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USMS Membership

Select Swim Champs as your workout group

Already a USMS member, or joining for the first time — either way this takes about two minutes, and it's effective the moment you submit it.

I'm already a USMS member I haven't joined yet

Club, workout group, LMSC

USMS stacks three levels, and the transfer form asks for all three in order. Michigan Masters is the registered club — that's the name that shows up on your meet entries and in the results. Swim Champs is a workout group under it. You keep Michigan Masters as your club and select Swim Champs as your workout group.

LMSC

Michigan

The Local Masters Swimming Committee that administers masters swimming across the state.

Club

Michigan Masters (MICH)

The registered club. Appears on your meet entries and in official results.

Workout Group

Swim Champs (SC)

Us. Where you train, race, and belong — a workout group under the Michigan Masters umbrella.

Because Swim Champs sits under Michigan Masters, moving in or out of the group is a workout-group change, not a club change — so it doesn't count against your annual club-transfer limit.

Transferring: five steps

You do this yourself. There is no form to mail and no coordinator to wait on.

1

Log in at usms.org

Go to usms.org and sign in. You'll land on your My USMS account page.

2

Open "Transfer My Membership"

It's one of the tiles listed in your account.

The USMS My Account page with the Transfer My Membership option marked.
Tap to enlarge. Your My USMS account page. Look for Transfer My Membership.
3

Set the new LMSC to Michigan

Below your name you'll find the LMSC selector. Choose Michigan. If you're already registered in Michigan, leave it as it is.

4

Set the new club to Michigan Masters

Pick Michigan Masters (MICH). The workout group list only appears once a club is selected, so this step comes first even if the club isn't what you were trying to change.

5

Choose the Swim Champs workout group, then submit

Select Swim Champs (SC), write a line for the reason, tick the agreement box, and submit. The change is immediate and dated the day you submit it — you'll get a confirmation, and so will we.

The USMS transfer form with New LMSC set to Michigan, New Club set to Michigan Masters (MICH), and Workout Group set to Swim Champs (SC).
Tap to enlarge. LMSC, then club, then workout group — in that order.

What you're allowed to change, and how often

  • You can change clubs when you renew each year, plus three more times during the membership year.
  • Moving between workout groups under the same club doesn't count against those three. Switching from one Michigan Masters group to another is unlimited.
  • Going Unattached (UC) doesn't count against them either.
  • There is no 60-day waiting period any more. That rule was retired — a transfer is effective as soon as you submit it.
  • You can only represent one club during a single meet. A transfer submitted during a meet takes effect right away only if you haven't already swum an event at that meet.
  • The counter resets when you renew for the next membership year.

If you haven't joined yet

You don't need to transfer — you choose all of this during registration. Join at usms.org, and when you reach the club question, select Michigan as your LMSC, then Michigan Masters (MICH) as your club, then the Swim Champs (SC) workout group. You must be 18 or older to register, and membership runs on the calendar year.

Dues, what's included, and what to expect at your first practice →

Common questions

Do I have to stop swimming with my current group?
No. Your USMS affiliation is about who you represent when you compete — it doesn't dictate where you train. Plenty of our members swim at more than one pool. The one hard rule is that you can only represent one club at any given meet.
Does this use up one of my three transfers?
If you're already registered with Michigan Masters (MICH), no — moving between workout groups under the same club is unlimited. If you're coming from a different club, that's one club change, and you get three per membership year on top of the one you make at renewal.
When does it take effect?
Immediately. The effective date is the day you submit it. USMS retired the old 60-day waiting period.
What does it cost?
Nothing extra to select Swim Champs as your workout group — you're already paying USMS membership. See our join page for current dues and what membership includes.
Can I switch back?
Yes, and it won't cost you a transfer as long as you're staying inside Michigan Masters. We'd rather you try us out than agonize over it.
Who do I talk to if something goes wrong?
Get in touch — contact us. If the USMS form itself is misbehaving, the Michigan LMSC membership coordinator or the USMS national office can sort out a stuck transfer.

Ready? Start your transfer at usms.org

Go to usms.org → Show me the steps