USA Swimming is the national governing body (NGB) for competitive swimming in the United States. It is an independent, 400,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through teams, events, and education.[5] USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competitions, including the Olympic Games. The organization's headquarters is located at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Competitive swimming in the United States began to gain popularity in the 1880s. The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), founded in 1888, was the first national organization to govern the sport. For decades, the AAU was responsible for all amateur sports in the United States, with swimming operating as one of its many committees.[6]
The Amateur Sports Act of 1978 and the Birth of USA Swimming
In response to criticisms of the AAU's broad and often arbitrary governance, the U.S. Congress passed the Amateur Sports Act of 1978.[7] This landmark legislation restructured amateur sports in the country, requiring each Olympic sport to establish its own NGB. The Act chartered the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which in turn, would charter the NGB for each sport.
This led to the creation of United States Swimming, which officially took over the governance of the sport from the AAU in 1980. Bill Lippman, the last head of the AAU Swimming Committee, and Ross Wales, the first president of United States Swimming, worked together to ensure a smooth transition. The organization was later rebranded as USA Swimming.[8]
Governance and Structure
USA Swimming's governance is multi-layered, extending from the national level down to local clubs.
National Governing Body (NGB): The NGB is responsible for setting the rules for the sport in the United States, guided by the international governing body for aquatic sports, World Aquatics (formerly FINA). It oversees all aspects of the sport, from grassroots programs to the selection of the Olympic team.
USA Swimming LSC and Zone Map
Local Swimming Committees (LSCs): The country is divided into 59 Local Swimming Committees (LSCs). Each LSC is a separate entity responsible for the administration, support, and governance of USA Swimming member clubs in its designated geographical area. There are over 3,100 swim clubs registered with USA Swimming through their respective LSCs. The largest swim club by membership is the Nation's Capital Swim Club (NCAP), with over 3,000 members.[9]
Zones and Sections: The LSCs are further grouped into four administrative Zones (Western, Central, Southern, and Eastern). These Zones host annual championship meets. Many LSCs are also grouped into Sections, which also host championship meets to provide a stepping stone between LSC and national-level competition.[10]
Safe Sport Program: USA Swimming has a comprehensive Safe Sport program to protect athletes from abuse. This program, initiated in 2010, includes policies and guidelines, screening and selection of coaches and officials, training and education, and a system for reporting and responding to misconduct.[11] The U.S. Center for SafeSport has exclusive jurisdiction over all sexual misconduct reports in the Olympic and Paralympic movement.
Structure of Competitions
USA Swimming sanctions a wide range of competitions, from local meets to the highest levels of national and international competition.[12][13]
Local and LSC Meets: These are the most common types of meets, including dual meets, invitationals, and LSC championships. They offer opportunities for swimmers of all levels to compete.[14]
Sectional and Futures Championships: These meets provide a bridge for swimmers between the LSC and national levels, with more challenging time standards.[15]
National Championships: USA Swimming hosts several national championship meets throughout the year, including:
U.S. Olympic Team Trials: Held every four years, this is the sole selection meet for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team. It is one of the most prestigious and competitive swimming events in the world.
International Competitions: USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams to represent the United States at international competitions, including:
The USA Swimming National Team is composed of the top swimmers in the country. The team is selected annually based on the top times in each Olympic event from the results of the National Championships or Olympic Trials. Members of the National Team receive funding and support to help them train and compete.[17]
USA Swimming has a long-standing media rights partnership with NBC Sports. In a multi-year extension announced to last through 2028, NBC and its streaming platform, Peacock, will be the exclusive home for USA Swimming's premier events, including the Toyota National Championships, the TYR Pro Swim Series, and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.[18] This partnership provides extensive television and streaming coverage, elevating the visibility of the sport and its athletes.
Business and Revenue
As a non-profit organization, USA Swimming's revenue comes from a variety of sources:
Membership Fees: A significant portion of revenue comes from membership dues paid by athletes, coaches, officials, and clubs.
Sponsorships: USA Swimming has partnerships with a number of major corporations.
Events: The organization generates revenue from its national events through ticket sales, and other event-related income.
USA Swimming Foundation: The philanthropic arm of USA Swimming, the foundation raises money to support the sport, including learn-to-swim programs and providing financial support to National Team athletes.[19]
Records
USA Swimming is the official record-keeper for swimming in the United States. There are two primary types of records:
American Records: The fastest time ever swum by a U.S. citizen, regardless of the location of the swim.
U.S. Open Records: The fastest time swum within the geographical borders of the United States, regardless of the swimmer's nationality.
Each year USA Swimming honors United States swimmers and coaches and their accomplishments for the year through a handful of awards called the Golden Goggle Awards, colloquially known as the Golden Goggles, which span categories such as male or female swimmer of the year, coach of the year, and relay performance of the year.[20][21] USA Swimming commenced holding an annual awards ceremony to give the recipients their awards in November 2004 in New York City.[22] The Golden Goggle Awards have received recognition on the international level, by organizations such as Reuters,[23]World Aquatics,[24] and the International Olympic Committee (via Olympics.com),[25] at the national level, including by NBC Sports[26] and Sports Illustrated,[27] and at the local level in print newspapers such as The Seattle Times[28] and Kitsap Sun.[29]
Pettigrew and Athlete of the Year awards
In addition to the Golden Goggle Awards, USA Swimming awards an annual Pettigrew Award, an award made in honor of Kenneth J. Pettigrew and awarded to various positions including officials and referees, and an annual Athlete of the Year award, an award "given to the individual with the most outstanding year of swimming performances", which were both handed out at the annual business meeting starting in 2021.[30] Prior to 2021, the awards were handed out at various organizational events including the United States Aquatic Sports Convention.[31]
Coach of the Year award
The coach of the year award began in 1996 with its first winner being Murray Stephens from the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. There are also awards for the developmental coach of the year and the ASCA (American Swim Coach Association) award. Eddie Reese of the University of Texas at Austin currently holds the most coach of the year awards at 19.[32] The Coach of the year award is an award given out based on nominations from the community.
Controversies
As with several other U.S. sports governing bodies, USA Swimming has dealt with accusations of sexual abuse, resulting in several lawsuits and prompting changes in U.S. federal law.
Several high-profile coaches were banned for life a couple of decades after their alleged abuses took place. In 2012, USA Swimming banned Rick Curl, and the Curl-Burke Swim Club was rebranded the Nation's Capital Swim Club, which at the time served 2,000 swimmers in the D.C. metro area and to this day is the largest swim club by membership.[33] In 2013, former Olympic team coach Mitch Ivey was banned as the result of allegations dating back to the 1970s.[34]
In 2018, an investigation by the Orange County Register found hundreds of swimmers whose claims of sexual abuse had allegedly been mishandled or ignored by USA Swimming.[35] In 2020, six swimmers sued USA Swimming, accusing former executive director Chuck Wielgus and other officials at the national, state and club level of failing to address behavior by Ivey, former U.S. national team director Everett Uchiyama and former coach Andy King, the latter of whom was serving 40 years in prison after pleading no contest to 20 child molestation charges.[36] American activists also blocked Wielgus from being inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2014.[37] Wielgus died in 2017.
On February 19, 2025, USA Swimming named Christine Rawak as its new CEO and president.[38] Nine days later, USA Swimming's board of governors announced that Rawak would not assume the role,[39] stating that it had just learned of a complaint against her regarding her conduct while coaching at the University of Michigan that had been filed with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, an organization that handles abuse and misconduct claims, that Rawak had not disclosed.[40][41] When they raised the issue with Rawak, USA Swimming said Rawak informed it that she intended to resign.[40]
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