Swim Meet Entries and Fees Explained
For anyone new to USA Swimming, meet entries and fees can be a bit confusion.
Sorry for the delay in getting this note out about meet entries but the USA Swimming registration process has been particularly challenging for some folks this year. Since no one can practice or attend meets without being recognized as registered with USA swimming, that has been the priority. Now that we are down to only 5 left to go, let us look at meet entry.
Meet entry begins with swimmers selecting “attending” or “not attending”. Then when the meet entry file is active swimmers and coaches (not parents) select events to swim up to the limit per day set up by the meet host. The coaches review the entries and will sometimes make changes in the best interest of the swimmer.
Once the events are approved and sent to the meet host no more changes can be made except to scratch. The account is billed for the meet entry fees (see below). After the meet entry fees are sent to the meet host there are no refunds.
Swimming meets are billed directly to your account separately from the monthly practice fees.
There are 2-3 charges assigned to meet entries.
1) The entry fee per event. The total amount varies by location and the meet host.
2) The coaching fee (for time, travel, and other expenses incurred to have coaches present on deck at the swimming meet). The monthly practice fee only covers practice. The rate is $10/day or session for what is a called a timed final or one swim. At higher level meets where there are both prelims and finals (2 swims) the coach rate is $20/day.
3) Some facilities charge a facility use fee.
That is the met entry process in a nutshell. Swimmers talk to your coach if you have further questions.
Historically, the best performances with the least amount of stress is experienced by swimmers talking to their coaches about the events during practice leading up to the meet, and then checking in with the coaches right before and right after the swim. Not 30 minutes or an hour later. This process also reduces the chance of missing an event. It is simple to remember. Coach, swim, coach then fans. parents and friends.
