Training age group and masters together

Call in the legal eagles !!:worms:

interesting topic for those that are in situations to do both....we have masters swimmers that train with our senior group and senior kids that on occasion train with our masters...PM me if you want to discuss in more detail!

I am an employee of USMS. Feel free to call me if you need more information. The insurance section of our Guide to Operations can be found on our web site under the "Administration" tab. The direct link is: www.usms.org/.../ In the Frequently Asked Questions link you will see this: 3. A member of USA Swimming practices with a USMS team. What is the status of the liability insurance for the USMS member club and its members? The USMS liability insurance is in full force for the USMS members. There is an unwritten agreement between USMS and USA Swimming permitting each other’s members to practice with one another. However, USMS coverage does not apply to the USA Swimming members, nor does USA Swimming coverage apply to the USMS members. However, the USA Swimming coverage is only in effect if there is a USA Swimming certified coach supervising the practice. See the coverage grid on the second page of this document for complete details: Certificate of liablility insurance Anna Lea Matysek 941-556-6279

A masters swimmer can also be a USAS swimmer if they spring for the 2 memberships. There are plenty of dual registered masters.

I'm dual registered and train with a USA-S club team. As far as I know, there is nothing from USA-S that prohibits this. Our head coach is the Eastern Zone Director, so I'd be surprised to hear otherwise.

Our team stopped allowing masters swimmers to share any lanes with our age group swimmers sometime late last year. I seem to recall hearing that this rule had come from USA Swimming.

Masters Swimmers at Practice Question: A member of the United States Masters Swimming, Inc. practices with a USA Swimming team. What is the status of the liability insurance for the USA Swimming member club and its members? Answer: This would be an insured activity. There is an agreement between USA Swimming and USMS allowing their members to practice with either organization as long as a USA Swimming member coach is on deck It seems like there should be no issues having the two groups practicing together as far as USA Swimming is concerned. Makes me wonder why we have such a draconian policy at our pool. I'll have to investigate. I agree - I just joined the kids team & had to fork over another $57 to become registered with USA swimming. I think perhaps the USA coach doesn't know about the collaboration between USA & USMS (which is silly)

I'm reading the USA Swimming information on background checks. There is some discretion left to the club leadership how to implement the requirements for anyone who is not a USAS athlete. The materials just talk about coaches, parents and other volunteers; but I suppose it could apply to Masters. The LSC also has some discretion. All it takes are a few complaints from swim parents about Masters to get a parent board to set this type of club policy. Paying Masters dues but getting the more expensive Seniors workouts, adults "staring at their teenager" underwater, only wearing a swimsuit (??), "incidental" body contact with the kids. What a world.

I found some information on this topic here... www.usaswimming.org/.../INSURANCE COVERAGES REV July 2010 WEB.pdf Where it says: Non-Member Question: What happens to my club’s insurance if non USA Swimming members are in the water at the same time as USA Swimming members. e.g., at a USA Swimming practice? Answer: This is not an insured activity unless: a. There is a distinct lane separation (USA Swimming members are in lanes 1-3 and non USA Swimming members are in lanes 4-6). One coach cannot supervise both groups at the same time. b. An individual(s) is involved in a USA Swimming tryout. c. The non USA Swimming members are USMS members. In order for the General Liability coverage to be in place for a USA Swimming Local Member Club, see page 6 for the requirements. and then... Parents Working Out Same Time as Team Question: Some parents want to workout (laps) while their children are at swim team practice. Answer: Two different situations. If they want to swim with their kids in the same lanes while the kids are practicing, they have to join USA Swimming as an athlete member. If they are swimming in separate lanes and are not being coached by the USA Swimming club coach, they don't have to join. However, this activity is not an insured activity. and then... Masters Swimmers at Practice Question: A member of the United States Masters Swimming, Inc. practices with a USA Swimming team. What is the status of the liability insurance for the USA Swimming member club and its members? Answer: This would be an insured activity. There is an agreement between USA Swimming and USMS allowing their members to practice with either organization as long as a USA Swimming member coach is on deck It seems like there should be no issues having the two groups practicing together as far as USA Swimming is concerned. Makes me wonder why we have such a draconian policy at our pool. I'll have to investigate.

Masters Swimmers at Practice Question: A member of the United States Masters Swimming, Inc. practices with a USA Swimming team. What is the status of the liability insurance for the USA Swimming member club and its members? Answer: This would be an insured activity. There is an agreement between USA Swimming and USMS allowing their members to practice with either organization as long as a USA Swimming member coach is on deck It seems like there should be no issues having the two groups practicing together as far as USA Swimming is concerned. Makes me wonder why we have such a draconian policy at our pool. I'll have to investigate. I agree - I just joined the kids team & had to fork over another $57 to become registered with USA swimming. I think perhaps the USA coach doesn't know about the collaboration between USA & USMS (which is silly) I had registered with USA-S, but purely for the purpose of competition. I swim either with my Masters practice group, or on my own at the YMCA lap swim times. In order to compete in a USA-S meet, the swimmer must be registered with that program (USMS does not work for this). I could swim with the local club team kids, but then that gets into a whole new $$$$$ range that I'm not willing to fork out at any time. I'm just registered as "unattached" within my LSC for meets...next one (LCM) is 2 weeks after USMS Nationals. :applaud: