All About the New SWIMS Database...
 

Q&A Quick Links

BIG AND BETTER CHANGES THAT WILL AFFECT YOU AND YOUR CLUB:

A new national registration, National Reportable Time, and Top 16 times program called SWIMS is coming. SWIMS stands for Swimming's Web based Interactive Membership System.

This program is designed for the LSC office to upload data for the above-mentioned areas that will be integrated into the National Database immediately.
This will be done through a "live" web based browser system.

At the start of this conception USA Swimming was dealing with 30+ different databases tracking times, memberships, national teams, and many other elements. Unfortunately personal data on everyone did not always match up, as we know when we run Meet Reconciliation Reports for our own LSC. A private programming firm, Statera, (means "balance" in Japanese) was hired to consolidate and update the entire USA Swimming recording and registering process.

I have been a member of the initial committee testing, suggesting and more testing to help make this program be a success. It has been a long road and it will continue to be a long-term commitment. However, the final benefits will far outweigh the immediate inconveniences.

This little webpage is going to be updated with current reports of what is going on right now and how it will effect your club and alter your expectations of past practices. It is going to be brought to you in a question/ answer format so that you may use it more as a reference to check something out, or you may read the entire thing if you so wish. After reviewing any of this information you may still have questions. Please feel free to contact me at the office by email (ilswimoffice@ameritech.net) or by phone 630-844-0476 during office hours.

Thanks,
Pam Lowenthal
Illinois Swimming
Registration Membership Coordinator


HOW IS "SWIMS" GOING TO AFFECT ME AND MY CLUB?
At this time the biggest affect you will feel is the "down" time in developing the migration of data to the new system. This will be reflected in the time period to get your athlete cards and current rosters returned to you. Beginning June 4th I am on hold for inputting any changes or new information until we go live on June 25th. Illinois Swimming will be one of the first LSC's to start online with the new system.

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AM I SUPPOSED TO STILL SEND IN REGISTRATIONS?
Absolutely. No athlete will be considered registered if the payment and registration is not received by the office. All meet recons will be hand checked against received registrations, and all fines for swimming non-registered athletes will still be in effect.

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AS A COACH, HOW DO I GET AN UPDATED CARD TO ATTEND A MEET?
If you have an expired credential make sure that you can show proof of taking that class and having passed it when on deck. Fax a copy of the same proof to the office so records may be upgraded when we go back on line. That along with your current coaching card will keep you in compliance with the coaching requirements.

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WHAT ABOUT AFTER THE MIGRATION IS OVER, WHAT WILL I NEED TO CONSIDER DOING DIFFERENTLY?
Once the data migration is over on June 25th there will still be some delay in catching up. We still run only a one-person office, and I will work very hard to get caught up as quickly as possible. Your cards will still be somewhat delayed but current rosters can be expected to be sent to you upon your request via email within 48-72 hours. If your registrations have not all been inputted there will be a note letting you know that fact accompanying the email. Please be patient during this time.

The best thing that all clubs can consider as we head into the fall is submitting all registrations electronically. For the vast majority of clubs this would be through Team Manager from Hy-Tek. Registration files will be accepted in an sdif, Xsdif or cl2 format.

In the fall, specific teams will be asked to go on line and upload their own registration files to the Illinois Swimming holding tank. These files will automatically, upon upload, be run through a check of the information submitted against the National Database, if an athlete's information has been changed or any submitted information is wrong all errors will be flagged in red. The team will then be required to go back into the holding tank and check the errors and resubmit that athlete correctly. In the meantime the office will "hold the gate closed" on anything in the holding tank until 1) all corrections have been made by the club and re uploaded, and 2) all payments have been received.

It is the biggest hope of this office that by allowing teams to interact with the holding tank the Illinois Swimming clubs' Team Manager Databases will get "cleaned up" to improve our meet recons and prevent further multiple listings of the same athlete in our ISI Times Database. This can only be done as a "team" effort, but I believe if we all work together this can certainly be accomplished. I have requested that Illinois be the guinea pig to try the interaction between club and holding tank first. There is a strong possibility that if we are successful our fall experimentation all clubs in Illinois will have this ability by January or February of 2004.

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HOW CAN I BE SURE ALL MY ATHLETES' INFORMATION IN MY DATABASE MATCHES THE NATIONAL DATABASE?
Team Manager provides a quick way to be sure that all your athletes have correct information in the National Registration Database. National Times (STAR or SWIMS) is part of this database. This check is done through an outside file that you may only obtain from your LSC registrar. Please request an *.RE1 file from them for this registration reconciliation.


o Open your Team Manager database.
o From the Main (first) screen, choose Reports/Administrative/Athletes.
o Select your team.
o In the Report Format section, choose Registration ID Exception.
o In the Sort By section, choose Name.
o Click the Create Report button.
o A browser box will pop up. Locate the *.RE1 file generated by your LSC registrar or registration chair.
o The generated report will provide you with a list of team members whose information does not match the Registration Database. This report is generated only for athletes that are currently in the database, or historically had been in the database within the past 4- 5 years.
o To correct the mismatched information contact your athlete member for the correct information, make the corrections in your Team Manager database and contact your LSC registrar for specific instructions on the next step.

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LOOK FOR MORE UPCOMING INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I WILL TRY AND UPDATE THIS WEEKLY ON EACH MONDAY TO KEEP YOU IN THE KNOW. NEXT WEEK I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW THE PROCESS WILL WORK WITH THE NRT AND TOP16 TIMES.………