2010 USAS CONVENTION

The 2010 USAS Convention in Dallas is fast approaching! We will be making our way to Texas in about 5 weeks! Here are a few reminders that are VERY important. Please be sure to review these, and follow up on any of them that pertain to you!

1. BOOKING TRAVEL
If your trip to Convention is being funded by USA Swimming, you need to book your flight (if you are flying) through Polk Majestic by the end of THIS WEEK, or the trip will not be approved!

2. BACKGROUND SCREENINGS
If you are over 18 years of age and planning to run for a position that will sit on the Athletes' Executive Committee, you will need to have a background screen completed prior to Convention. Click here to complete this at least 2 weeks before heading to Dallas!

3. ELECTIONS
This year is an election year, and there are some proposed some changes to the structure of the AEC. While it will still remain a 12 person committee, we have proposed a policy manual change that will remove the Immediate Past Chair*, LSC Coordinator, Administration & Communication Vice Chair, and one of the At-Large Positions to replace them with the Four Zone Athlete Reps.

Elected by the Athletes Committee at Convention in even years
1. Athletes Vice President
2. Executive Vice Chair
3. Convention Vice Chair
4. Recruitment and Leadership Vice Chair

Elected by the Athlete Reps of their respective Zone at Convention in even years
5. Central Zone Rep
6. Eastern Zone Rep
7. Southern Zone Rep
8. Western Zone Rep

Elected by the Newly Seated AEC at Convention in even years
9. National Team Vice Chair

Appointed by the Newly Seated AEC at Convention in even years
10. At-Large Member
11. At-Large Member

Elected according to USOC policy in Summer Olympic Years
12. USOC AAC Rep

Ex-Officio (Automatically seated because of other offices held, but without voting power)
- *Immediate Past President
- USOC AAC Alternate (Elected according to USOC policy in Summer Olympic Years

If you have any questions, please contact me directly
tyler.storie@gmail.com

MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN ATHLETE PROTECTION PROGRAMMING APPROVED BY BOARD

The Article below was posted on the USA Swimming website Tuesday, July 27th after the conclusion of special meeting of the Board of Directors held specifically to discuss the issues of athlete protection.


Valued members, volunteers and swimming families,

In a special meeting held today in Newark, N.J., the USA Swimming Board of Directors and select staff met with independent experts from the Child Welfare League of America, to approve actions and put forth proposed legislation aimed at improving and expanding USA Swimming’s athlete protection efforts.

We remain committed to creating the safest environment possible for our members, and for that reason, we continue to work with appropriate experts to expand and improve our athlete protection programming. We are pleased to report the following progress.

Today, the USA Swimming Board of Directors voted to put forth legislation for the September House of Delegates meeting that would:

· Approve the newly-drafted “Athlete Protection Policies” and add these policies to the USA Swimming Code of Conduct.

· Require that all adults who serve a local club in a role that provides direct interaction with athletes become members of USA Swimming;

· Expand mandatory background checks to include all non-athlete members of USA Swimming;

· Require all USA Swimming member Clubs to complete a series of pre-employment screening actions prior to hiring any coach;

Because the above bullet points require changes to USA Swimming rules, they must go to the USA Swimming House of Delegates for formal vote at the annual U.S. Aquatic Sports Convention in September.

The Board-approved Athlete Protection Policies will now be put forth as legislation which would add them to USA Swimming’s existing Code of Conduct. Violations of the Code of Conduct are cause for discipline up to and including permanent expulsion from membership.

The expansion of the background screening requirement would add all club employees, board members and any volunteer who is in a supervisory role over athletes (e.g. chaperones). This will require over 30,000 additional background screens per year. Additionally, the proposed legislation would revamp USA Swimming’s background screening criteria and database usage, and would replace the bi-annual checks with a “real-time” or continuously updated check, as per the recommendations of background screening firm Nadell Investigations.

If passed in September, the pre-employment screening requirement would mandate that member clubs go through a series of checks when hiring any coach, employee or volunteer who would be in a supervisory position over athletes. To assist clubs in fulfilling this requirement, USA Swimming has committed to identifying an independent service and volume discount, available to conduct these screens for clubs.

