USA Swimming recently released its annual demographic report for the 2024 membership year, offering insights into how the organization has fared in terms of membership over 16 months from Sept. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2024.
The report showed that USA Swimming’s membership numbers were stable year over year, though the member retention rate was the lowest since 2019.
Diving deeper into the data, we’re able to see which Local Swimming Committees (LSCs) grew in membership compared to the previous year and which lost members.
LSCs That Grew In 2024 (Premium & Outreach Athlete Membership)
| LSC CODE | LSC NAME | 2023 | 2024 | INC./DEC. |
| MR | METROPOLITAN | 8,233 | 8,902 | 669 |
| CA | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | 17,045 | 17,686 | 641 |
| PV | POTOMAC VALLEY | 11,772 | 12,411 | 639 |
| NE | NEW ENGLAND | 7,420 | 7,864 | 444 |
| MD | MARYLAND | 4,576 | 4,975 | 399 |
| OR | OREGON | 4,403 | 4,713 | 310 |
| AM | ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN | 3,137 | 3,407 | 270 |
| IA | IOWA | 2,623 | 2,887 | 264 |
| WI | WISCONSIN | 6,161 | 6,423 | 262 |
| OH | OHIO | 5,940 | 6,195 | 255 |
| MI | MICHIGAN | 7,462 | 7,706 | 244 |
| MV | MISSOURI VALLEY | 3,687 | 3,910 | 223 |
| SC | SOUTH CAROLINA | 3,167 | 3,333 | 166 |
| IN | INDIANA | 8,531 | 8,675 | 144 |
| NC | NORTH CAROLINA | 9,828 | 9,964 | 136 |
| MA | MIDDLE ATLANTIC | 10,424 | 10,551 | 127 |
| NJ | NEW JERSEY | 8,086 | 8,213 | 127 |
| LE | LAKE ERIE | 3,063 | 3,164 | 101 |
| SE | SOUTHEASTERN | 6,013 | 6,106 | 93 |
| PC | PACIFIC | 14,276 | 14,368 | 92 |
| VA | VIRGINIA | 6,059 | 6,143 | 84 |
| OZ | OZARK | 2,491 | 2,570 | 79 |
| ST | SOUTH TEXAS | 7,900 | 7,966 | 66 |
| SR | SNAKE RIVER | 951 | 1,015 | 64 |
| WT | WEST TEXAS | 634 | 692 | 58 |
| WV | WEST VIRGINIA | 475 | 527 | 52 |
| AD | ADIRONDACK | 1,498 | 1,543 | 45 |
| PN | PACIFIC NORTHWEST | 6,007 | 6,047 | 40 |
| KY | KENTUCKY | 2,014 | 2,044 | 30 |
| OK | OKLAHOMA | 1,802 | 1,826 | 24 |
| NM | NEW MEXICO | 1,565 | 1,583 | 18 |
| MT | MONTANA | 902 | 920 | 18 |
| IE | INLAND EMPIRE | 1,174 | 1,190 | 16 |
| US | USA SWIMMING | 94 | 104 | 10 |
| WY | WYOMING | 1,281 | 1,289 | 8 |
| HI | HAWAIIAN | 2,676 | 2,683 | 7 |
The biggest LSC in the country, Southern California, was one of three that gained more than 600 swimmers (Premier & Outreach Memberships only) in 2024, bringing its premium membership base up from 17,045 to 17,686.
Metropolitan was the LSC that saw the most growth in sheer numbers, climbing to 8,902 swimmers after gaining 669 in 2024 (an 8.13% increase). It also saw 530 new Flex Membership members (785 total) and had 176 swimmers upgrade their membership.
Metropolitan also increased from 71 to 75 clubs in 2024, one of six clubs to have four or more new clubs join in the last registration year.
Along with Southern California and Metropolitan, Potomac Valley also saw a significant increase with 639 swimmers joining as Premium & Outreach members in 2024 for 12,411 total. Potomac Valley increased from 44 to 47 clubs during the year and also had 553 new Flex members.
Notably increasing by 444 swimmers was the New England LSC, which is a bit of an outlier with 12 new clubs registered in 2024. A large part of the new clubs comes due to the disbanding of Gator Swim Club, leading swimmers to head elsewhere and new teams (some former Gator affiliates) popping up.
