All meets we attend or host involve fees for the participants. These fees help cover the costs of the meet (such as facility rent) and support the host club financially. We participate in two types of meets: intrasquad and open USA Swimming meets. 

Our intrasquad meets include the Age Group Challenge, Distance Duck, and our Pentathlons (Spring, Fall). Fees for these intrasquad meets are generally lower than those for open meets, usually just enough to cover pool costs.

All meets require individual USA Swimming registration, which is paid separately with your short and long course registration fees. Here’s a quick overview of meet fees:

• Event Entry Fees: Each event entered in a meet has a fee, set by the meet organizer but regulated by the local governing body (like Wisconsin or Illinois Swimming). Typical fees range from $7.50 to $12.00; prelim/final meets often cost between $10.00 and $20.00 per event. Relay entry fees range from $20.00 to $40.00 and are divided among the four relay swimmers.

• Local Governing Body Fees: Almost all local governing bodies (Illinois Swimming, Wisconsin Swimming, Indiana Swimming, etc.) charge extra fees for swimmers and clubs entering a meet. This per swimmer surcharge is set by the local body and can range from $3.00 to $12.00.

• Facility and/or Host Surcharges: Most meets include additional charges from the facility and host. These usually cover admission, staffing, and online access. These surcharges can vary widely, from as high as $30.00 per swimmer to as low as $10.00.

• LFSC Coaches’ Expenses: Each LFSC swimmer in a meet is charged a small fee to help cover coaches’ costs. As of 2025, the fees are as follows: for local meets, $20.00 per swimmer; for overnight meets, $50.00 per family; for local Championship meets, $30.00 per family; and for travel Championship meets, $50.00 per family.

Payment: Entry fees are charged to your payment method on file when we submit our entry. Once paid, meet fees are NON-refundable. Coaches’ expenses, relays and any special fees are billed after the meet.

That’s a lot of information and we hope you find it valuable. As always, send your questions to Coach Laurel or Coach Michael.