The Louisiana Swimming Local Swimming Committee (LSC) voted on Monday evening to approve a distribution of funds to member clubs during the coronavirus pandemic.
The program is expected to distribute about $90,000 to the state’s 27 swimming clubs.
For every athlete registered for the 2019-2020 season, Louisiana Swimming will refund to clubs the $16 registration fee that was paid for each athlete to the Local Swimming Committee (which is in addition to the $62 portion of the fee that goes to USA Swimming).
Additionally, for clubs that hosted meets already, the LSC will return the 10% of entry fees and per-swimmer surcharge that the LSC collects for each event.
“80% of our clubs are still operating in some fashion,” Louisiana swimming general chair Mike Falati told SwimSwam. “However, I do expect that number to drop in the next 6 weeks if things don’t change. As for our plan, we will take small steps when the re-entry process begins. Keeping our athletes engaged in activities with their clubs is very important. Keeping our clubs and membership is our main focus. As for swim meets, we will do what we can for our athletes to be able to compete if possible. However, our senior athletes begin their High School season in September. If we do anything for our senior athletes, it will have to take place before September 1st. As for our age group swimmers, they had their state meet postponed last summer because of a tropical storm, now the virus has canceled their spring meet. We will do all we can to have a meet for these swimmers and will extend their season until October 31st if necessary.”
The money will come from the LSC’s travel fund and general fund, with the caveat that this means that in 2021 they will only be able to provide travel support for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Louisiana has only 1 Olympic Trials qualifier so far: Jacques Rathle. The 16-year old from Crawfish Aquatics hit his Olympic Trials cut in the 400 IM at the College Station Sectionals in February.
The LSC doesn’t reimburse travel for college swimmers in the state who didn’t grow up in the state.
The LSC also says that it will designate funds for an advertising campaign for member clubs to help boost membership when pools reopen.
According to Worldometers.com, Louisiana has 24,584 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 1,405 confirmed deaths. Louisiana is only the 25th-largest state in the U.S. by population, but ranks 6th by number of deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
With around 3,100 athletes, Louisiana Swimming is one of the smaller of USA Swimming’s Local Swimming Committees. The organization is one of several LSCs to have approved similar programs.
The Florida Gold Coast LSC, for example, will award grants to certain clubs that meet need criteria and have exhausted other options for funding. The Wisconsin LSC took a different approach and purchased gap insurance to allow their clubs to hold dryland training workouts remotely and continue to collect fees from their members.
Sierra Nevada Swimming also launched an ’emergency grant’ program that is awarding a similar $20 per registered swimmer fee, though with a slightly different structure.
North Texas Swimming will distribute approximately $140,000 to member clubs.
Good for them trying to soften the impact for the clubs.