In addition to the legislation items above, the Board formally adopted “Best Practice Guidelines for Coach Behavior.” These guidelines do not require a vote of the House of Delegates, and will be added to USA Swimming’s policy manual on September 19, 2010. These guidelines will work in tandem with the new Athlete Protection Policies. The documents can be found here.

The Board also approved a proposed policy that USA Swimming report any accusation of sexual misconduct involving a minor to law enforcement, and that USA Swimming will, after offering a due process hearing, add individuals who are no longer members, but who are found to have committed misconduct or who refuse a hearing, to its suspended-for-life-list.

Lastly, following a presentation by CWLA, the Board gave direction to USA Swimming to continue to work with the child welfare group to develop educational resources for coaches, officials, athletes, clubs and parents. This programming is expected to be complete by early 2011.

We have made great strides in the past months, and we will continue to work until we have the best possible athlete protection programming in place.

As always, we thank you for standing with us.

Sincerely,


Jim Wood, President

Chuck Wielgus, Executive Director

Athletes helping Athletes

USA Swimming Athlete Representative, Alison Terry and her husband Alan Voisard have teamed up with the Challenged Athlete Foundation to put on swimming and coaching clinics.

Click here to watch a video

Fullerton Five

In the July 5th Issue of Sports Illustrated, Kelli Anderson wrote an article about how Coach Sean Hutchinson has turned the third USA Swimming Professional and Post Graduate Training center into the "highest-octane training group of female swimmers ever assembled."

To read the full article, pick it up on the news stand, or click here

Jim Devine 1948-2010

Jim Devine passed unexpectedly on May 12, 2010. You probably know Jim as the Chair of the National Board of Review for USA Swimming and the sound of process and reason. To others he was the long-time professor of law at the University of Missouri. Regardless of how he is connected to your life, it is likely he only contributor to making the world a better place for you. Click here to read what colleagues and others have said about him after his passing.

The sport of swimming will miss your service and your personality - both equally irreplaceable.

Swimmers would trade some rights for pay

Here's an article written by Tripp Mickle of Sports Business Journal about the work of the Pro Swimming Task Force.

- Enjoy!

http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/65687

Swimmers would trade some rights for pay

By TRIPP MICKLE
Staff writer
Published May 10, 2010 : Page 05
USA Swimming has developed a plan to pay its elite swimmers more money, but swim agents are fighting the proposal because it is contingent on athletes ceding some marketing rights.

Under an Athlete Partnership Plan developed by a special task force, USA Swimming would increase direct athlete funding from $21,000 to $50,000 annually in 2011 for about 56 of its 107 national team swimmers. Only swimmers ranked in the top 16 in the world in an Olympic event would be eligible, and college swimmers wouldn’t qualify.

The funding would be contingent upon a swimmer annually granting USA Swimming marketing and image rights for promotion of the organization and its nonprofit programs. Swimmers also would agree to make two appearances annually on USA Swimming’s behalf and sign 25 autographs a year as thank you gifts for charitable purposes. The plan would allow all swimmers to feature advertisements on swimsuits and caps at select meets, as well.


Ariana Kukors says a bigger stipend from
USA Swimming would be welcome.
USA Swimming officials said the organization wouldn’t pass through marketing rights to commercial partners.

Already, the proposal has received support from swimmers.

“[The $50,000 stipend] is a huge jump and it will have a big impact for a lot of people,” said Ariana Kukors, the 2009 world champion in the 200 individual medley, who currently does not have an agent. “This gives us an opportunity to continue to train and be focused on what we need to be focused on in the water.”

The amount of money an Olympic swimmer makes fluctuates from year to year. Some elite swimmers can make less than $30,000, while others like Dara Torres and Michael Phelps can earn more than seven figures annually.

USA Swimming CMO Matt Farrell said the organization wanted to increase its financial support of elite swimmers because athletes have begun swimming later into their careers and fewer corporate opportunities are available. Of the marketing rights athletes sign over, he said, “If we’re going to invest in a partnership by putting more dollars in an athlete, then we think it’s fair and reasonable to ask for a partnership in return.”

Four of the biggest agents in swimming — David Arluck of Arluck Promotions, Evan Morgenstein of PMG Sports, and Peter Carlisle and Janey Miller of Octagon — disagree. Though the program would be optional, the agents wrote USA Swimming an 11-page letter questioning it and expressing concern about USA Swimming’s proposal to have athletes grant the organization marketing and image rights.

