Who should consider joining USA Swimming?

All swimmers in levels Gold and Silver are strongly encouraged to be members of our USA Swimming program. Bronze Level swimmers should seriously consider it. Pewter Level swimmers who are motivated to advance to the next level could benefit greatly from it.

Why should I consider signing up for USA Swimming?

In short, more and bigger options, opportunities and competition.

USA Swimming offers the following options and opportunities not available in the YMCA core program and other local age group club leagues:

  • More and longer distance events: In age group swimming at the club level, the longest events in all strokes but freestyle are 50 yards for swimmers 12 and under and 100 yards for 13 and over, with freestyle and IM events of 100 yards for 12 and under and 200 for 13 and over. In USA Swimming, all strokes go to 200 yards, with IM going to 400 yards and freestyle up to 1650.

  • Swimmer choice of events: In age group club swimming, the coaches select the events swimmers swim in dual meets to build a lineup that is most likely to win a meet and improve the chances for the team to win a league championship. While our coaches contribute to event selection at USA meets, with no league championship standings in play, the swimmer chooses the events they swim.
  • More regular season and post-season championship meets to swim: It's true that our core Y program offers a lot of meets. But not all of these meets will match up with every swimmer's availability, especially older swimmers competing in high school programs. It's also true that many of the meets in our core program schedule also qualify as USA Swimming meets, meaning the times swum there count toward qualification for USA Swimming post-season and championship meets - but only for those swimmers already registered as a USA Swimming member the day of the meet - not if they register after they swim. There are also several local and regional long course USA meets that are held during the summer swim season. And all USA Swimming meets, anywhere in the country, are available to a USA Swimming registered swimmer to attend. Information will be provided in each season for USA Swimming meets we will attend as a team, with coaches.
  • More events per meet: In YMCA and club swimming, a swimmer typically competes in three events and one relay in a meet that lasts one morning or afternoon. In USA Swimming, the meets typically span Friday through Sunday, with two or three age grouped sessions each day. An individual swimmer is able to compete in 4 events per session and 5 if there are long distance events. 

The structure of the USA Swimming organization as well as the structure of meet lineups and scoring provide the opportunity for heightened competition for all levels of swimmers in the contexts of both personal and outward goals:

  • Larger geographic area means higher levels of competition: FSY is part of the Middle Atlantic LSC (Local Swimming Committee) of USA Swimming, which includes southern New Jersey, Delaware; and central to eastern Pennsylvania. Middle Atlantic Swimming is part of the Eastern Zone, which includes 11 other LSCs basically covering all states from Virginia to the north and east. Our USA season culminates in Middle Atlantic Junior Olympic, and Senior Championship meets, as well as Zones Championships for the Eastern Zone.
  • Time Standards and Divisions provide added motivation and specific and aggressive goals: USA Swimmers are seeded and scored within C/BB/B/A/AA/AAA/AAAA Divisions which are based on national time standards. This gives the developing swimmer the opportunity to place high within their division, providing a greater sense of accomplishment. As a swimmer improves, the specific times to get to the next Division - culminating in Championship qualifying times - set much more specific and substantial goals than “beating my best time.”

We also travel as a group for at least one away meet. This has typically been in the Fall to State College. We also travel to other regional facilities for Junior Olympics and Silver and Senior Championships. These are great opportunities for additional team building and fun.

In these ways, USA Swimming affords FSY swimmers enhanced opportunities for competition and development. The program is flexible and, aside from the annual $75 USA Swimming registration fee, it’s pay as you go, so you choose how many and which meets you attend. 

Questions regarding USA Swimming should be directed to Coach Megan.