LBA FINANCIAL POLICY – 2025/2026 SWIMMING YEAR

Loyola Blakefield Aquatics, Inc. (“LBA”) is a 501c3 non-profit corporation, and it is not a part of or agent for Loyola Blakefield School. LBA sets dues annually to cover the costs of coaching, pool time, swimmer registration, and other operating costs. To operate effectively, prompt payment of the dues and fees listed below is essential to the overall existence of the club. It is imperative that your account balance be paid in full every month. LBA utilizes Team Unify (https://www.teamunify.com/team/mdlba/page/home) for all invoicing and payment transactions. It is the member’s responsibility to maintain an up-to-date debit or credit card in Team Unify and check their Team Unify account monthly for any unpaid charges. Any billing disputes must be brought to the attention of the Treasurer within the month of the invoice date or it will be deemed accepted at the beginning of the following month.

2024-2025 Dues Schedule

Dues cover:

•   1 Team LBA T-Shirt and Swim Cap

•   Coaching, pool rental, and general operations of LBA

  The Swimming and Membership year begins September 1 and runs through August 31.

  LBA commits financially to coaches and Loyola Blakefield for pool time annually based on the number of swimmers who register. As such, all swimmer registrations are also annual financial commitments. Members who leave LBA during the year are fully responsible for the full year dues amount regardless of when they leave. Exceptions to this policy for medical or relocation issues will be considered by the LBA Board of Directors on a case by case basis. Maryland Swimming regulations preclude another registered club from accepting a swimmer until all prior club financial obligations are settled.

The Registration deadline is June 14, 2025 for the 2025-2026 swim year. Registration fees are due at the time of registration. The remaining dues will be charged to the card on file on the first of each month as noted.

Family discounts for non-Loyola swimmers are $50 for the second child and $150 for each the third and fourth child. Dues billed from September 1 through February 1 will be adjusted for these discounts. There are no discounts for Loyola student swimmers.

For the 2025-2026 Membership Year, the dues above DO NOT include entry fees for meet participation. Such fees will be billed separately based on individual swimmer’s entries (see below).

Payment Method

Members are required to maintain a valid debit or credit card on file in Team Unify at all times. All dues and fees will be charged to the card on file on the due date.

Members also have the option to pay their annual dues for the full year at any time if desired. This can be done through Team Unify by making a payment to your account in the full amount of the remaining dues outstanding at the time of payment. There is no discount for advance payment of dues.

Any Member who needs accommodations or assistance with the financial obligations of membership should contact an LBA Board Officer (President, Vice President, or Treasurer).

A fee of $35 will be charged to the Member’s account for any failed payment transactions or returned check.

New Members after September 1

Members who join the club after September 1 will be charged the registration fee and a pro-rata share of the remaining dues for the year. For example, if Swimmer joins Age Group II in November, they will be charged the $200 registration fee and 9/12 of the dues.

Meet Fees

All LBA swimmers are encouraged to attend all meets for which they are eligible. The meet fees for participation in meets are set by the Meet Host Club and are not included in the schedule of dues above. Most meets charge a per event fee and a per swimmer fee. Meet fees for individual events and the swimmer fee for all meets (including LBA run meets) will be billed to the card on file in Team Unify by the first of the month following the meet. Meet fees for relay teams will not be charged to swimmers, but rather will be covered by LBA.

Once meet entries are finalized and submitted to the Meet Host Club, they cannot be changed and LBA must pay the Meet Host Club for each entry to participate. Therefore, it is very important that Members pay close attention to meet entry commitments and deadlines in Team Unify. Members accounts will be billed for all meet entries even if a swimmer fails to show at the meet.

For planning purposes, the following represents that expected aggregate meet fees that each swimmer group can expect. This information, which is based on 2018 meets, is presented only as a guide. Meet fees, which are set by the Meet Host Club, have escalated in recent years, sometimes at rates of increase as much as 10% a year. Meet fees for individual meets are posted in the official Meet Notice on the Maryland Swimming website (www.mdswim.org Meets tab) and will also be included in Team Unify.

Individual per event entry fees range from $7.50 per event charged for the LBA run meets to $10.00 per event charged by other clubs. Per swimmer fees range from $7.50 per swimmer for the LBA run meets to $15.00 per swimmer charged by other clubs.

Other Team Unify Charges

Other charges incurred by Members (i.e. Swim School, caps and apparel other than the initial T- Shirt and cap included in dues, and team activities, if any) will also be invoiced and collected through Team Unify.

Delinquent Accounts

All payments more than 10 days past due are considered delinquent. LBA reserves the right to add a late fee to the Member account, deny the opportunity to represent LBA in meets, and deny access to practices while any Member account is delinquent. Any Member’s account that is 30 days past due, and fails to make alternative arrangements approved by the Board, will be dropped from the membership rolls, forfeiting all rights and privileges there under.