The Rules & Regulations committee has sent out a list of new rules to be voted upon.
In total, 23 issues were covered that will be up for vote at the House of Delegates at the United States Aquatic Sports convention next week. Topics that were covered included definitions, LSC boundaries, Sectional requirements, Code of Conduct/Banned List, Review Boards/House of Delegates selections, plus other very relevant issues within the sport.
Here are a few of the items that would closely affect swimmers and coaches, along with ‘cheat sheet notes’ that were sent to athlete representatives by the Rules & Regulations committee, drafted by Claire Letendre and Van Donkersgoed, with approval from USA Swimming.
R-4 Allow for Alternates into Multiple Bonus Heats Under Certain Conditions
Proposed by: Jim Sheehan, Vice President of Program Operations
Recommendation: The Rules & Regulations Committee recommends approval.
How Does This Affect Us?
It allows alternates to be placed into any finals heat, regardless of the order they’re swum (C, B, A OR A, B, C), when the finals are not selecting teams, scoring points, providing prize money, nor giving athlete recognition.
This provides more options to meet hosts in placing alternates in finals heats, which provides more competition opportunities for athletes.
Normally you don’t see a prelim/finals meet that doesn’t score, but for example, if just the A final heat scores points, an alternate could be placed in either the B or C final heat; when it was just the C final previously.
R-6 Allow an LSC to Sanction Competition Held By Its Member Clubs in Another LSC Within 25 miles of the LSC Boundary
Proposed by: Southeastern Swimming LSC
Recommendation: The Rules & Regulations Committee makes no recommendation.
How Does This Affect Us?
This addresses the issue that there are some LSC’s around the country that face limited facility space and/or resources. The specific issue is when a team from one LSC uses a facility located in different LSC. This might cause some sanctioning issues and issues between the two LSC’s.
But it may give athletes more opportunities to participate in USA Swimming events, such as competitions, benefits, clinics and any swimming events/exhibitions. The committee makes no recommendation, which makes sense, since it seems like it makes sense to approve, it may create more harm than good.
R-7 Change Sanctioning Jurisdiction to Meet Host LSC; Not the Geographical Boundary LSC
Proposed by: Southeastern Swimming LSC
Recommendation: The Rules & Regulations Committee recommends rejection.
How Does This Affect Us?
This rule will be withdrawn if R-6 from above is adopted. But if it is not, a change like this would likely result in chaos and create disharmony among the LSCs. But at the same time, would provide athletes in areas that have less resources to participate in more USA swimming events, as listed above.
If the two teams has a positive relationship, it could work. But for the most part, if a team comes into your pool and runs a long, all day club meet, it could really end up feeling like an invasion of space in a way.
R-9 Revise Sectional Requirements and Guidelines
Proposed by: Senior Development Committee
Recommendation: The Rules & Regulations Committee makes no recommendation.
How Does This Affect Us?
This would aim to focus and align the National Team Directors vision for the sectional meets, where the primary purpose is now to qualify swimmers, mainly the 18&U athletes, for Junior Nationals.
The whole criteria would change for Sectionals. The Senior Development Committee would set nationwide time standards, and Individual Sections may make those slower (depending on the depth/entries from last year, etc.), but not faster than the national standards. The goal is to not go over 800 (one pool) or 1000 (two pools) athletes, but if so, the Section will need to tighten their time standards.
The Spring and Summer Sectional will be no longer than 3.5 days long. The Summer Sectional shall be completed between 8-22 days prior to the U.S. Open or Juniors Nationals, depending on which falls first. But Sectionals will have one 18&U final heat at the finals session of each day.
These days could drastically change the face of Sectionals, especially in the summer. College athletes often compete at their local Sectional, but if the focus is to shift to 18&U, we could see more competition at the National events.
R-13 Add Sexual Abuse by Minor Athlete as a Violation of the Code of Conduct
Proposed by: Safe Sport Committee
Recommendation: The Rules and Regulations Committee recommends approval.
How Does This Affect Us?
This adds another layer of protection of athletes that did not previously exist before. It will make any sexual abuse from any athlete to another a direct violation of the Code of Conduct.
“Peer-to-Peer Sexual Abuse” is defined as any unwelcome physical conduct of sexual nature directed toward another individual. This is huge; especially how now-a-days minors are frequently in the news for misuse their phones/social media to sexually harass their peers. This has probably already been a problem for teams, but this consequence has taken it to a new level; hopefully, adding more safety for all athletes on the peer level.
R-14 Enforcement of Banned List
Proposed by: David Berkoff, Paris Jacobs, Tim Bauer, Stu Hixon, Mary Jo Swalley, Robert Broyles, Brandon Drawz, Dave Anderson, Ben Britten
Recommendation: The Rules & Regulations Committee recommends approval.
How Does This Affect Us?
The “Banned List” is defined by USA Swimming as a list of individuals that, through the USA Swimming Board of Review process, have been permanently suspended or rendered ineligible for membership in USA Swimming.
Athlete protection is a key component, and this would just add another level of protection for the athletes. It would guarantee that any USA Swimming club or coach that allow these individuals to aide, coach, instruct, allows ownership interest, etc. would be a direct Code of Conduct violation – which could end up being a very serious violation.
A full “Cheat Sheet,” with quick facts on all of the rules being voted on, can be seen here.
