USA Swimming is proposing a stark improve in dues paid by member golf equipment starting within the 2025-26 season.
The nationwide governing physique is proposing golf equipment pay an extra $155 yearly, from $70 to $225, which might mark the primary improve in annual dues since at the least 1990.
The extra sizable change comes for first-year golf equipment, which must pay $700 for his or her first three years, a 900% improve, beneath the proposal.
A rise to $250 yearly for golf equipment starting in 2021 was proposed in 2019 however didn’t come to fruition because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Annual Payment
1990-2024
Proposed change
Yr-round golf equipment
$70
$225
New golf equipment
$70
$700 for first three years
Be aware that these numbers don’t embody the annual $50 charge golf equipment pay LSCs. In complete, year-round golf equipment would have a $275 annual charge and new golf equipment would pay $750 for his or her first three years of existence.
In USA Swimming’s Board of Administrators assembly in April, suggestions for membership membership charge modifications have been offered by Ira Klein with the target of utilizing the elevated charges to pay for elevated membership visits and in-person nationwide occasions.
The proposal can also be listed in USA Swimming’s Proposed Laws for 2024, set to be voted on at its Annual Enterprise Assembly in September.
The proposal notes that for brand new golf equipment, USA Swimming employees “could decide decreased charges for brand new golf equipment primarily based on outreach membership and, or geographic isolation.”
In 2023, USA Swimming reported it had 2,579 year-round golf equipment. At that quantity, the income for USA Swimming from dues paid by golf equipment would see a rise of $399,745, from $180,350 to $580,275, yearly, if the proposal passes (not together with first-year golf equipment).
Within the proposal for the elevated membership dues, USA Swimming outlined the outcomes of a coach’s survey taken throughout the 2022-23 season. Coaches referred to as for the next modifications:
Extra visits from USA Swimming to LSCs
Alignment with LSCs on serving golf equipment
Extra membership visits to number of membership sizes
Extra listening to coaches at native degree
Extra recognition of golf equipment (particularly these producing at an age group degree)
Common conferences in LSC with coaches and LSC Boards
In-person coach schooling
Embrace coaches in decision-making course of, each in-person and broad grassroots participation
Assist when golf equipment are dealing with vital challenges round amenities, board modifications, and many others.
The uptick in membership dues comes to offer elevated providers, with the proposal additionally noting the additional $155 per membership helps regulate the annual charges for inflation.
The “elevated providers” will embody:
A rise in LSC/membership visits ($150,000 funding)
Investing within the Membership Excellence Program mannequin ($150,000)
Growing the USA Swimming app performance for coaches ($120,000)
Elevated monetary help for residence coaches at USA Swimming camps ($45,000)
Serving to new golf equipment discover success ($30,000)
Offering extra teams-in-crisis providers ($30,000)
The entire funding of the six proposed elevated providers totals $525,000, suggesting new golf equipment might present someplace within the neighborhood of $125,000 in elevated income.
If in the end handed, the dues improve would start September 1, 2025. The elevated service applications could be piloted by August 2025 earlier than being absolutely applied within the 2026 membership yr.
The proposal for elevated membership charges comes after USA Swimming noticed a 4.61% decline in membership in 2023, dropping an approximate 18,000 swimmers. The membership retention charge of 68.9% was the bottom on report since 2019.
USA Swimming has struggled because the pandemic, together with dropping $17 million in belongings in 2022.
USA Swimming’s Annual Enterprise Assembly is scheduled for September 26-28 in Denver.
