Does membership with USA Swimming (not USMS) require any sort of attachment to a specific club? Or, in other words, can I join USAS and go swim whatever meets they have as an "unattached" swimmer. The master's program I swim with only had USMS affiliation.
On a similar note, do times achieved in a USMS meet have any sort of merrit for making Q times for something like a Grand Prix meet?
You can swim unattached in USA-S. The only caveat to that is that you are limited to meets for all LSC registered swimmers as opposed to meets where only certain invited teams can participate. Not that big a problem. I switched to my daughter's team just to make it easier to enter meets, I just email the coach and he electronically sends in my entries. I'm lazy like that.
As for the times question? Not sure about that.
Former Member
On a similar note, do times achieved in a USMS meet have any sort of merrit for making Q times for something like a Grand Prix meet?
Generally - for a swim time to be "provable" for qualifying for a USA Swimming Meet, the swim must be an official time recorded in the USA Swimming "SWIMS" database. That means you must be registered as a USA Swimming athlete at the time of the swim AND it took place in a meet that was sanctioned or approved by the applicable LSC. Masters meets can be dual-sanctioned (ie, both USAS and USMS) if the meet host plans it that way in advance. Sanctioning details are supposed to be part of the Meet Information.
FINA (international) meet results can also be loaded into SWIMS. I believe the liason would be to ask the National Times Coordinator for the LSC where you have registered with USA Swimming. Most of the people on this forum won't need this info and I'm not so sure of my facts as it's been a few years since I dealt with it. :)
In my LSC, the lower-level meets particularly at the beginning of the season do not require provable entry times. It is a practical matter to allow athletes new to USA Swimming to get current times. The lack of enforcement is not to be abused, so swimmers should not intentionally enter a BB meet when they know they have A or better times.
There may be a local USAS team that would be glad to have you attached to them, handle your entries, etc. They may also be able to provide some relay opportunities for you. The coach will probably be more up-to-date on meet protocols, and if you are very fast you may get some team discounts from sponsors. You'll also be kept in the loop better if there are late-breaking changes from meet management.
Of course, this is also accompanied by threats to disown me if I embarrass my kid ...
This hasn't happened to me yet, but then Erika's only 10. I figure that will happen in about 1-2 years. Guess who's gonna be counting for me in the 500? Man, I really hope she doesn't play any jokes on me then.
An eleven year old's attention span only goes up to about 1, 2, 3, 4. Twelve years old maybe one or two higher, but by thirteen it's 1,2, OMG he's cute who's texting me where'd he go I'm going to get something to eat. Good luck.
An eleven year old's attention span only goes up to about 1, 2, 3, 4. Twelve years old maybe one or two higher, but by thirteen it's 1,2, OMG he's cute who's texting me where'd he go I'm going to get something to eat. Good luck.
LOL!!!!!!!!!
I'm dooooooooooooooooomed
I usually get adopted by my kid's team and get splits, advice and the works. Of course, this is also accompanied by threats to disown me if I embarrass my kid ...
I just email the meet director and send check to him/her. I usually swim in "open" meets with no QTs. I find them a good place to try new events. My first 100 fly as a master was at an open meet last Jan., and I'm trying another new event at the same meet in a couple weeks.
Are you doing the Jan Open? Our team dropped out thanks to the influx of people coming to town for some big event that weekend :) We're doing one at the Freedom Ctr the following weekend instead.
James, I hope the USA-S team lets you join them for meets.
"no", USMS doesn't count.
I am so clueless when it comes to USA Swimming stuff. I am shocked that I want to do USA Swimming Meets again. Plus, I can't believe that I am almost to the point when I can do LSC Senior Meets soon. Of course, right now, I will have to do the A/BB/C/CC/CC meet until I can get those qualifying times. It is all about doing another challenge in my swimming.