“Our job is focused on generating revenue for athletes, so on the one hand, we’re glad to see USA Swimming acknowledge that athlete funding is a major issue,” Carlisle said. “But making the plan available only to athletes if they forfeit their marketing rights is a major problem.”

The agents said that their concerns weren’t motivated by the financial threat USA Swimming might pose if it began to sign up athlete marketing rights, and they described the optional nature of the program as problematic because swimmers who opt out might face repercussions from coaches or pressure from their peers.

“When you’re in an environment that’s a closed environment, you can’t opt in and opt out,” Morgenstein said. “Will there be favoritism for those that sign and against those who don’t?”

Farrell said that USA Swimming would be open to looking at changes to mitigate those concerns.

The agents claim that USA Swimming revenue has increased sevenfold from 2002 to 2008 but that athlete funding has remained relatively flat. But USA Swimming said it increased athlete funding by $500 a month in July to $1,750, and claimed that is one of the highest athlete stipends in Olympic sports.

USA Swimming generated $22.8 million in revenue and had $22 million in net assets during fiscal 2008, according to its 2009 tax filing. Its budget for 2011 calls on it to spend $2.49 million on direct athlete support, but it wants to increase that total to $3.02 million in 2011.

In addition to financial support, the plan would see USA Swimming create a legal fund to help athletes with their sponsorship and marketing contracts; a speaker’s network to help athletes secure speaking opportunities with corporations; a financial consulting service; and media training and image management advice. Swimmers would keep any money they generate from speaking engagements, appearances, sponsorships they negotiate independently and sponsorships USA Swimming brings them from its corporate partnership base, Farrell said. Swimmers also could keep their own agents.

“We’re proposing the best of both worlds,” Farrell said. “They can get more money from us and keep their own sponsors and opportunities.”

USA Swimming’s board of directors approved the concepts in the plan at a meeting in early May. Staff members plan to continue to work on the program and present a final version of it to the executive committee in August. If it is approved there, it will go before the full board at a budget meeting in September and go into effect in 2011.

USA Swimming Announces New Measures To Help Ensure A Safe & Positive Environment

Actions Taken Include Addition of Full-Time Child Protection Staff, Background Screen Review & Publication of Banned List

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The USA Swimming Board of Directors acted this weekend to immediately implement a series of landmark measures that support the organization's 7-Point Action Plan for a Safe & Positive Environment.

The measures were approved during a regularly-scheduled meeting of the USA Swimming Board of Directors, and shared with the USA Swimming membership in an open letter from President Jim Wood and Executive Director Chuck Wielgus. The full letter is available here.

The measures include the following:

- USA Swimming will publish on its web site the list of individuals who have been banned for life by the organization

- USA Swimming will engage nationally-respected background screening expert Barry Nadell to review the organization's current background screening process and produce hiring best practices to be made available
to member clubs

- USA Swimming will create dedicated staff focusing on the area of Athlete Protection, and based at the National Headquarters

- USA Swimming will create a Special Committee on Athlete Protection. The Committee will be charged with continually monitoring industry and societal best practices regarding child protection, as well as overseeing
the administration of USA Swimming’s athlete protection and education programs. The Committee will be.comprised of both outside experts and representatives from the swimming community.

“This is an incredibly important issue,” said Wood, following the meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo. “Today, the USA Swimming Board took thoughtful and swift action on this topic. Swimming provides a great outlet for kids – it’s a healthy activity and one that can develop excellent character. Everyone on the USA Swimming Board appreciates the values of our sport and is 100% committed to maintaining those values.”

In an effort to ensure safety in its clubs and to provide a resource for other youth organizations, USA Swimming will publish the list of coaches who have been banned from the organization for life. The list will include coaches banned for any infraction, including, but not limited to sexual misconduct. This list will be publicly available on the organization’s website beginning next week.

“We want to have the best possible safeguards in place for our membership, first and foremost, but we also want to serve as a leader in the area of child protection,” said Wielgus. “We know that this is an issue that affects all youth-serving organizations, and we hope that our continued study and action will have positive repercussions throughout the industry.”

