BARRACUDA SWIM CLUB

FEE STRUCTURE

The Barracuda Swim Club endeavors to provide the best experiences for our members while operating within a sound fiscal philosophy. We understand the importance of knowing up front the financial obligations associated with being on our team. This page is made available to provide that information.  However, if you have any questions or have unusual circumstances which should be considered, feel free to contact a Coach or our Treasurer.

There are several categories of fees members of the team pay to participate.  The BSC Registration Fee covers equipment purchases and administrative costs associated with our team. Training Fees cover professional coaching, lifeguard and safety support, pool and weight training access fees and are assessed based on a child's practice group.  The USA Swimming Membership Fee allows a child to participate in practices and meets and provides a secondary insurance policy for the child.  Meet Fees are charged when a child elects to participate in a swimming meet. 

For those eligible for the Federal Free or Reduced Lunch Program, see below for an explanation of our Outreach/Scholarship program, including reduced USA Swimming Membership Fees.

BSC REGISTRATION FEE
The annual team registration fee is $50 per swimmer and is payable at Registration.  The registration fee covers administrative expenses and the cost of a team Tshirt and swim cap for each child.  There is not a multi-child discount for this fee.

BSC TRAINING FEES
The Barracuda Swim Club is a year-round organization which employs full-time, professional coaches to provide an exceptional experience for our swimmers.  As such, expenses occur even when a child may be out of the water.  Our training fee structure has been developed with approved policies to provide a sound fiscal foundation for our club. Training fees are based on the practice group and scheduled practice times a swimmer is assigned to by the coach. Since we have two approximately 2-week breaks scheduled in the year, annual training fees are based on an 11-month training cycle.  Training fees are reduced for the months in which our scheduled breaks occur.

Discounts are provided in the Blue, Silver, PreSenior and Senior groups for families with more than one child on our team.  A multi-child discount is not available for swimmers in our Green or Summer Program groups.

Payment Schedule
The BSC Registration Fee, and Initial Training Fee payments are due at registration.  Monthly training fees are due by the 5th of each month for that month. A late fee of $25 is assessed if payment is not received by the 10th of the month.  For those joining or re-registering in September, a lump-sum payment option is available.  There is a 5% discount applied to the lump-sum payment.  When registering in other months, the monthly option will apply.

If a child elects to discontinue swimming for the Barracudas, a 30-day notice must be given to the Office Manager and Coach in order to avoid the next month's Training Fee billing.

Listed below are our training fees.  Fees take into account two scheduled team breaks during the year.  Our fiscal year begins on September 1.  During our two scheduled breaks, only a half month of fees will be charged.

Fundraising Contribution
Some teams promote a low dues amount, but then tack on a fundraising contribution amount on top of that.  We prefer to be more transparent with our fees. There is no additional required fundraising obligation to be on the Barracudas. When we do have fundraising events, participation is highly encouraged, but families will not be billed to participate.

USA SWIMMING ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE
USA Swimming governs swim teams throughout the country. This organization sets standards which teams must meet and provides support to our club. The Registration Fee is set by USA Swimming each year and is paid directly through USA Swimming. Swimmers who register after September 1st have their USA Swimming fees valid through December 31st of the following year. 
Types of USA Swimming Memberships:
Premium: ($82) The Premium Membership is required if (1) a swimmer is 13 years old or older at the time of registration, (2) a swimmer participates in more than 2 USA Swimming Meets during the current swimming year (September through August), and/or (3) a swimmer participates in a meet at or above the Southeastern Championship level.
Flex: ($30) The Flex Membership may be used if a swimmer is 12 years old or younger at the time of registration. A swimmer can only participate in two USA Swimming sanctioned meets (summer league doesn't count) while on the Flex membership.  If a swimmer wants to participate in a third USA Swimming meet, that is OK; You will just need to upgrade to a Premium Membership by paying the difference between the two types. 
Outreach ($5) An Outreach Membership is for a swimmer who qualifies for the Free or Reduced Lunch Program or has a disability. If you are unsure if you qualify, see a coach for assistance.

Once club registration is complete, you will be able to click on a link to complete and pay for your USA Swimming membership. Payment for the USA Swimming Membership will be separate from the payments set up for the club. See the paragraph below to determine WHEN you need to complete this step.

