process of becoming a masters swimmer

Sign up using the form available on the USMS website. You will automatically be registered with the appropriate LMSC based upon your address I believe. You can attend meets anywhere you like once you are a member, no limits that I am aware of. If you swim unattached you will not be able to swim in relays or some championship meets...Worlds in Palo Alto being the one that comes to mind right now. You can be attached to a team without actually practicing with them, I am doing that right now actually. Welcome aboard. BTW, membership is annual and based upon a calendar year starting January 1. I would register at least a month in advance to make sure that your papers get processed. Edit: I think this is what you are looking for... www.usms.org/.../

I can assure you that 18-year-olds are eligible to join USMS, and the youngest age group is indeed 18-24. I know this to be true because until recently I was the editor of the rule book!

I seem to remember from a couple of years ago some discussion about whether to accept people who were 18 yrs old as USMS members. Obviously, the view that we should accept them prevailed. However, I also remember some discussion about whether the youngest age group would be changed from 19-24 to 18-24. Many pages on this and other web sites indicate it is still 19-24. Thus my question for the USMS organizationistas out there, will Warren be allowed to compete in a USMS meet before he turns 19? I, for one, would enthusiastically vote yes he should. However, the point is not what I like, but what our rules currently allow, and if we don't like them, how and how fast can we change them. Matt

Originally posted by Matt S I seem to remember from a couple of years ago some discussion about whether to accept people who were 18 yrs old as USMS members. Obviously, the view that we should accept them prevailed. However, I also remember some discussion about whether the youngest age group would be changed from 19-24 to 18-24. Many pages on this and other web sites indicate it is still 19-24. Thus my question for the USMS organizationistas out there, will Warren be allowed to compete in a USMS meet before he turns 19? I, for one, would enthusiastically vote yes he should. However, the point is not what I like, but what our rules currently allow, and if we don't like them, how and how fast can we change them. Matt every where I have seen its 18-24

Originally posted by Warren I'm 18 and thinking about entering some masters meets this summer. How do I sign up to become a masters member. I'm not on a team, I'm just going to be unattached. I live in VA, so does that mean I have to sign up for the colonial zone, or is it just national? And when I do become a memeber, can I do meets outside of my zone? The first meet I plan on doing is the Terripan Cup on july, 8th. So how soon do I need to register for membership? The only way I know of to register with USMS is through a LMSC. This FAQ should help you out, and ends with a link to help you locate all LMSC registrars. http://www.usms.org/faq.php Some LMSC’s put membership forms up on their web sites. You are allowed to register in a LMSC outside of where you live. (See rulebook for details) http://www.usms.org/rules/ If you want to do relays you will have to register with a team (see link at end of post for more info on this). Once you are registered with USMS you can typically participate in any of their sanctioned events (in any zone). The sooner you register the better, but you may get a slight break on the membership fee if you hold off a bit. Contact the registrar of the LMSC you want to sign up with now and give them the date of the first meet you want to enter, they will be able to best advise you. If it does not pay to wait then register now so you are not sitting around twiddling your thumbs (waiting for your member card) when you should be sending in your entry form with your USMS member number on it (usually along with a photocopy of your USMS member card). Registering at a meet is indeed sometimes an option. Again, the registrar of that LMSC, or a meet official, should be able to advise you. But if you want to be sure, register early. The rulebook is fairly lengthy, but these two parts will be of the most use to you now. Part 1: Swimming Rules (Includes useful information to help prevent a DQ.) Part 2: Administrative Regulations of Competition Includes membership info. There used to be a mini rulebook that was handy to download as a quick reference before you go to a meet, but apparently it is no more. Part one will do for just the event rules. All of rule documents require adobe Acrobat Reader (link available at USMS web). Here are some quick tidbits from the rules: 201.1.1—Eligibility Swimmers age 18 and over are eligible and may apply for membership in USMS. 201.1.4—Membership Application Forms A Membership application forms—Individual membership application forms may be obtained from the registrar of the LMSC. The form, fully completed, shall be submitted with the applicable fee to the registrar of the LMSC or an official designee of the LMSC, who shall issue a membership card. ARTICLE 102: SWIMMING COMPETITION 102.1. ELIGIBILITY 102.1.1—To be eligible for competition, including participation in warm-ups, members must be 18 years of age or over. 102.9. RELAYS 102.9.1—Relay teams may not compete unattached. In all cases, relay teams must be composed of USMS members of the same club, which is a member of USMS. There are several other threads regarding membership if you want more information. This leads to one of them: forums.usms.org/showthread.php

You can register for USMS at most swim meets too. The meet flyer will let you know if this is a possibility.

It's $30 a year, a pittance to pay to support this forum and learn noodling tricks from our magazine.

...and the sooner you join, the sooner you will receive SWIMMER magazine! You can check out selected contents from current and past issues, along with bonus web features online at: http://www.usmsswimmer.com :)

Originally posted by Rob Copeland Join today! There is no benefit to waiting. yeah but i might decide not to do it because that is the only meet that I can do this year. I want a little more time to decide. How long can I take to make my decision. And dont you have to re-register every year?

For the Virginia registration form, go to vaswim.org. There is a LC meet in Norfolk on June 11 and a mile ocean swim in Virginia Beach on June 18.