Last updated December 21, 2009

South Dakota Swimming Safety Notes

From SD Swimming, Inc. Safety Coordinator Deb Finnesand

Two items:

#1.  This is a question I sent to USA Swimming:  We have a few teams in SD using lifeguards and/or parents as a coach with a non-athlete registration or no registration at all telling me it is okay because a USA Swimming Coach is supervising the people on deck. I'm telling the teams no, all coaches must be USA registered coaches when dealing with pool practice, dry land is a little different, just need to be a non-athlete member of USA Swimming for dry land coaching.

"Deb….you are correct, they are not.  Here are the articles as taken from the Insurance FAQs booklet recently updated by our insurance broker…"

USA Swimming Response:

Article 502.4.3 of the 2009 USA Swimming rulebook states that “Anyone who coaches athletes at a USA Swimming practice or competition must be a coach member of USA Swimming and must have satisfactorily completed safety training and background screening required by USA Swimming.”

The above article was passed by the USA Swimming House of Delegates and published in the 2009 USA Swimming Rules and Regulations.  Coaching by any other person who is not a registered coach member, including USA Swimming athlete members is not permitted. 

One exception that is now being allowed is for individuals who are not doing any coaching in the water but who are only providing dry land training activities.  In those instances, if the person and the club for whom the individual is providing services want the benefit of USA Swimming’s insurance coverage, then he or she must become a non-athlete member of USA Swimming and also complete USA Swimming’s background screening.  The insurance company is not requiring that the individual become a registered coach member because the person (is not coaching athletes at swim meets or practices but) is only doing dry land training.

#2.  Be aware of the rule about certifying swimmers as knowing racing starts.  The start has to be taught in 6 feet of water, but once a coach certifies the swimmer, you can practice with them in water 4 feet or deeper at any time. If a swimmer transfers to another team, the new team must certify the swimmer.

Coaches please keep a spread sheet with the date of the certification and the coach who certified the swimmer. As of now I do not need a copy of the certifications, but a team list of the certifications has to be maintained and kept by each coach.

Thanks,

Deb