USA Swimming Outreach Membership Information

OUTREACH MEMBERSHIP FAQ

WHAT IS OUTREACH?

Outreach athlete membership is available to eligible athletes in accordance with USA Swimming guidelines. The purpose is to make year-round membership available to athletes who might not be able to afford the standard athlete membership fee. The registration fee for eligible USA Swimming/Iowa Swimming Outreach athletes is $5.00 for full year round membership. Outreach athletes are also eligible for a reduced Splash Fee of $5 per meet, and are exempt from additional per-event entry fees. In short - $5 for annual registration, $5 per meet.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR OUTREACH MEMBERSHIP?

Any athlete who is participating in one or more programs on the  USA Swimming Outreach Membership Criteria List  is eligible. Special Request, the very last program on the list, allows for eligibility for those facing a sudden family crisis or emergency - this includes serious health emergency or death of a parent, loss or reduction of employment, a house-fire, athlete has entered into foster care, for example.

I've heard of Outreach, but I don't really know how to handle this... won't families just ask if they need help?

They might, and they might not. Certainly, keep your eyes and ears open! But also, educate ALL of your members.

As coaches and club leaders, you are closest to your club families and often the first to hear of a family crisis. However, you almost certainly do not know which of your athletes receive free or reduced lunch at school. You might not hear about a job loss, or know that a parent had hours cut at work and are wondering if they can keep their kids swimming. Additionally, those families may not know that Outreach USA Swimming membership even exists, and can help them stay in the water.

You have a special responsibility to learn about Outreach and to educate your members. It is important to spread the word. Send a club email 2 times per year, describing what Outreach membership is, and encouraging your families to utilize the Outreach program if they need it. Everyone needs help sometimes, and for many families, it may very well be the difference between staying in the water, or not. 

Is Outreach membership confidential?

YES! The  only  individuals who know that an athlete is Outreach registered are:

  1. The IASI Registrar

  2. The Club Registrar and Treasurer

  3. The Head Coach

Outreach membership is  not  indicated in meet programs, results, or anywhere else. Meet fees for Outreach members are totaled anonymously, and meet hosts, officials, meet directors do not have knowledge of which athletes are Outreach members.

What if the family is already registered for the year? I have a family who didn't previously qualify for Outreach, but now they do. Is it too late to switch to Outreach? 

It is definitely not too late. Contact  [email protected]  and I will work with you to make the change to Outreach.

What about club dues? Does Outreach membership mean that an athlete does not have to pay any club dues? Our club is very small, I don't think we could do that!

Club dues are 100% up to the club. Some clubs offer reduced club fees or full or partial club scholarships to Outreach members. Some do not. Your club leadership will need to work together to decide what, if any, additional assistance might be provided. 

OK, I have a family that qualifies for Outreach, how do I get them registered?

Steps to Outreach registration:

  1. Have the family complete the Athlete Registration Form (indicating Outreach as the membership type) or complete online registration for your club (Team Unify or Active) and submit one type of proof of eligibility listed on the Outreach Membership Criteria List to the club registrar. Payment is submitted to the club. 

  2. Club registrar sends the registration to IASI. For electronic registration, just as a batch can include both year-round and seasonal types, it can also include Outreach. You should be able to select Outreach where you select Premium, Seasonal, Flex, etc. Email [email protected] the proof of eligibility document when submitting the batch. 

  3. IASI registrar will confirm the registration has been processed and the total due - just like any other registration!  

How do we handle Outreach Meet fees?  

Meet hosts, Meet Entry Chairs, Meet Directors, anyone entering Outreach athletes in a meet – Outreach meet entry fees should be calculated (along with all other Athlete meet entry fees) on the Meet Financial Summary Form. Email the host club the entries report and the Meet Financial Summary Form, detailing the number of Outreach Athlete entries, and the number of Individual entries. No athlete names are to be indicated (confidentiality). The host club  may  request confirmation of the number of Outreach athletes entered  prior to the meet  by contacting the LSC Registration & Membership office.

Have a question about Outreach that isn't answered here? Please email [email protected].