Thank you all for your comments. It certainly sheds new light. I think a lot of the coaches egos get involved in this and their insecurity shows. They think if your swimmer gets some instruction from someone else it shows how little they know. I grew up swimming and way back then, your team swim coach did not give private lessons for stroke technique but sent you to someone else who took care of that after practice or at a set time. This way there was no conflict of interest where it looked like a coach was offering one swimmer over another extra time and attention. And your coach appreciated that the other coach was making his/ her job easier,… Read more »
If a coach threatened to have a swimmer blackballed from swimming because they attended a summer swim camp, or received private swim lessons (10 years old) and then kicked them off the team for it, would that be considered abuse?
I think it would be abuse – USA Swimming should think it is abusive, but USA Swimming consistently states that they have no control over what the clubs do. From what I’ve read, it seems that many athletes are getting kicked off of their teams and USA Swimming won’t intervene. Mental abuse, in many instances, is worse than physical abuse. It seems that some teams want to CONTROL everything the families do. There is a team who will kick all family members off of the team if one member decides to swim with a different team.
I’m sorry this happened to the ten year old. I know how devastating it can be for an athlete of any age. USA Swimming… Read more »
It was devastating to the whole family. And forced us to beg teams in town to allow our swimmer to swim. Several Coaches stuck together on not allowing our swimmer to swim to teach other families a lesson. Sick. We were forced to drive 45 to an hour each way to another team. When we called USA Swimming we were told, each coach can run his team as he/ she sees fit. Sick when an adult and one who is in charge of coaching swimmers enjoys treating a child this way.
A lot of these teams should lose their status as a USA Swimming club. People will start behaving properly when their livelihood is threatened. If USA Swimming cared, they would force these clubs to behave properly and a lot of the crap would stop.
The code of conduct is a joke because USA Swimming does not hold anyone accountable unless the person is criminally prosecuted in the courts or the incident makes headlines and they don’t have a choice.
Shame on USA Swimming for not helping your family and the other families who are retaliated against.
That stinks SWIMMA. Sorry to hear that. And a 10 yo, that is pathetic. It should be a plus to get the 10 yo some technique lessons — which btw is very common and I know coaches in our area that don’t approve either.
And likewise, also heard of a Y team that kicked a 2nd kid off their team because the older child changed teams in order to do long course, which that Y did not offer. The younger child was happy on the team but not allowed to stay.
Canyons Aquatics does the same thing. They have a Sibling Policy: In the event a swimmer(s) from a multiple swimmer family chooses to leave Canyons Aquatic Club and join another Club within the same LSC and/or Committee that Canyons Aquatic Club belongs to, then all swimmers from that family must leave the club as well.
These policies are ******* and should not be tolerated by USA Swimming. These clubs should lose their affiliation with USA Swimming.
Each member of a family is unique just like each team is unique. Too force all siblings to leave a team because it’s not a good fit for one is pathetic! It’s even more pathetic that USA Swimming allows it!
Moderator’s note: please no… Read more »
Swimma – I would think it would be a violation of:
304.3.13 B. Bullying of an athlete by a coach member
304.3.18 Any other material and intentional act, conduct or omission not provided for above, which is detrimental to the image or reputation of USA Swimming, a LSC or the sport of swimming.
Looks to me it’s spelled out in 304.3.7, in particular point (i). The definition presented doesn’t limit it to verbal, but all forms of communication.
Sammy, that’s pretty irresponsible of you to say that. If you were there you would know that Bullying policies pretty much flew through and are in our code of conduct now. Swimdad, a simple google search versus relying on Internet threads to help you will lead you to your answer. It took me less than a minute to search it and find 304.3.7 in the code of conduct addressing bullying.
You’re right – bullying by a coach is in the code of conduct. R-17 was written to add “emotional and verbal abuse” as a code of conduct violation (304.3.13). It seems that the wording was changed to “bullying” instead of “emotional and verbal abuse”.
Coacherik – Why didn’t R17 pass the way it was written? What was the reasoning of removing “emotional and verbal abuse”?
is there anything in the code of conduct that applies to coaches bulling athletes ?
I don’t believe so. Last year recommendation R-17 -“Emotional abuse of an athlete, defined as a significant incident or pattern or series of repeated and targeted non-contact behavior(s) that insult, threaten, degrade, humiliate, isolate and/or control the athlete, by a coach member or other non-athlete member who is in a position of authority over the athlete.” I was thrilled when I read the recommendation, but I don’t believe it passed – it just disappeared!!!
I don’t understand the # of days constraints on summer sectional meets. Allowing the summer meet to be four days takes pressure off of each session, making them shorter. Most athletes are on summer vacation at that point, so missing school isn’t a reason.
AND how is forcing sections to put more events per day in the summer conducive to making Jr Nationals? With an A, B, C final that many run, finals still goes pretty long making it an even longer day if athletes are forced to sit through longer prelims sessions. I get the spring, they may not be attended as well and many are in school, so another day off is harder, but not for summer sectionals.
Each zone knows what works for them. This is another attempt by USA Swimming to use the “one size fits all” approach. It just does not work! Leave the sectionals alone. Damage has already been done to the Grand Prix series.
R7 has even broader implications for a few teams in my area. We recently moved to Arkansas LSC but are still required to sanction meets through Missouri Valley due to geographical boundaries.
What House of Delagates are you referring to. It is next week or I missed keeping my attendance streak for conventions. Is it the Rules Committe you are referring to?