimmers should open a "My USA Swimming" account on the USA Swimming website. This account gives swimmers an individual homepage that displays their personal best times and meets. It also can provide a graphical display of the information and give seasonal and lifetime best time comparisons of times by percent and second change.

Also available on "My USA Swimming Page" is a swimmer’s IMX score. All USA Swimming registered athletes earn an IMX score based on the cumulative point total of the combination of IMX events for their age level and gender. The Zone Select camps and the National Select camps choose some of their participants based on IMX scores. To receive an IMX score, a swimmer must legally swim each IMX event for their age level in a sanctioned meet at least once during the current season. As swimmers’ times in the IMX events improve, their IMX score is automatically updated. The events for 9 & Under and 10 year olds are: 200 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Fly and 200 IM. The events for 11 and 12 year olds are: 400/500 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, and 200 IM. The events for 13 through 18 year olds are: 400/500 Free, 200 Back, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM. The short course season runs from September 1st to May 31st and the long course season runs from September 1st to August 31st. Once swimmers have an IMX score they will be able to see on their personal web page their National and Central Zone ranking, as well as their ranking within Missouri Valley and in their club. The score will also show the percentage of the swimmer’s total score for each event earned, a useful tool in assessing strengths and areas that might help improve scores. Coaches can also access a listing of their team's IMX scores by age groups through the coaches’ "My USA Swimming Page." The Lawrence Aquahawks held an IMX meet in early November and will host another one in the spring, but swimmers should remember that every time they swim an IMX event their times are awarded IMX power points for the IMX challenge. This wealth of information is available from USA Swimming for swimmers and only requires that swimmers’ times from meets are successfully entered into the USAS National Times database, which is why Missouri Valley has been pressing to have accurate meet entry data for our swimmers. Try out the "My USA Swimming Page" and find out how much information is available.

USA Swimming also provides a wealth of services and information for parents and clubs. Each Zone has a field services consultant who will work with clubs and provide information and consultation. Our consultant is Randy Julian. His cell phone number is 719-440-2421 and email is rjulian@usaswimming.org. He has worked with clubs in Missouri Valley, provided instruction at a Club Leadership and Business Management school held in MVS for some of our new clubs, and participated in our Swimposium held in Wichita in 2004. He is a resource for us to assist with our club development and support.

As an example of the opportunities available, Missouri Valley can host a Swimposium every three years and USA Swimming will provide the airfare, hotel, and meals for presenters sent by USA Swimming. Missouri Valley can designate the specific presentations we want for clubs, officials, coaches, parents and athletes. Another example of a potential learning opportunity provided by USA Swimming will be our next MVS Club Leadership and Business Management School. We have several new clubs who will need to take the course in order to renew for 2007. Other clubs are welcome and encouraged to attend the sessions. The sessions last one day and cover such club topics as the Ten Basic Responsibilities of a Swim Club Board, the Three Legal Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards, and Effective Ways to Communicate on your Team. USA Swimming has also begun a facilities development department. Staff and information are now available for teams and clubs on new facility planning, renovation, and operation.

Immediate products are also available to clubs and parents. The USA Swimming website has many samples of documents that clubs might want to review and use. These include examples of bylaws for different types of clubs, mission statements, documents detailing parental involvement, etc. USA Swimming has also provided each club with a CD called Successful Sports Parenting. (We have more in the MVS Office for sale if your team wants additional copies.) This CD was developed by a partnership between USA Swimming, US Ski Team and USA Hockey. It provides information to parents from athletes at all levels on what makes sports fun for them and how to help them enjoy and succeed in sports. The CD includes a wealth of information from interviews with Michael Phelps’ mother to parent information downloadable for clubs and coaches to use.

USA Swimming has made a commitment to help clubs develop successful teams and to flourish. If your club has questions on the opportunities available, please call the MVS Office at 785-841-0999.

Dulcy Sellon
Registration Membership Chair
Missouri Valley Swimming