LSCs That Shrunk In 2024 (Premium & Outreach Athlete Membership)
| LSC CODE | LSC NAME | 2023 | 2024 | INC./DEC. |
| IL | ILLINOIS | 16,092 | 15,711 | -381 |
| ME | MAINE | 644 | 310 | -334 |
| GA | GEORGIA | 6,837 | 6,643 | -194 |
| AZ | ARIZONA | 4,303 | 4,115 | -188 |
| FG | FLORIDA GOLD COAST | 4,643 | 4,465 | -178 |
| CC | CENTRAL CALIFORNIA | 1,008 | 864 | -144 |
| FL | FLORIDA | 10,478 | 10,356 | -122 |
| ND | NORTH DAKOTA | 1,428 | 1,338 | -90 |
| CO | COLORADO | 6,688 | 6,607 | -81 |
| MW | MIDWESTERN | 2,090 | 2,009 | -81 |
| SI | SAN DIEGO-IMPERIAL | 3,038 | 2,968 | -70 |
| BD | BORDER | 855 | 787 | -68 |
| CT | CONNECTICUT | 5,199 | 5,135 | -64 |
| SN | SIERRA NEVADA | 2,899 | 2,840 | -59 |
| AK | ALASKA | 1,618 | 1,561 | -57 |
| AR | ARKANSAS | 1,290 | 1,235 | -55 |
| LA | LOUISIANA | 2,052 | 2,005 | -47 |
| UT | UTAH | 3,450 | 3,403 | -47 |
| SD | SOUTH DAKOTA | 1,150 | 1,105 | -45 |
| MN | MINNESOTA | 6,941 | 6,921 | -20 |
| NI | NIAGARA | 3,773 | 3,762 | -11 |
| MS | MISSISSIPPI | 1,120 | 1,110 | -10 |
| GU | GULF | 8,567 | 8,562 | -5 |
| NT | NORTH TEXAS | 6,834 | 6,832 | -2 |
Illinois and Maine were the two LSCs that saw the biggest drop-off in Premium and Outreach membership in 2024, both losing over 300 swimmers.
Although Illinois lost the highest number of swimmers with 381, Maine’s drop is more impactful, as more than half of their Premium & Outreach members departed in 2024. Maine went from 644 in 2023 down to 310, losing 334 swimmers (51.86%).
Maine’s decrease is directly related to New England’s increase, with several swimmers and a select group of clubs leaving the Maine LSC for more competitive opportunities.
Maine saw a similar decrease in a number of clubs, with 18 clubs in 2023 being chopped in half down to nine in 2024. The number of coaches in Maine dropped from 59 to 29, with a total count of non-athlete membership (coaches, officials, etc.) decreasing from 165 to 81, or 50.9%.
Year-Round Club Membership Growth
Only two LSCs lost three or more clubs in 2024, making Maine seeing nine depart all the more jarring. The other was Lake Erie with three.
New England gained 12 clubs, due in part to the Gator Swim Club situation as mentioned above, while the Middle Atlantic LSC gained five teams and Iowa and Indiana both increased by five.
LSC’s # of Clubs Increasing or Decreasing By 3+ In 2024
| LSC CODE | LSC NAME | 2023 | 2024 | INC./DEC. |
| NE | NEW ENGLAND | 87 | 99 | 12 |
| MA | MIDDLE ATLANTIC | 112 | 119 | 7 |
| IA | IOWA | 32 | 37 | 5 |
| IN | INDIANA | 105 | 110 | 5 |
| MR | METROPOLITAN | 71 | 75 | 4 |
| CA | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | 146 | 149 | 3 |
| GA | GEORGIA | 66 | 69 | 3 |
| MI | MICHIGAN | 69 | 72 | 3 |
| NI | NIAGARA | 54 | 57 | 3 |
| NJ | NEW JERSEY | 60 | 63 | 3 |
| OH | OHIO | 57 | 60 | 3 |
| PV | POTOMAC VALLEY | 44 | 47 | 3 |
| SE | SOUTHEASTERN | 72 | 75 | 3 |
| ST | SOUTH TEXAS | 39 | 42 | 3 |
| WV | WEST VIRGINIA | 10 | 13 | 3 |
| LE | LAKE ERIE | 36 | 33 | -3 |
| ME | MAINE | 18 | 9 | -9 |
PREMIER & OUTREACH MEMBERSHIP BY ZONE
Breaking down the membership by Zone, Eastern saw the biggest gain with 2,395 new swimmers (premier and outreach), while the Southern Zone was the only one to lose swimmers (25).
| Zone | 2023 | 2024 | Inc./Dec. |
| Central | 70,751 | 71,675 | 924 |
| Eastern | 70,821 | 73,216 | 2,395 |
| Southern | 71,417 | 71,392 | -25 |
| Western | 73,378 | 73,956 | 578 |
| Total | 286,367 | 290,329 | 3,872 |
MEMBERSHIP CHANGES BY AGE
Breaking down the membership change by age, the 8 & under category saw a significant decrease from 2023 to 2024, while the 9-year-old group increased by a similar amount. The boys’ 8 & under category saw 669 fewer registrants in 2024 compared to 271 on the girls’ side.
The increase for 9-year-olds tells us that there was an 8 & under boom in 2023 that’s carried over into 2024, but there weren’t been nearly as many new 8 & unders joining USA Swimming last year.
The 16-year-old group saw a big increase (1,264), as did the 12-year-old and 17-year-old groups (to go along with the 9-year-olds).
| Age | 2023 Total | 2024 Total | Inc./Dec |
| 8 & Under | 42,717 | 41,777 | -940 |
| 9 | 27,104 | 28,078 | 974 |
| 10 | 32,267 | 32,050 | -217 |
| 11 | 33,117 | 33,445 | 328 |
| 12 | 31,760 | 32,489 | 729 |
| 13 | 31,479 | 31,450 | -29 |
| 14 | 25,351 | 25,561 | 210 |
| 15 | 21,745 | 21,845 | 100 |
| 16 | 17,434 | 18,698 | 1,264 |
| 17 | 12,656 | 13,377 | 721 |
| 18 | 3,930 | 4,325 | 395 |
| 19 & Over | 6,789 | 7,121 | 332 |
| Total | 286,349 | 290,216 | 3,867 |
RETENTION RATE BY AGE
The average retention rate came in at 66.9%, the lowest since 2019, with 15 and 16-year-old boys and 13-year-old girls the ages with the highest return percentages (the only three above 71%).
