By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
USA Swimming recently released its membership numbers for the 2023 year, and things are trending up as we head into 2024.
USA Swimming’s membership years overlap, running from the first day of September in a given year until the last day of December the following year.
For the 2023 membership year (Sept. 1, 2022 – Aug. 31, 2023), USA Swimming had a total of 316,263 registered athletes, 279,505 (88%) of which were registered with the Premium Membership.
There were also 29,862 athletes registered under the Flex Membership, 6,896 under the Outreach Membership, plus 17,079 Seasonal Athletes.
- Premium Membership – Year-round membership
- Flex Membership – Introductory for 12 and under swimmers geared towards practice and participation
- Outreach Membership – Reduced fee membership for economically disadvantaged swimmers
- Seasonal Membership – Membership valid for up to 150 consecutive days
Compared to the 2022 membership year, the number of total athletes dropped by roughly 20,000, while the year-round total went down by just over 23,000.
There was also 19,430 registered coaches for the 2023 membership year. While the specific number of coaches isn’t listed for previous years, the total number of “Non-Athlete” members—including coaches, officials and administrators—saw an uptick.
USA Membership Statistics – 2020 to 2023
Note that the 2021 statistics were heavily impacted by COVID-19.
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Percentage Change (22 to 23)
|
|
| Year-Round Athletes | 320,180 | 282,198 | 339,305 | 316,263 | -6.79% |
| Seasonal Athletes | 6,031 | 10,967 | 14,033 | 17,079 | 21.71% |
| Single Meet Athletes | 32 | 27 | 59 | 178 | 201.70% |
| Total Athletes | 326,243 | 293,192 | 353,397 | 333,520 | -5.62% |
| Coaches | 19,430 | ||||
| Non-Athletes | 36,832 | 35,120 | 39,416 | 44,065 | 11.79% |
| Total Members | 363,075 | 328,312 | 392,813 | 377,585 | -3.87% |
USA Swimming’s Managing Director of Sport Development, Joel Shinofield, told SwimSwam that through the first four months of the 2024 membership year (beginning Sept. 1), the numbers are on an upward trajectory.
As of Jan. 8, USA Swimming said it has over 260,000 athlete members, over 14,000 registered coaches and an approximate total membership of 297,000, all on pace to exceed 2023 totals.
USA Swimming Membership Numbers – 2023 to 2024
| 2022-23 | 2023-24* | |
| Total Athletes | 333,520 | 260,000 |
| Coaches | 19,430 | 14,000 |
| Non-Athletes | 44,065 | 37,000 |
| Total Members | 377,585 | 297,000 |
*Approximate totals as of Jan. 8, 2024
Shinofield said the current pace puts USA Swimming in position to exceed 2023 totals by approximately 10,000 athlete members and 1,000 coaches.
SwimSwam: USA Swimming’s Membership Numbers Trending Up In 2023-24
You must be logged in to post a comment Login