Designed over a two-year period by USA Swimming's Club Development Committee, this voluntary program presents four levels of achievement across four component areas deemed critical to long-term club success. The program encourages clubs to establish organizational goals and to benchmark their progress toward those goals. The ultimate objective of the program is to strengthen the club system in USA Swimming by guiding clubs through a development process that ultimately positions the program and its coaches to better serve athletes.

The Club Development Committee looked at many different factors that helped create "great" clubs. The committee grouped all of the factors into four major component areas:

1. Business & Organizational Success
2. Parent & Volunteer Development
3. Coach Development & Education
4. Athlete Development & Performance

These component areas, along with the markers in each area, were further subdivided into four different levels of achievement from Level 1 to Level 4 (Level 4 being the highest):

A club entering the program selects from one of the three major types of clubs that comprise the majority of club programs. The requirements vary slightly for each of type of clubs. 
 (For example, a coach owned program will not be required to submit bylaws):

1. Coach Owned clubs
2. Institutionally Owned clubs (school system owned, Park & Rec program, College, YMCA, YWCA, Jewish Community Center, Health Club, etc.)
3. Parent Governed clubs

Clubs must meet a certain number of required benchmarks within each component area. There are also some additional items that clubs need to complete to meet a minimum number of points required to move to the next recognition level.

Please be advised that progress through the four levels of recognition will not take place overnight. In some instances it will take clubs a period of time to meet the requirements of each level. Once achieved, a club remains at that level until the end of the current quadrennium. Following each Olympic Games, the process begins again and clubs are encouraged to review and assess organizational progress against benchmarks at each level. Just as we encourage our athletes to achieve and reset goals, the Club Recognition Program challenges clubs to do the same.

The program is entirely web based. Some markers require specific actions by the club. For example: 

• Check lists. Example: the club conducts a business insurance review. Yes or No?
• Fill in the blank. Example: the club is asked to enter its mission statement.
• Upload documents. Example: the club is asked to upload a copy of its bylaws.
• Some are automatic based on queries to the USA Swimming Star Times database. Example: the system will determine whether 50% of the clubs swimmers have participated in at least 6 swim meets within the past 12 months.

Upon completion of a level, a club is able to print a certificate showing completion of that level. The club's achieved level is also automatically listed in the club search feature on the USA Swimming website.

Through 2007, upon successful completion of each level, a club is also eligible to receive an incentive award for participation in the program.

Participation in the program requires an investment of time and attention by each club. As with anything that provides true benefit, we believe this investment is worthwhile and will pay significant dividends over time. We encourage the leaders in your club to look into the program and how it can benefit your organization.