WHEN do you need to complete your USA Swimming Membership?
New Swimmers will need to do this right away. Please review the types of USA Swimming memberships available (see below) before proceeding with this step. If you have any questions, ask a coach.

Returning Swimmers have until December 31 of this year to re-register with USA Swimming.
There are a few wrinkles for those currently on a Flex membership to consider:
       1. Your current Flex membership is good until Dec 31, 2023. However, if you need to Upgrade to a Premium membership between Sept 1 and Dec 31, you will be better served by simply reregistering. Why? If you upgrade a current Flex membership, it will only be good until Dec 31, 2023. However, if you reregister now (as either Flex or Premium), that new membership will be good until Dec 31, 2024.
       2. If you are eligible for Flex during your reregistration, then you get 2 more USA Swimming meets before you will have to upgrade.

MEET FEES
Meet fees are typically based on the number of events a swimmer is entered in for a meet (Typically, $5-$8 per event).  An additional surcharge of $4-$5 per swimmer is usually assessed by the Region to cover administrative costs.  At some venues, a facility charge may also be required.  All this information can be found in the published meet information.  In addition, BSC swimmers participating in away meets are assessed a $8 per day amount to help cover the cost of sending a coach to the meet.  Meet fees are due within one week from the time the events and fees are posted and are non-refundable.  It is important that meet fees are paid when the entries are posted to the web site, as we must remit the entry fees to the host club when the entries are sent in.

SCHOLARSHIP POLICY

The Barracuda Swim Club realizes that some families may wish to be members of our team but due to economic circumstances cannot afford the established fees. To that effect, the following scholarship policy has been established:

Eligibility: Children who qualify for the Federal Free or Reduced School Lunch Program are eligible.

Documentation: A copy of the Federal Free or Reduced Lunch Program letter that is used by the school system the child attends is required.

Provisions:
            1. USA Swimming Annual dues will be $5.00.  This is referred to as an Outreach Membership. The Federal Free or Reduced Lunch Program documentation must be submitted with the USA Swimming Outreach Membership sign up.  
            2. The BSC annual registration fee is reduced to 50% of the current annual registration fee.
            3. The monthly training fees (dues) are 25% of the monthly fee for the swimmer’s assigned training group. (Due to the significant individual fee discount, a multi-child discount is not applied to scholarship accounts)
            4. Meet fees and additional costs involved with the program remain the responsibility of the family.

Note: Southeastern Swimming will provide funds to pay for entry fees to one "away" meet per year for each Outreach-registered swimmer. Costs covered include meet entry fees, meet surcharge, and any facility surcharge. Transportation, meals, lodging, etc are not included.  The Head Coach must be contacted prior to signing up for the away meet of one's choosing to take advantage of this benefit.

PAYMENT METHODS
Several payment methods are available for BSC-related charges: 
1. Pay by credit card on our website (automatically billed at the first of every month)
            An additional 2.95% + $0.30 transaction fee will be added to all credit card transactions
2. Automatic withdrawal via ACH debit
            Simply fill out the DEBT AUTHORIZATION FORM (Click on the FOR PARENTS tab on the website > FORMS) and return it to the team Treasurer.  All transactions will be processed on the 5th day of the month (or the next weekday if the 5th falls on a weekend or holiday)
3. Mail Checks
            Checks should be sent to: Kathie Battista, 4111 Glaze Road, Johnson City, TN 37601
            ** A $30 fee will be charged for all returned checks**
            Coaches cannot accept cash or checks.
Please contact, Kathie Battista, (423-943-1015) if you have any payment questions.

Past Due Accounts
While most members are very responsible in paying their obligations in a timely manner, the Board felt that a codified policy was necessary to deal with any delinquent accounts.  Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the policy, which can be found in the "Team Policies" section under the "About Our Club" tab.  If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact one of the site coaches or our Team Treasurer.

Returning Collegiate Swimmers
The club feels that collegiate swimmers returning to practice with the Barracudas can be positive role models and an inspiration for our age-group swimmers.  Since most collegiate swimmers cannot practice with the club for the entire year, the following dues policy has been established:
    * All collegiate swimmers must be registered with USA Swimming for insurance purposes.
    * If a collegiate swimmer is participating for less than a week (for example, while home for Thanksgiving break), that week will be provided at no cost.
    * If a collegiate swimmer is participating for more than a week (for example, during the summer), dues will be prorated based on the swimmer's attendance.