USA SWIMMING

Competitive swimming in the United States is governed by USA Swimming, Inc.  USA Swimming offers a broad Age Group program from which world-class swimmers eventually emerge.  Over 200,000 swimmers compete in USA Swimming sanctioned meets in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The web-site is:   www.usaswimming.org

All Swim Omaha swimmers must join USA Swimming to be eligible for training or competing in USA Swimming/MWS sanctioned meets.  An annual registration fee is required for membership in USA Swimming.

LOCAL SWIM CHAPTER (LSC): MIDWESTERN SWIMMING

USA Swimming is organized into smaller, local swim committees.  It is how the country is divided into sections for regional competition and local governance.  The LSC we are members of is called Midwestern Swimming.  Our end of season Championship Meet is usually referred to as LSC Championships.

Midwestern Swimming is our chapter of USA Swimming.  Midwestern Swimming (MWS) sanctions local competitions and events, registers swimmers, conducts clinics, Championship meets and raises funds.  MWS publishes a guidebook containing an events calendar, a list of services available to members, names of certified officials, coaches and Board members in the LSC, member clubs and time standards.  MWS outlines and fulfills an athlete recognition program, coach recognition program, swim meet formats and forms. 

Midwestern maintains a web-site at: www.mwsim.org

OMAHA WESTSIDE SWIM CLUB (OWSC)

The Omaha Westside Swim Club was first organized in 1964 as an identifiable group under the Omaha Swim Club.  In 1968, it was reorganized under the name of Omaha Westside Swim Club as a separate entity.  In April 1971, Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State and the Omaha Westside Swim Club became a non-profit corporation under the laws of Nebraska.

The purpose for which OWSC was organized and the objectives that it strives to achieve are set forth in its Articles of Incorporation on file with the Secretary of State as follows:

“The purpose of this Corporation is to provide for the promotion of amateur swimming, to develop and promote, under the auspices of the Corporation, a swim team to compete in USA Swimming sponsored swim events, to develop a swimming program to teach children the techniques for competitive swimming and to develop those qualities of leadership, self-discipline, competitiveness and sportsmanship which will help to develop them as mature adults, and to provide an organization whereby those interested in these purposes may band together.

The corporation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, and exclusively in furtherance of such purposes shall carry out and promote such activities and projects as are consistent with these Articles.”

Since its beginning, OWSC has been instrumental in providing quality coaching, facilities, and programs that are designed to help Club athletes achieve their maximum potential in the sport of swimming.

TEAM NEBRASKA (TN)

TN was founded by Docker Hartfield in 1985.  In its 15 years, TN boasted multiple State Championships for Long Course and Short Course seasons and many Junior National and Senior National Qualifiers.  Docker coached several athletes to Olympic Trials and had several Junior National Champions.  Like OWSC, TN served novice to elite athletes.  TN entered Swim Omaha in 1991.

BELLEVUE BARRACUDA SWIM CLUB (BBSC)

BBSC, founded in 1973, is a USA Swimming club that is governed by a Board of Directors.  The board is made up of parents and works within the guidelines of a set of By-laws.  BBSC joined Swim Omaha in 1991.  The BBSC program serves all athletes of all ages from novice to elite.  The BBSC web address:

SWIM OMAHA (SO)

In 1991, OWSC entered into an umbrella arrangement with TN and the Bellevue Barracudas. Swim Omaha (SO), is a collaborative organization which allows swimmers from all three “home clubs” to come together as a group, share a variety of training and travel situations, share friendships and ideas, and compete under one banner.  Swimmers wear the same uniform and benefit from the combined talent found in these three clubs and their coaches.

In 1991 and 1992, the only swimmers who participated under SO were our national and junior national qualifiers.  Encouraged by the success in this cooperation, we expanded SO to include all 13 and over swimmers in 1993.  Realizing all the potential benefits and feeling the momentum of this team concept, in 1994 SO became the team label for all groups except our novice kids.  These entry-level kids still practice and compete under their home team name of OWSC or BBSC.

In 2000, Swim Omaha became a Limited Liability Corporation.

SO is a non-profit USA Swimming Registered organization designed to promote excellence in competitive swimming within the limits of sportsmanship and community resources.

Swim Omaha begins with a developmental program for Age Group swimmers (K-8).  It then grows into a program for USA Swimming, high school, and college swimmers whose purpose is to provide its members with high-level competitive experiences, sophisticated coaching techniques, multi-faceted training, and conditioning exposure.  Athletes of all ages are eligible to represent SO.  The program aims to provide the greatest opportunity for members to realize their potential through age-appropriate, individual programs of stroke mechanics, physiological training, and mental conditioning.  A steady growth in self-esteem and self-confidence to achieve desired goals and the development of a strong work ethic is emphasized.

Today, SO and its affiliates, OWSC and BBSC have almost 300 swimmers, ranging from the novice swimmer struggling to complete a length of the pool, to the senior level swimmer concentrating on competing at the national and international level, to the Masters swimmers who may want to compete, or just stay fit.  If you have any questions about the program, please feel free to call one of our coaches.

Working from a strong Age Group program, SO has produced many Regional and Zone Age Group Champions, Junior and Senior National qualifiers, and Olympic Trials qualifiers.  Swim Omaha’s program is compatible with additional training and conditioning necessary to complement their high school careers.  Each year, SO swimmers comprise a significant number of the top finishers at the Nebraska State High School Championships.  Many of our athletes obtain swimming scholarships and continue in competitive swimming throughout their college careers.

Swim Omaha’s practice groups are all established to encourage and assist in the personal development of their swimming potential.  Personal improvement at all levels of swimming is our goal.  Striving to improve not only builds super swimmers, but also most certainly builds super people.

Swim Omaha aims to develop the character, skills and desire necessary for each child to maximize his or her potential.  Because swimmers can improve in different areas at any given age, SO’s program is based on a quadrennial (multi-year) planning.  From the day a child first hops into the water, to the day he/she swims the last race, we believe it is important to have continuity in the development of a swimmer.  This ensures that our swimmers, while developing aerobic endurance, natural flexibility, strength, and coordination, don’t suffer from “too much too soon”.  The formation of good habits and techniques early on allows SO athletes to develop self-esteem through continual improvement, long after other swimmers have “burned out”.

Champions are built, not born, and each of our champions began by building on solid fundamentals.