{"id":621684,"date":"2025-08-29T00:03:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T07:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=621684"},"modified":"2025-08-29T08:52:39","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T15:52:39","slug":"usa-swimming-launches-phase-three-of-block-party-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/usa-swimming-launches-phase-three-of-block-party-program\/","title":{"rendered":"USA Swimming Launches Phase Three of Block Party Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

USA Swimming Launches Phase Three of Block Party Program<\/strong><\/p>\n

USA Swimming has announced the launch of phase three of its Block Party pilot program, a club-focused initiative designed to increase athlete participation, improve retention, and grow the sport of swimming through short, fun, and family-friendly competition opportunities.<\/p>\n

Block Party meets are designed to help clubs host and sanction low-cost, fast-paced single-day events, with sessions lasting under two hours whenever possible. They are designed to engage athletes and families by reducing barriers to competition. Clubs interested in participating in phase three of the pilot can sign up and access program resources on the\u00a0USA Swimming website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease keep this program. USA meets take so long for the youngest swimmers to get started and are so much more intimidating,\u201d said Nick Anziano, head coach of\u00a0Vortex Swim Club<\/a>\u00a0in Colorado Swimming. \u201cWe want to grow the sport, and this is a great way to compete with other sports in terms of time commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proven Results in Phases One and Two<\/strong><\/p>\n

Launched in the spring of 2024, the Block Party pilot began with 40 clubs testing the technology and event structure. Since the October 2024 launch of phase two, the pilot has expanded to 242 clubs, resulting in more than 800 completed meets and over 31,000 athlete participants. Of those participants, 6,700 individuals were first-time competitors. Additionally, more than 40% of the first-time competitors later advanced to participate in LSC-sanctioned meets, a strong indicator that the Block Party program has a positive impact on athlete progression within the sport.<\/p>\n

Clubs that participated in phase two reported very high satisfaction with the program and the options it provided to their clubs. Additionally, clubs reported a Net Promoter Score of 94, placing the program well above widely respected brands like Apple, Costco, and Netflix, which typically score in the 60s and 70s. Block Party also delivered an additional 150-250 swim meet opportunities per quarter, showing how it complements traditional meets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis initiative has been a game changer,\u201d said Galen Ziegler, head coach of\u00a0Aqua Culture Swim Team<\/a>\u00a0in Maryland Swimming. \u201cAs a small team with limited resources, we previously faced major hurdles hosting meets. Thanks to Block Party, ten to twelve of our youngest swimmers (20% of our team) are now registered and will swim in their first USA Swimming meet this January.\u201d<\/p>\n

Phase Three<\/strong><\/p>\n

Phase three will launch in September 2025, opening the program to 25% of USA Swimming clubs, or approximately 700 programs nationwide. This expanded phase will continue to measure key metrics, including athlete retention, impact on traditional meets, participant satisfaction, and officials recruitment. Over the next two months, USA Swimming will onboard new teams to participate in the phase three pilot. You can learn more\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cUSA Swimming\u2019s willingness to embrace new formats has been awesome,\u201d said Sean Barry, head coach of\u00a0Tiger Sharks Swim Team<\/a>\u00a0in South Texas Swimming. \u201cThrough Block Party and the Flex membership, they\u2019ve taken the best parts of summer league, high school, and the AAU and put them under the USA Swimming umbrella. Now, year-round swimming is finally accessible and embraced in our rural community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Participate?<\/strong><\/p>\n

USA Swimming membership data shows:<\/p>\n