you need to have joined usms and have a usms card. then you can sign up for masters sanctioned meets as "unattached," which means you are not part of a specific group.
some meets don't require membership in us masters swimming. there are a couple here in the boston area that don't. then you get to race but your time isn't officially recorded in the usms database.
hope this helps; i think it is accurate.
No. You can register as "Unattached." Later, if you have the opportunity to join a club, you can always transfer into it.
To register, go to www.usms.org. Click the red "Join/Renew" button in the upper right portion of the screen. You will be asked for your zip code; this is to ensure that you register within the correct LMSC (region).
There are two LMSCs in the state of Ohio: Lake Erie, and Ohio. Columbus falls within the Ohio LMSC's borders, so once you put in your zip code it should automatically select the correct LMSC.
All USMS memberships expire on December 31. So if you choose to register now, you'll have to renew at the end of the year. We do have a year-end discount. Your cost to register as Unattached within the Ohio LMSC would be as follows:
Today through August 31 - $30.00 total (expires 12/31/10)
September 1 or after - $22.00 total (expires 12/31/10)
Also be aware that we begin taking registrations for the 2011 membership year on November 1st. So a new swimmer can register for 2011 on November 1st, and his membership will be good for a total of 14 months (expiring on 12/31/11).
