Hello Team Registrars:
I hope that this finds you all well and having a great summer season!! I wanted to let you know about a BIG change in the registration process starting this fall so that you can all prepare yourselves. I’m sure there will be many questions.
At the June Indiana Swimming Board of Directors meeting, a proposal was passed requiring proof of age for all swimmers 18 and Under. There are many parts of the country where this is already required, and I proposed this so that we can verify and prove all dates of birth and to streamline the records in the national database. Swimming is one of the most age-defined sports, and this will hold us to task in correctly providing this information.
With all registrations beginning with the 2011 registration year (September 1, 2010), you must provide a copy of a birth certificate, passport or driver’s license with all registrations. If none of these documents can be provided, you can request information on alternative methods of proof. These can be mailed to the office, scanned and e-mailed to me, or hand delivered to the office. These copies will be shredded once I have documented receipt. You will only need to provide this information once. After this registration year, you will provide proof only for new swimmers. For those of you using Team Manager, you can use one of the custom fields to track this information on your end. I have one of my Team Unify users working on how this can be achieved in that system.
**Please note that if you are a team who does not register all swimmers at the beginning of the winter season: You will need to produce this proof for ALL SWIMMERS competing in meets starting September 1, 2010. When I run reports from the meet information sent to the office, I will include those swimmers who have not confirmed date of birth. You will be given a deadline by which this proof must arrive (similar to current registration deadlines) or a fine will be imposed. Please understand that you can continue to hold registrations until the end of the calendar year, but proof of age must be sent prior to competitions.
If a swimmer refuses to produce this information, or until which time this proof is provided, the swimmer will have a PROBATIONARY registration. This means that they are registered with USA Swimming and all that entails. They cannot, however, compete in Indiana Swimming sanctioned competitions. I encourage you to not hold registrations for this information unnecessarily. If there is a lengthy delay in getting this information, send the registrations and the proof of age separately. Do not hold registrations of athletes in the water as this will affect your USA Swimming provided insurance.
I have attached the following:
1. A copy of the proposal as passed by the Indiana Swimming Board of Directors.
2. A letter prepared at the request of board members. This should be signed by team officials and parents who refuse to provide this required proof. This notifies the parent of the PROBATIONARY registration and the limitations of this. I encourage you to use this with the team keeping a copy and the parent receiving a copy.
I encourage you to look over the information and let me know any and all questions that you have. You may want to have some discussions with the board of directors of your club regarding safe collection of this information. I will also welcome any proof you want to go ahead and send me starting any time. This will be a difficult process during the heavy registration months of October, November and December. Any work I can do ahead of time will be helpful J
Thank you and I look forward to continuing our good work together.
Michele De Luna
Athlete Registration Coordinator
Meet Sanctioning Chair
Indiana Swimming, Inc.
Birth Certificate Proposal
Date of Birth Proof Refusal
