United States Aquatic Sports (USAS) is the national federation for aquatic sports which represents the United States in FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation). Since by U.S. law and FINA regulations, the United States must have only one national federation for itself to FINA, United States Aquatic Sports has served as the unifying body for the sports since 1980. Five separate national governing bodies (NGBs) make up USAS: USA Swimming, USA Diving, United States Synchronized Swimming, USA Water Polo, and United States Masters Swimming. Of the five, only United States Masters Swimming (USMS) is not a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USMS's main aim is adult swimming, exclusive of Olympic-swimming which is the domain of USA Swimming).
United States Aquatic Sports plays a very minor role in representation, and while USAS is the titular member federation, the NGBs play de facto roles in making decisions about participation in international competition and hosting (e.g., USAS was the official host of the 2006 FINA World Masters Championships held at Stanford University, but most of the support to the organizing committee was provided by USMS). Ostensibly, USAS will "sign off" on the selections of an NGB's delegation to an international competition (whether hosted by the IOC, FINA, or ASUA).
USAS hosts an annual convention where the five NGBs meet, as well; currently this meeting also includes the annual conventions for all but water polo--who is in-season at the time, and instead holds its annual convention at another time of the year. The reasoning behind this is to allow the NGBs to save money on their national conventions and to allow collaboration between the NGBs on common issues of interest. USAS meetings are also held at the time.
Read more about United States Aquatic Sports: United States Aquatic Sports Convention Locations
Famous quotes containing the words united states, united, states and/or sports:
“Greece is a sort of American vassal; the Netherlands is the country of American bases that grow like tulip bulbs; Cuba is the main sugar plantation of the American monopolies; Turkey is prepared to kow-tow before any United States pro-consul and Canada is the boring second fiddle in the American symphony.”
—Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko (1909–1989)
“You may consider me presumptuous, gentlemen, but I claim to be a citizen of the United States, with all the qualifications of a voter. I can read the Constitution, I am possessed of two hundred and fifty dollars, and the last time I looked in the old family Bible I found I was over twenty-one years of age.”
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1816–1902)
“Mr. Christian, it is about time for many people to begin to come to the White House to discuss different phases of the coal strike. When anybody comes, if his special problem concerns the state, refer him to the governor of Pennsylvania. If his problem has a national phase, refer him to the United States Coal Commission. In no event bring him to me.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)
“Guys do not have a genetic blueprint that allows them to understand or love sports.”
—Lesley Visser, U.S. sports reporter and announcer. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 82 (June 17, 1991)