Courtesy: USA Swimming
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In 2021, USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation introduced the Community Impact grant program to increase competitive opportunities within USA Swimming clubs. The inaugural class of 12 recipients each received $5,000 grants, eligible for renewal annually for up to three years. This year, grants for 11 of the inaugural programs were renewed.
Building upon the success of this program and its commitment to making a difference in the community, the USA Swimming Foundation announced it will support an additional nine $5,000 grants for clubs to provide programming to underserved communities, support diverse coaches and create even more competitive opportunities. For more information and to apply for these grants, please visit, https://usaswimming.smapply.io/prog/communityimpact/.
“We are committed to expanding opportunities in the sport so increasing the funds we provide to USA Swimming clubs to improve access is key to that effort,” USA Swimming Managing Director of Sport Development Joel Shinofield said. “Several clubs were interested in participating in the program last year, but with facility access limited, they were unable to offer programming. Now with pools re-opening, we look forward to providing resources to assist their efforts in giving more kids access to being a part of a USA Swimming team.”
Through these grants, USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation hope to grow the pipeline of potential athletes and to create more opportunities to better include populations that might not otherwise have regular access to a USA Swimming Team.
The Community Impact grants focus on three areas of support:
- Creating partnerships between a USA swimming team and a facility or recreational organization that doesn’t currently have a team;
- Supporting programs led by women and/or diverse individuals; and
- Partnering USA Swimming clubs with Historically Black Colleges and Universities to create competitive programs for youth in campus pools.
Learn more about the Community Impact grant program and the inaugural class of recipients.
The following programs were the inaugural grant recipients in 2021:
- Coastal Virginia Aquatic Club (Norfolk, VA)
- Coppin State Aquatic Club (Baltimore, Md.)
- DART Sacramento (Sacramento, CA)
- DeKalb Aquatics (Snellville, Ga.)
- Elite Rays Swim Club (Washington, D.C.)
- Healthy Lifestyles Healthy Kids (Decatur, Ga.)
- Metro Atlanta Aquatic Club (Atlanta, Ga.)
- M3 Aquatics (Chicago, Ill.)
- PDR Swimming for Success (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Race Swami (Salt Lake City, Utah)
- San Benito Aquatics (San Benito/Hollister, Calif.)
- TS Aquatics (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
A separate 10-year, $1 million initiative to develop learn-to-swim and competitive opportunities in communities served by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) was announced late last year.
For more information on USA Swimming’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, please visit www.usaswimming.org/diversity.
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