Anti-Recruiting Policy

Active recruiting - the solicitation of an athlete of one USS member club by another USS member club - is contrary to the best interests of New England Swimming and its more than 5000 athlete members.

USS member clubs within New England Swimming shall be prohibited from directly or indirectly soliciting or encouraging an athlete of another USS member club to leave his or her existing member club to join the soliciting club. This anti-recruiting policy shall prohibit a USS member club officer, employee, or coach from directly or indirectly initiating contact with an athlete from another USS member club in New England Swimming, or the athlete's family, with the intent that the athlete join the soliciting club.

For any new USA Swimming club, conduct in violation of this rule in the year prior to becoming a USA Swimming Club may result in the sanctions provided herein.

The intent of this anti-recruiting policy is to prevent organized and club-sanctioned efforts to persuade a member of one USS member club to leave his or her member club to join the other member club. It is not the intent of this anti-recruiting policy to prevent athletes or parents of athletes of one member club from initiating contact with coaches, officials or athletes of another member club for the purpose of inquiring about joining the other member club. Once such contact is initiated, the restrictions of this anti-recruiting policy shall not apply to any contact with that athlete or family by that member club. Nor is it the intent of this anti-recruiting policy to prevent athletes or parents of athletes from different clubs from discussing any aspect of their respective USS member clubs, or incidental contact, such as may occur at a competition when a coach, parent, or athlete of one club offers to congratulate an athlete from another club. However, any such activities which are shown to have been promoted, encouraged or facilitated by a USS member club officer, employee or coach with the intent of recruiting shall be in violation of this anti-recruiting policy and subject the member club and/or its coach to the sanctions of this anti-recruiting policy.

Nothing in this anti-recruiting policy shall prevent a USS member club from conducting self-promotional activities such as advertising, team tryouts or camps for the purpose of recruiting athletes, as long as there is no direct solicitation of athletes of another member club.

Violation of the this anti-recruiting policy may be reported to the New England Swimming Board of Review which, upon review of the complaint, may conduct hearings under the by-laws of New England Swimming. Any USS member club or USS member coach found to have violated this anti-recruiting policy may be suspended from New England Swimming for up to one year for a first offense and for up to two years for a second or subsequent offense. Suspension of a member coach for a violation of this anti-recruiting policy shall prohibit that coach from being on deck for any USS competition sanctioned by New England Swimming during the period of suspension. Suspension of a USS member club for a violation of this anti-recruiting policy shall not prohibit the registration of the club, athletes or coaches, but shall prohibit the member club from competing as a team in USS competition sanctioned by New England Swimming, including all championship competition during the period of suspension. Athletes registered with any such suspended club may compete in any USS competition sanctioned by New England Swimming, but may do so only as an unattached athlete.

This policy is in addition to the requirements of USA Swimming. Please refer to the Code of Conduct printed in the USA Swimming Rules and Regulations, sections 304.1, 304.2 and 304.3.13.

September 18, 2001