There is a noted drop for 14-year-olds at 66.2% compared to 71% for both 13 and 15-year-olds.
USA Swimming notes that starting this year, it began tracking Retention on a per swimmer basis vs. the previous calculation of Number of Renewing Members divided by Number of Prior Year Members. This new Retention calculation is much more accurate and clearer when drilling into age groups.
| Age | % of Retained Female Athletes | % of Retained Male Athletes | Inc./Dec |
| 8 & Under | 66.80% | 65.70% | 66.30% |
| 9 | 68.90% | 68.30% | 68.60% |
| 10 | 70.00% | 69.70% | 69.90% |
| 11 | 69.20% | 68.80% | 69.00% |
| 12 | 70.60% | 69.60% | 70.20% |
| 13 | 71.10% | 71.30% | 71.20% |
| 14 | 66.10% | 66.40% | 66.20% |
| 15 | 70.60% | 72.20% | 71.30% |
| 16 | 70.50% | 73.70% | 72.10% |
| 17 | 60.50% | 65.60% | 63.00% |
| 18 | 27.70% | 30.90% | 29.40% |
| 19 & Over | 45.20% | 49.00% | 47.30% |
| Total | 66.90% | 66.90% | 66.90% |
Maybe it’s time to dissolve LSC’s…
Lots of people have been talking about this, and I’ve heard good arguments either way.
LSCs are a source of a lot of volunteer labor…but some LSCs are way more capable and engaged than others.
Actually the clubs are the source of the volunteer labor. One could say the LSC needs the clubs more than the clubs need the LSC, or the LSC does not exist without the clubs while the clubs exist fine without the LSC.
I would suggest that a lot of smaller clubs benefit from being a part of an LSC. Not all, but a lot. They provide opportunities that those clubs may not be able to get on their own, like some championship meets that they might not be able to get into if LSCs didn’t exist.
If they get rid of LSCs, there are a lot of crazy volunteers who will lose their opportunity to control something and exert influence over others, losing their sense of identity.
Maine swimming was heavily comprised of YMCA teams. Most of the ones that jumped ship to NE were non Y teams that wanted better competition and to not be held back by the Y. If you look, mostly the Y teams refused to join with NE. Why the YMCA is allowed to decide the fate of USA swimming LSCs is beyond me. Enough with the BS about Nate, Mary Ellen, and Taylor doing anyone dirty. The YMCAs are terrible up there and are happy to remain obsolete.
your assessment of the Maine Swimming situation is fraught with misinformation and a poor knowledge of the situation. the teams that left Maine swimming initially, for “better competition” were teams that finished middle of the pack at their final lsc championship meet. there was more than enough competition. MESI also is made up of only USA registered swim teams. your point about the Y teams refusing to join NE swim is way off. only a few of the smaller Y teams were asked to join the “leave Maine swimming movement”. the majority of Y teams were not asked to join NE swimming. No representative from NE swimming ever approached MESI and asked the group to dissolve and join NE swimming.… Read more »
Sierra Nevada has a lot more team-hopping and spirit-killing since the PASA model was brought into play a decade ago.
The LSC is smaller than Pacific yet there is a force that wants to dominate the area and we are seeing the effects of it.
Maine Swimming was KILLED by the very poor management by Mary Ellen Tynan, General Chair Taylor Rogers and lead by USA Swimmings Brandon Hanson.
Can you elaborate on what your frustrations were?
leaving maine swimming for “or more competitive opportunities” is a ruse. I lay the lion share of the blame on USA swimmings Nate Chessey. he and ME Tynan and GC Taylor Rogers “did” Maine Swimming dirty
I still, genuinely, don’t understand what the crux of this complaint is and what you think any of them did or should have done differently. Can you explain?
Jumping ship to New England Swimming was really only ever a realistic option to the teams in the southern part of the state. By allowing those teams to leave and join New England Swimming, everyone who doesn’t live around Portland was left with a non-viable LSC.
Isn’t Lake Erie merging with Ohio?
At this point who even knows anymore
What happened to OH #s if account for LE?
What about flex members? This only reflects premium and outreach
This is the great question to ask – in our LSC (MN) we had 413 Flex members according to the document – that means we are actually up 393 athletes and the LSC collects more dollars than a Premium membership.
Socal is the goat
Just finished Potomac Valley swimming’s Senior champs yesterday and I never realized how much harder the competition is here until seeing how much bigger the LSC is than all besides California. Makes me feel a bit better about missing C finals despite going an AA almost AAA time in 2 events and barely getting in with AAA
Senior champs were slow this year
I have thought for years that the big LSCs need to split. Or at least host multiple champs. Several have LSC champs cuts that are as fast as zone cuts