Structure of USA Swimming at WCAC: Coach is responsible for practices, swimmer development, and meet coordination. All of our assistant coaches are also US coaching certified and assist in the design and implementation of US practices, as well as attend US meets.
USA Meets: No parents are EVER allowed on deck unless they are a volunteer. USA Swimming is very strict about this rule, even if there is no coach available. If you choose to attend a meet where we do not have a US coach scheduled, you need to let us know at the time of registration so that we may contact the meet director.
USA Website: www.usaswimming.org
Middle Atlantic Website: www.maswim.org
USA and Middle Atlantic Websites: Both websites have all meet and time results posted. They are linked by SWIMS. MA swimming receives all of the information from meets and uploads the time and results through SWIMS. MA swimming has all US meet syllabuses posted.
Tracking Times: In regards to US Swimming times, the meets are listed with a US Swimming status as follows: Sanctioned- all swimmers must be US certified; Observed- championships for High School; Approved- Closed competitions that are open to a certain group of swimmers and run by US swimming officials, but not all swimmers are US swimmers. Some SAL invitationals are "Approved" such that US times count during those meets.
Registering for WCAC selected US meets: Please use the link from the WCAC home page to sign up for designated meets. Timelines for registration are listed in the event description.
Registering for non-WCAC designated meets: Please check www.usaswimming.org for the syllabus for the meet you are interested in. Once you choose your events, email WCAC at [email protected] with the Meet Title in the Subject line of the email. In the body of the email please include:
Swimmer name/ event number/ event name/ fee/ current time for event
Please let us know as soon as you decide on a meet you’d like to attend. Entries should be submitted three weeks prior to the meet date, so please be mindful of dates as meets close quickly. Your swimmer will NOT be registered for a meet until payment is received.
Deck Entries: Deck entries are done at the meet, and only if the meet allows for deck entries. Please read the meet syllabus for more information. If a swimmer is not registered for a meet, be sure your child has a deck pass application, a registration card, and a form completed by a team coach. Fees must be paid in cash. The fees can be up to double the normal entry fee. Parents, swimmers, and coaches can do deck entries.
Notifying a coach when your swimmer is unable to attend a meet for which they are registered: Please call or text Coach if you have a last minute scratch. It is good practice to be sure to let a coach know if your child is going to miss an event or meet. The one time it is absolutely unacceptable to not show for an event is during Prelims and Finals for the Championship series or other Prelim/Finals meets. If you qualify for a final and do not scratch or show, you are completely out of every event that you qualified in, as well as relays.
Positive Check-ins: If you do a positive check in for an event (generally 500Y or longer), which is a half hour before the event and do not swim, you are not allowed to swim the following event, individual or relay. Coaches and Swimmers can complete positive check- ins. Penalties can change meet to meet and are detailed in each meet syllabus.
Unattached Swimmers: An Unattached Swimmer CANNOT practice with WCAC’s US team in accordance with WCAC’s policy. The swimmer can be coached at a US meet by a WCAC US coach after a coaching fee is paid. Unattached swimmers cannot score points for WCAC or swim in WCAC relays. Their swimming results will not be monitored by WCAC coaches but will be posted to SWIMS. Unattached Swimmers must complete all meet registrations on their own. Please note: If you are a parent of an Unattached Swimmer and are not a US certified coach, you will not be allowed on deck to assist your swimmer.
MA Championship Meets: You must qualify for Middle Atlantic Swimming Championship series based on the published time standards.
Random Facts: (SCY) Short Course Yards simply means the event is in a pool that is 25 Yards. (SCM) Short Course Meters simply means the event is in a pool that is 25 Meters. (LC) Long Course means that the pool is 50 Meters. SC season is September through March and LC is April through August.
Times for events from SAL meets are not valid for US meets. Your swimmer must swim as no time (NT) in a US meet to register a time valid for championship meets.
Refund Policy: The refund policy for US Swimming is the same as the WCAC SAL refund policy. US Swimming registration fees and the US swimming initiation fee are not refundable.
ALL US WCAC swimmers must be registered with our WCAC SAL team. A WCAC SAL swimmer can swim for another team’s US team, however, any US records broken while swimming for another team will not count towards WCAC US records. WCAC US swimmers may not break SAL records beyond the SAL championship meet. A WCAC SAL record may be set by a WCAC US swimmer at any SAL meet or SAL Invitational. A separate WCAC US set of records will be maintained for times achieved in US meets.
WCAC requests that you represent our club by wearing a WCAC swim cap at all US sanctioned and approved meets. At Elite Meets and Championships Series Meets, we request you wear WCAC gear on the medal stand.
Thank you!