In support of its 7-Point plan, USA Swimming has formally engaged Nadell, a founding member and former co-Chair of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners, to evaluate and make recommendations on its background screening program, implemented in 2006. Nadell is an established industry expert and a published author on background screening who speaks nationally on the subject. Additionally, Nadell, who served on the committee that penned ASIS International’s Pre-employment Screening Guidelines, will also produce hiring best practices, to be shared with USA Swimming’s nearly 2,800 independent member clubs. Clubs are responsible for hiring coaches and other personnel at the local level.

Additionally, the USA Swimming Board dedicated both internal and external personnel to the issue of Child Protection. USA Swimming will create dedicated staff to focus on the area of Athlete Protection. The staff will be placed in the Executive Division of the National Headquarters in Colorado Springs. Recognizing the need for and value of qualified outside expertise on this topic, the Board also commissioned the creation of the Special Committee on Athlete Protection, which will include both outside experts and representatives from the swimming community.

“In keeping with our organizational history, we will continuously evaluate our policies and programming, on this topic, just as we do in other areas,” said Wielgus. “We have conferred with a number of outside experts and nationally-recognized organizations that are acknowledged leaders on this issue, and we will continue to do so as we work to implement the directives of the 7-Point Plan, with the goal of emerging with the best possible safeguards for our 300,000 members."

USA Swimming’s 7-Point Plan for a Safe & Positive Environment

1. Develop and disseminate comprehensive guidelines addressing acceptable coach behavior.
2. Enhance the system for reporting sexual abuse to USA Swimming and law enforcement.
3. Review USA Swimming’s Code of Conduct, as well as that of other top youth organizations.
4. Review USA Swimming’s current background screening program and determine if enhancements can be made.
5. Produce stronger communications to member clubs, as the employers of coaches, regarding pre-employment screening, and the responsibility associated with hiring club employees.
6. Evaluate the process for sharing coaching history records with member clubs and other youth organizations.
7. Educate athletes, parents, coaches and club leaders on this important issue.

USA Swimming Announces 7-Point Action Plan for a Safe and Positive Sport Environment

USA Swimming Announces 7-Point Action Plan for a Safe and Positive Sport Environment
Organization Will Share Key Learnings and Best Practices with Other Youth-Focused Organizations
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –

USA Swimming announced today the immediate implementation of a 7-Point Action Plan to address the issue of child protection in the sport. The plan outlines seven action steps to make certain the best possible safeguards are in place for the organization’s 300,000 members.

The action plan was shared today with the USA Swimming membership in an open letter from President Jim Wood and Executive Director Chuck Wielgus.

“As leaders of our sport in this nation, we have a responsibility to help create a safe and positive environment for children and young adults who are our members,” writes USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus. “We fully recognize that parents expect USA Swimming to do everything possible to protect their children from individuals who would do them harm, and we take very seriously the trust they have placed in our organization. USA Swimming is determined to continue to demonstrate its commitment to the welfare of its members.” (A full copy of the letter can be found here.)

As set forth in the action plan, USA Swimming will do the following:

1. Develop and disseminate comprehensive guidelines addressing acceptable coach behavior.

2. Enhance the system for reporting sexual abuse to USA Swimming and law enforcement.

3. Review USA Swimming’s Code of Conduct, as well as those of other top youth organizations.

4. Review USA Swimming’s current background screening program and determine if enhancements can be made.

5. Produce stronger communications to member clubs, which are responsible for hiring and employing coaches, regarding pre-employment screening, and the responsibility associated with hiring club employees.

6. Evaluate the process for sharing coaching history records with member clubs and other youth organizations.

7. Educate athletes, parents, coaches and club leaders on this important issue.

The organization will consult closely with both its stakeholders and outside experts in executing this plan.

“We are taking decisive action today, but this is only the beginning,” said USA Swimming President Jim Wood. “The USA Swimming Board of Directors, national staff and our dedicated volunteers will continue to work together and seek the necessary expertise – both from within the swimming community and from outside sources – to evaluate and improve our protocols and safeguards.”

USA Swimming will share its key learnings with other youth organizations both inside and outside of the Olympic movement.

