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Dear USA Swimming Members,

Thank you to everyone for your support and commitment as we continue to navigate these uncharted waters.

Throughout the entire country there is a very real and intense effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). As responsible leaders, we need to continue to take appropriate steps and ensure that every decision we make is one with a focus on the health and safety of our athletes, members, staff and volunteers.

Therefore, we have made the decision to cancel the upcoming TYR Pro Swim Series meet in Mission Viejo, California, and postpone the combined Open Water National and Junior National Championships, which was scheduled for Fort Myers at the end of April.

Our prior suspension of all events, camps, conferences, or any occasion that requires individuals to travel and gather now also extends through April 30, 2020. Additional meet updates will be shared within the next couple of days. This will continue to be reevaluated as further information becomes available.

We cannot thank you enough for doing your part in keeping our members safe. Our thoughts are with all of you and we will continue to provide updates as they become available.

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LETTER TO MEMBERS CORONAVIRUS (COVID 19) UPDATE MARCH 16 2020

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Dear USA Swimming Members, Thank you to everyone for your support and commitment as we continue to navigate these uncharted waters. Throughout the entire country there is a very real and intense effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

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HOW TO TELL IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT A TECH SUIT

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HOW TO TELL IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT A TECH SUIT

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By USA Swimming | Thursday, September 12, 2019

The following rule, proposed by the Age Group Development Committee, will take effect September 1, 2020.

102.8 SWIMWEAR

.1 Design

F. No Technical Suit may be worn by any 12 & Under USA Swimming athlete member in competition at any Sanctioned, Approved or Observed meet.
1) A Technical Suit is one that has the following components: a. Any suit with any bonded or taped seams regardless of its fabric or silhouette; or
b. Any suit with woven fabric extending past the hips.

(Note: WOVEN FABRIC-A suit with woven fabric and sewn seams that does not extend below the hips is permitted.)

(Note: KNIT FABRIC-A suit with knit fabric and sewn seams not extending below the knees is permitted.)

This rule is in effect for all USA Swimming competitions in the United States, so any manufacturer or vendor selling a suit in the United States is subject to the above rule. No Technical Suits may be worn by any 12-Under USA Swimming athlete member in competition at any Sanctioned, Approved or Observed meet.

A Technical Suit is one that has the following components:

Any male or female suit with any bonded or taped seams is defined as a technical suit regardless of its fabric or silhouette.

Bonded Seam

Any male or female suit with woven fabric and to the knee or mid-thigh is defined as a technical suit regardless of the type seams: bonded, taped or sewn. (Note: A woven suit with sewn seams and in a male brief or female regular cut not to the knees is not defined as a technical suit and is not restricted).

Woven Fabric

Textile Fabric

Any suit that does not have the FINA logo on it is approved for 12-Under use.

There are a handful of suits in the market that have the FINA logo that would be considered legal for age group competition because they do not meet the definition of what is deemed a technical suit. These suits and only these suits will bear an additional check mark logo developed by USA Swimming to indicate that the suit is complaint with the rule. This check mark will be placed to the left or right of the FINA logo on the suit. A picture of the check mark logo is next to this paragraph

Suit Manufacturer Feedback
Suit manufacturers have a vested interest in both this legislation and future growth of the sport. Virtually all the manufacturers agree that the high end/highest cost tech suits are not appropriate for use by younger swimmers. Manufacturers have provided significant input during the process of defining tech suits and have been given a reasonable lead-up time to adjust product lines and have agreed to adapt to the proposed restrictions. All major brands in the USA market were actively involved in this process and 14 manufacturers overall were consulted.

Related Links

The New York Times: Young Swimmers May Have to Wait to Dress Like Katie Ledecky (May 2018)

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TECH SUIT RESTRICTION FOR 12 AND UNDER SWIMMERS

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By USA Swimming | Thursday, September 12, 2019 The following rule, proposed by the Age Group Development Committee, will take effect September 1, 2020. 102.8 SWIMWEAR .1 Design F. No Technical Suit may be worn by any 12 & Under USA Swimming athlete member in competition at any Sanctioned, Approved or Observed meet.

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USA Swimming Safe Sport staff is hosting a “Talking to Parents about Safe Sport” webinar on Wednesday, February 12, 2020, at 10:00 am MT. Please pass this webinar information along to clubs and your LSC's.

Register at this link: http://usaswimming.adobeconnect.com/ezp36e1l3m05/event/registration.html

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Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation - MA Lifeguard Application

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The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is actively recruiting candidates to fill summer lifeguard jobs. If you are a qualified swimmer and are interested in applying for a summer lifeguard position, this is a great opportunity to do what you love

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REQUEST A SAFE SPORT WORKSHOP FOR YOUR CLUB!

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REQUEST A SAFE SPORT WORKSHOP FOR YOUR CLUB!

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http://form.jotformpro.com/form/51993936903973

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MESSAGE BOARD Athletes Camps & Clinics Ads Clubs/Teams College Swimming College Commitments 2018 Contacts Coaches Eastern Zone Historic NES Inclusion/Diversity Job Openings Links Meet Management Officials Parents Registration Safety Zones

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While one in five Americans admits to peeing in the pool, according to a survey conducted by the Water Quality and Health Council, if former U.S. National Team swimmer Carly Geehr is to be believed that rate of underwater urination skyrockets among Olympians.

"Nearly 100 percent of elite competitive swimmers pee in the pool. Regularly. Some deny it, some proudly embrace it, but everyone does," Geehr said on the website Quora. Indeed, record-breaking Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps admits to regularly relieving himself while swimming.

"I'm sure I've swum directly behind people who were just letting it all out," Geehr added in the statement.

When mere mortals cop to pool peeing, one of the reasons it seems so offensive is that it violates a code of behavior -- to relieve oneself in the pool, around others, is truly antisocial. But given that the practice seems acceptable in the competitive swimming community ("Yeah. Peeing in the pool is commonplace. It doesn't even cross our minds," adds All-American Swimmer Dave Ford on the Quora conversation), is it really harmful?

Yes, according to epidemiologists. In a previous interview with HuffPost Healthy Living, Michele Hlavsa, an epidemiologist and chief of Healthy Swimming and Waterborne Disease Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, explained that pool pee really can cause a sanitation problem.

The nitrogen in urine binds to the chlorine present in pools -- the sanitizing chemical used to destroy pathogens like E. coli, salmonella and other bacteria people carry -- to create a different chemical, chloramine. That's a problem for two reasons. First, binding to the chlorine ties it up, so it becomes a less effective disinfectant. And that leaves way for dangerous bacteria to survive longer in each pool, which can spread common illnesses like diarrhea from chryptospiridium.

What's more, chloramine is irritating to many people, causing respiratory irritation, coughing and stinging, red eyes. Chloramine also creates a strong smell that many of us associate simply with pools. If you smell that "pool smell," according to Hlavsa, you're most likely smelling chloramine rather than chlorine. (It's important to note that the chloramine smell doesn't necessarily indicate that urine is in the pool -- sweat and some personal care projects also contain nitrogen. That's why many pools require a quick rinse before you dive in.)

Next time you're tempted to relieve yourself in the pool, think of your companions -- or competitors.

For more pool hazards and solutions, read on:

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Olympic Swimmers (And Everyone Else): Here's Why You Should Stop Peeing In The Pool

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While one in five Americans admits to peeing in the pool, according to a survey conducted by the Water Quality and Health Council, if former U.S. National Team swimmer Carly Geehr is to be believed that rate of underwater urination skyrockets among Olympians. "Nearly 100 percent of elite competitive swimmers pee in the pool.

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