Courtesy of World Swimming Association, Washington D.C.
The World Swimming Association was a concept that started in 2015.
Discussions among swimming coaches and administrators around the world were focused on addressing the failure to fairly, openly, and honestly administer the sport of swimming and to provide for athletes.
The World Swimming Association’s purpose is to provide an organization for swimming that is Athlete Centered, Administratively Transparent, and Professionally Managed and led by George Block, President of the World Swimming Coaches Association, and John Leonard, the Executive Director World Swimming Coaches Association.
The constitution of the World Swimming Association, as proposed today in Washington D.C. at the American Swimming Coaches Association World Clinic is as follows:
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of the Organization is the World Swimming Association. The Organization may be referred to as WSA.
ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES
The objectives of WSA are:
* To promote and advocate for swimming and open water swimming as skills, activities that contribute to individuals’ health and fitness, and lifetime sports
* To promote swimming education in every country, including by operating coaches’ clinics, certifying instructors, and encouraging and facilitating the installation of “entry-level pools” that are suitable for swimming lessons and local swimming team use, and that can be maintained and repaired using widely- available parts
* To encourage participation in swimming and open water swimming at all levels, throughout the world, without regard to age, gender, religion or race
* To host swimming competitions on an individual basis, city basis, or national basis
* To promote and encourage fair and drug free sport
ARTICLE III – LEGAL STATUS AND HEADQUARTERS
WSA shall be established in the State of Florida as a non-profit corporation and shall qualify as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. WSA’s Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and policies and procedures shall be consistent with this Constitution.
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
* Membership is WSA shall be available to any interested individual or organization.
* The Board of Directors may, by resolution, establish categories of membership.
* The Board of Directors may, by resolution, establish dues for each category of membership.
* Sanctions. Members may be sanctioned for cheating; dishonesty; fraud; and doping. The sanctions that may be imposed include a warning; a fine; denial of participation in an event suspension of membership; and expulsion from membership. The Board of Directors, or its designee, shall have the authority to determine which sanction(s) is/are appropriate in a particular circumstance, and sanctions need not be imposed in the order listed. Appeals of sanctions determinations shall be submitted to and adjudicated by the Board of Directors in accordance with procedures that the Board of Directors adopts by resolution.
ARTICLE V – QUADRENNIAL CONGRESS
A general congress shall be held every four years, in the year following the Summer Olympic Games. The congress shall be the appropriate forum to develop strategic plans for the upcoming four-year period.
ARTICLE VI – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
* Management by Board of Directors. WSA shall be managed by a Board of Directors.
* Initial Board of Directors. The World Swimming Coaches Association (WSCA) will oversee the creation of the initial Board of Directors, which shall comprise seven individuals. The initial Board of Directors shall serve until September 2, 2017, at which time a replacement Board of Directors selected under the procedures described below will take office. Provided, however, that because the Professional Swimmers Association (PSA) will not have had the opportunity to identify its appointees by September 2, 2017, WSCA will appoint three athletes to serve in the positions reserved for PSA appointees, until such time the PSA has identified its appointees, which is expected to occur within a few months following September 2, 2017.
ARTICLE VI – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
* Number and The Board of Directors shall comprise seven individuals.
* Two members of the Board of Directors shall be appointed by the WSCA, from among the Top 15 swimming nations (based upon finishes at the Olympic Games or WSA Championships, whichever occurred more recently). One member of the Board of Directors shall be appointed by the WSCA from below the Top 15 swimming nations. Two members of the Board of Directors shall be appointed by the PSA, from among the Top 16 world-ranked swimmers. One member of the Board of Directors shall be appointed by the PSA from athletes below the Top 16 world-ranked swimmers. One member of the Board of Directors shall be appointed by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
* In all cases, the organization responsible for appointing a member to the Board of Directors shall follow its own internal policies for determining who is appointed as a Director of WSA. If an appointing organization determines that it will give WSA members who also are members of that organization input into the appointment, such input will be given at the level of that other organization, not at the WSA level.
* The Board of Directors shall meet at least annually.
ARTICLE VII – OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
* Officers. The Board of Directors shall elect officers, including a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
* Executive Committee. The four officers shall constitute the Executive Committee of WSA and shall act on behalf of the Board of Directors between meetings of the Board of Directors. The immediate past President shall be an ex officio member of the Executive Committee. In selecting officers, the Board of Directors shall ensure that at least one member of the Executive Committee is a swimming coach and at least one member of the Executive Committee is an athlete/swimmer.
ARTICLE VIII – COMMITTEES
* Standing Committees. The standing committees shall be Finance; Audit; Marketing; Anti-Doping; Officials; Learn-to-Swim; Growth; Coach Development; Athlete Development; Facility Development; Elite Performance; Health & Safety; and Administration.
* The initial regions shall be: Europe, Middle East, Asia, Oceania, North Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and South America. These regions may be modified as needed.
* Other Committees/Regions. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to create additional committees or sub-committees, and regions and sub-regions, that it determines are necessary. The Board of Directors may eliminate any such committee, sub-committee, region or sub-region if it determines that the committee, sub- committee, region or sub-region no longer is necessary.
* Composition and Charges. An individual must be a member of WSA in order to serve on a committee. The Board of Directors shall appoint a Chairperson and members of each committee. In the case of any committee that acts on behalf of the Board of Directors, at least three members of the committee shall be directors of WSA. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to prescribe additional requirements for committee members and to determine the function and responsibility of each committee.
ARTICLE IX – LANGUAGE
The official language of WSA shall be English. Any other languages may be used in correspondence or debate, provided that adequate translation is provided.
ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS
* This Constitution may be amended the Board of Directors. Following any amendment to this Constitution, the WSA’s Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and Policies and Procedures shall be amended as necessary to reflect the amendment to the Constitution.
* This constitution was adopted by the members of the World Swimming Association on September 1, 2017.
There are three tiers of World Swimming Association membership:
* US$5 for a WSA Membership provides an Online Member Portal + Advocacy Updates + Voice Your Opinions & Be Heard
* US$50 for a WSA Silver Donor provides Transform Swimming + Help Offset Costs + Join Other Supporters
* US$100 for a WSA Gold Donor provides Transform Swimming + Help Offset Costs + Join Other Supporters
For more information, visit www.worldswimming.org.
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