Registration 2013-14

1. Registration 2013-14 No change in any registration fees from this past year – 5th year in a row MSI has not raised our fees despite USA Swimming raising the cost to MSI every one of those years. All athlete and non-athlete registrations will still be processed, as usual, through the MSI LSC office All athlete cards will now be issued by USA Swimming – they will be a type of Bag Tag that has the swimmer’s preferred name, and ID# - no club or LSC affiliation – and there will be sponsor logos and some discount bar codes on the cards. A swimmer will only receive 1 per year – no replacements will be available. The tags will be mailed directly to the athlete’s home address..important to verify that their preferred name and mailing address are current when registration is submitted. All coach and non-athlete cards will still come from the LSC office..Replacements and Updates will still be provided as needed Athletes will continue to receive MSI State Championship Q Times and USA Time Standards Bag Tags, but for 2013-3014 they will be provided to the coaches directly to distribute No paper registration forms will be sent to clubs going forward (no more August packets!) as they will no longer be available through USA Swimming..LSC office will receive electronic copies from USA Swimming, one of each form, and they will be posted on the MSI website for use A copy of the file, with the samples, along with the MSI Officials’ Registration form will be forwarded from the LSC office to each club registrar. Registration can begin September 1, 2013 – not before. Clubs must be registered before any athletes are registered, Head coach must be registered before any athletes are registered Clubs will be billed again, however it is extremely important that all invoices be paid on time as USA Swimming will no longer bill us. Now, at the beginning of each month they will debit our funds for the $$ amount due for the previous month’s registrations so we need to be sure your money is “in the bank”. MSI will continue the “no fee for a transfer” program that we began in 2012-13. Any club whose registrar is not returning for 2013-14, please notify the LSC office ASAP with the new registrar's name and email address. A clinic time and place will be forthcoming. Pat Kaplan

2. Club Development • New Budget Increase allows each club up to $4000 per year to use for coach and club education. • Coach Discover and Experience program will continue as part of the 2013-14 MSI Grant Program. • 2012-2013 Grant Program submissions are due by August 31, 2013..No exceptions Hope to have the form as a Google type doc for ease of calculation and submission. • Funding for 2013-2014 Grant Program has been significantly increased..New program will be introduced on September 1, 2013 • We are always looking for ways to improve the Grant Program. Email your ideas to office@mdswim.org(before August 1st) • We were one of only 2 USA Swimming LSCs to achieve LEAP 3 over the past 4 years. • We need to do a much better job of getting our clubs to Level 1 and then beyond!!!!!!!! • MD Swimming is a recognized and acknowledged USA Swimming leader in LSC: coach education funding; coach education opportunities within the LSC (D&E Program); Grant Program ; use of USA Swimming Services; Retention of athletes; Information sharing and communication ; athlete, coach and volunteer recognition Pat Kaplan

3. MSI Office • In keeping with the USA Swimming LSC preferred practices, Maryland Swimming (MSI) in January 2013 established an actual permanent office with a paid staff Administrator… • Registration and Membership is now handled through the MSI office and is no longer a Board position • MSI has a designated mailing address (PO Box 255 Shrewsbury, PA 17361),a designated phone number (410-830-0570), and a designated email address ( office@mdsswim.org ) all are posted on the front page of the MSI website (www.mdswim.org) • The website is managed through the MSI office (www.mdswim.org) (webmaster@mdswim.org) • The website will be the primary source of communication between The MSI Board, coaches, parents volunteers and athletes. Use every nook and cranny of the website,,not just the Meets Pages..send us anything you would like us to consider sharing or posting..pictures are always welcome… • By Laws, Rules and Regulations and Policies and Procedures have been streamlined post meet procedures have also been addressed • New processes have been put into place for Approved and Observed meets that will benefit both Meet Hosts, participating athletes, and meet financial reconciliation. • Please advise the MSI office of any other items you feel need to be proposed, streamlined, condensed or addressed in any manner. • First point of contact for the LSC should now be the MSI office. Pat Kaplan