Pacific Swimming Aiming for ‘About $1 Million’ in Assistance for Teams

The Pacific Swimming LSC is trying to set aside about $1 million to assist teams in need of financial aid amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Board of Directors meeting minutes show. General chair David Cottam confirmed that the proposal is being evaluated, but said he could not share any further details.

According to the meeting minutes, the LSC has a task force in place to determine the “most effective” and “judicious” way to allocate the money.  “We are aware of needing to do it quickly, but also to do it equitably,” the minutes say.

A $1 million relief fund would be the largest announced among LSCs nationwide to date. Last week, Southern California Swimming announced a $650,000 relief program specifically designed to help clubs at risk of folding, if they choose to participate in testing new competition models ahead of the probable restrictions on large gatherings after shutdowns are relieved.

Pacific Swimming is the nation’s second-largest LSC by number of year-round teams (126 in 2019), while Southern California is the largest with 181 reported last year.

The Florida Gold Coast and Louisiana LSCs are also among those to have announced relief programs. FGC will give out $85,000 in total to approved teams that applied for a grant before the April 13 deadline (the LSC has 63 total teams). Louisiana will give out up to $90,000 to its 27 teams through refunding athlete registration fees and commissions on entered athletes for meets that were already hosted this season.

Last week, the Western Zone – which includes Pacific Swimming and 16 other LSCs in the Western United States – announced the cancellation of its yearly Senior and Age Group Championships scheduled for the last week in July. Tuesday, the zone said the 2020 meets are “postponed one year,” and will still be awarded to the originally-scheduled hosts come July 2021.

USA Swimming already announced it will not sanction meets through at least May 31.