“While we must properly focus our efforts on the micro world of swimming, we must simultaneously recognize the much broader societal implications,” said Wielgus. “Our efforts should seek to both learn from others and then in turn share what we learn so that not only will the membership of USA Swimming benefit, but other youth organizations may also find ways to enhance their own safeguards and educational efforts.”
The 7-point plan will enhance USA Swimming’s existing child protection safeguards, which are:1) Background Screening: In 2006, USA Swimming implemented a Background Screening requirement for all member coaches. The process, required before membership is granted and then every two years, screens for both criminal convictions and for criminal charges involving felonies, illegal drugs and sexual misconduct. 2) Code of Conduct: USA Swimming vigorously enforces its Code of Conduct, which specifically prohibits any form of abusive behavior.
3) Club & Coach Education: When considering coach hires, USA Swimming encourages clubs to conduct pre-employment screening beyond the criminal background screen. Coaches are required to have current certification in CPR, First Aid, and Safety Training for Swim Coaches. Additionally, all coaches must take and pass the “Foundations of Coaching,” test, before registering for the second year of coaching. 4) Reporting/Investigation/Board of Review: Sexual abuse is a criminal activity, and one that should be immediately reported to the local police. As a secondary level of reporting, anyone can file a complaint with the Executive Director of USA Swimming. These complaints are immediately turned over to legal counsel who may engage the services of a third-party private investigator. Complaints with merit go forward to the National Board of Review which has the authority to suspend or revoke membership when appropriate.

About USA Swimming: As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 300,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.

Committee Recommends Additional Athlete Representative on USOC Board

The following sentence is the part that caught my eye, but beyond the quote you will find the full release.

- Tyler

"In the report, the committee recommends increasing the USOC Board by four voting directors (from 11 to 15), comprised of two independent members, one Athletes Advisory Committee (AAC) member and one National Governing Bodies (NGB) Council member."


Independent Advisory Committee Presents Findings to U.S. Olympic Committee Board of Directors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Board of Directors met today in Colorado Springs, Colo., for its quarterly meeting, during which it heard findings from the independent advisory committee tasked by the Board in December 2009 to assess the USOC's governance structure. The 14-member committee, which was chaired by Paul Tagliabue, presented a report on their findings, which can be found at www.teamusa.org.

In the report, the committee recommends increasing the USOC Board by four voting directors (from 11 to 15), comprised of two independent members, one Athletes Advisory Committee (AAC) member and one National Governing Bodies (NGB) Council member. The committee recommended that any USOC Board members nominated by the AAC or NGB Council should not be required to sever their ties with the applicable council.

The committee's report recommends that the current USOC bylaws governing the process of election of AAC and NGB members should change to a new process, through which each council nominates a slate of three candidates from which the USOC Nominating and Governance Committee selects one to recommend to the full Board for its consideration.

"The strategies and initiatives critical to achieving the USOC's core mission need to be set by the USOC Board and then embedded in the USOC's organizational structure and culture," Tagliabue said. "These strategies should be given consistent priority by the USOC's leadership and implemented on a sustained basis in the years ahead. At their core, the committee's recommendations recognize that the USOC needs to have a strong, engaged and collaborative Board, with an active role in oversight and strategic planning."

In addition, the committee recommended that a minimum of one seat on the Board should be reserved for a person with Paralympic leadership experience, with the creation of a Paralympic Advisory Council to be chaired by this representative.

"On behalf of the USOC, I would like to extend my utmost appreciation to Paul and the entire committee for their tireless work over the last four months," said USOC Chairman Larry Probst. "Our first reaction is that they have done a tremendous job consulting with their constituents and putting together thoughtful recommendations. It is now our job to take the time needed to carefully consider and discuss these recommendations, as well as any comments or questions we may receive from our constituents."

Other recommendations of the committee:

• The USOC's CEO should be added as a non-voting, ex-officio member of the Board.

• The Board should consider extending the renewal terms for directors from two years to four years.

• The Board should consider extending the term limits for the Chairman of the Board in order to allow increased ability for international relationship building.

• The Board should eliminate the position of First Vice President International. These responsibilities should fall under the CEO.

• The Board should eliminate the position of the Board Liaison. The responsibility for communication between the Board and the U.S. Olympic Assembly should fall under the CEO.

