USA Swimming is introducing a number of new features to the website. I wanted to make you aware of these items.

Detailed instructions will be sent to all clubs in the next couple of weeks through the mail regarding the Club Portal/Club Profile/Facility Information. I have attached the detailed instructions for you to see what each club will receive.

Club Portal/Club Profile/Facility Information
The following was recently sent out via blast email to coaches:

The new USA Swimming web site will now offer three features that we very much hope you and your club will utilize:

1. The Club Portal is a free “mini website” for your club. Even if you have a club website, the Club Portal is another avenue of communication for both your current members and, more importantly, potential new members searching for a club on the USA Swimming website. In the Club Portal, you will be able to easily post basic information about your club. If your club already has a website this section is not meant to displace it, but rather augment it for people searching for clubs and/or pools on the USA Swimming website. Instructions

2. The Club Profile is a new information gathering tool for USA Swimming. Beginning with this rollout, USA Swimming will gather comprehensive data about USA Swimming clubs on an annual basis. We intend to to study characteristics common to successful clubs and then use this data to improve and expand services to our members. You may wonder why you should bother spending the time to answer all of these questions. USA Swimming recently completed an information technology project that allows us to do in-depth statistical analyses of times data. We will soon be able to do the same type of analysis work on club and facility data. However, we can only do that if we have the appropriate data. Therefore, we need your help by taking the time to answer/input the appropriate information for your club!

The first time through, it will be necessary to set aside some time to complete the entire Club Profile. We estimate that it may take from one to two hours to complete. Subsequent annual updates should take less than twenty minutes to complete!

3. The Facilities Inventory will help USA Swimming with the ambitious goal of gathering basic information on every pool in the United States. By entering your facility information, people will also be able to find your practice and meet facilities with the new mapping feature found in the updated “Club Search”.

You will receive a packet in the mail within the next couple of weeks explaining the process. Please do not be deterred by the length of the instructions. We have endeavored to make it as easy as possible and the instructions include a lot of computer screen shots to make the whole process as painless as possible. Just go step by step through the instructions!

One final and important note. Access to these areas will be by password. We will send the packet to the head coach with the club’s password. The head coach can then determine if he/she wants to enter the information or if they would prefer to delegate this initiative to someone else on his/her club.

Once you receive the packet, please feel free to contact anybody in USA Swimming's Club Development Division to help answer questions or provide assistance. We hope you enjoy the new features on the website and sincerely appreciate your efforts to assist us with completing the Club Profile. Thank you and good luck in your season-ending championship meets.

Pat Hogan, Club Development Director, USA Swimming

If you have any questions on any of the above items please do not hesitate to contact me.
(This email is being set to all Reg/Mem chairs, General Chairs, and LSC perm. offices)

Sincerely,
Tom Avischious
Programs & Services Director
USA Swimming
 
tavischious@usa-swimming.org
(719) 866-4578