"I would like to thank Paul for the tremendous leadership he has shown through this process," said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. "All 14 members of the committee graciously volunteered their time to help the Olympic Movement in the United States continue moving in the right direction. As any of our athletes can attest to, success doesn't come overnight, and we will be diligent about discussing these findings, listening to our constituents, continuing to work hard and taking action at the appropriate time."

The USOC's Board will discuss the substantive recommendations of the committee at its meeting in June after allowing constituents to provide feedback.

The independent advisory committee consisted of members with deep experience in Olympic sports, national amateur sports governing bodies, other aspects of the Olympic Movement, youth and pro sports, and not-for-profit organizations. Members included:

David A. Brandon: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Domino's Pizza LLC, Regent Emeritus University of Michigan, former football player for the University of Michigan

Ann Cody: Paralympian in wheelchair basketball and track & field, current member of the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board

Raul J. Fernandez: Chairman and CEO of ObjectVideo, co-owner of the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics

Skip Gilbert: USA Triathlon Executive Director, Chair of the NGB Council

Courtney Johnson: Olympic water polo silver medalist, past member and leader of the AAC, attorney

Jim McCarthy: former USOC Board member, Chef de Mission for the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team, past CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, attorney

Jon Naber: Olympic swimming gold medalist, Immediate Past President of the U.S. Olympians Association, sports broadcaster, corporate speaker

Jeanne Picariello: Chair of the Multi-Sport Organizations Council, Chef de Mission of the 2004 U.S. Paralympic Team, retired Colonel, U.S. Army

Hugh B. Price: past President and CEO of the National Urban League, Princeton professor, former member of The New York Times editorial board

Patrick G. Ryan: Chairman of World Sport Chicago, past chairman and CEO of Chicago 2016, founding chairman of Aon Corporation

Paul Tagliabue: Advisory Committee Chairman, National Football League (NFL) Commissioner from 1989-2006, Chairman of the Board of Georgetown University

John W. Thompson: Chairman of the Board of Symantec Corporation, minority investor with the Golden State Warriors

Matt Van Houten: Chair of the AAC, member of Board of Directors for USA Team Handball, U.S. Team Handball Men's National Team member, attorney

Brian Whitcomb: former U.S. Cycling Track National Team member, AAC member

MAKE A SPLASH

The Press Release below was sent out by the USA Swimming Foundation recently to announce the growth and success the water safety program is experiencing. For a video clip of the importance of water safety from an international stand point, check out this program in Bangladesh.

PRESS RELEASE

USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash Initiative Teaches 200,000th Child
National Water-Safety Initiative Reaches Milestone in Three Years

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash initiative has reached a milestone, teaching its 200,000th child to swim. The Make a Splash initiative, created in 2007 in response to the fact that drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death for youth in America, is a national child-focused water safety initiative that aims to provide the opportunity for every child in the nation to learn to swim.

“To think that in three short years, 200,000 children have gotten the opportunity to learn this essential life skill is incredible,” said Chris LaBianco, Chief Development Officer for the Foundation. “It’s amazing to see what we can accomplish by bringing this issue to the attention of the American public, and by having a dedicated network of local providers who are willing to make a difference.”

Make a Splash works by educating parents through a national awareness campaign, and providing opportunities for kids to learn to swim through its 184 local partner clubs in 37 states. To date, more than 211,000 children have taken lessons through Make a Splash Local Partners.

The initiative also focuses on ethnically diverse areas. Research shows that drowning statistics are far worse in African- American and Hispanic communities where children drown at a rate almost three times higher than Caucasian children in similar age groups. The USA Swimming Foundation is committed to changing these statistics through the Make a Splash initiative.

To become a local partner program, lesson providers are required to a percentage of their lessons for free or at a low cost swimming lessons, or to provide another form of water safety education to their communities. Local partner programs are eligible for support from the USA Swimming Foundation including marketing rights and grant monies. Grant money is raised by the USA Swimming Foundation through local donors and funding from corporate partners such as ConocoPhillips. Members of the public can also “sponsor a swim lesson,” by visiting www.makeasplash.org.

For more information on Make a Splash and to find a local partner program in your area, visit www.makeasplash.org.