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Athlete Applications Open for 2026 National Diversity Select Camp - Due February 15

USA Swimming invites 56 athletes from underrepresented populations to participate in a three-day camp program at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. Colorado Springs, CO on April 30 - May 3, 2026, which includes pool training, motivational and education sessions and team-building activities. Selection is based on times swum at USA Swimming sanctioned events. Applications are due February 15, 2026.

Click for for the link to the athlete application.

Goals of the camp:

To empower athletes from diverse backgrounds and diverse populations to:

  • Demonstrate the viability of multicultural success in swimming
  • Achieve performance excellence at every level of the sport
  • Expound the benefits and value of participating in the sport of swimming
  • Be positive leaders and role models that others from multicultural backgrounds can emulate.
     

Dates:  April 30 - May 3, 2026

Location: Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. Colorado Springs, CO

Camp Schedule: The National Diversity Select Camp will consist of four in-water workouts and a number of classroom sessions covering various topics. The goal is to provide ignition, motivation, and information for athletes to continue to set goals, work hard, excel in swimming, and feel empowered to take ownership of their swimming careers and roles within their community.

Cost: Each athlete selected for the camp will be provided lodging, meals, ground transportation to/from the designated airport and full airfare.

Qualification Standard

The National Diversity Select Camp will consist of 28 athletes from each competition category. 

Athletes  must have achieved at least one National Diversity Select Camp time standard as shown  here to apply for selection. These times are the AAAA National Motivational Times for 13-14 year olds, even if the swimmer applying is 15 at the time of the swim. Times must have been achieved in a USA Swimming sanctioned or approved meet (able to be proven in the SWIMS database) between January 1, 2025 and August 31, 2025. 
 
Selection Criteria
  • All athletes must be registered USA Swimming members at the time of the qualifying performance and at the time of the camp.
  • All athletes must be registered USA Swimming Premium athlete members in good standing. Flex members must upgrade their membership to be eligible to attend.
  • Athletes may represent an underrepresented community and/or an ethnically underrepresented population that is less than 10% of the current USA Swimming Athlete Premium membership base. These populations can include African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian or Pacific Islander, Native American and others. Other athletes may be accepted if they represent another diverse demographic. Diversity can be, but is not limited to, racial, geographical, cultural, or financial backgrounds.
  • Athletes must be US citizens* and have not represented any other World Aquatics Federation at international competition.
  • Athletes who have previously attended a National Diversity Select Camp, National Select Camp, or a National Team and/or National Junior Team camp are not eligible. Athletes can attend both Zone Select Camp and National Diversity Select Camp but cannot attend both camps within the same year.
  • Athletes who have represented USA Swimming internationally are not eligible for camp.
  • The fastest 2 applicants in each of the 14 Olympic pool events (excluding the 50’s of stroke) will be invited for a total of 28 athletes from each competition category. Only Long Course Meters events will be accepted.
  • Doubles will be resolved by placing the athlete in their highest HY-tek power point event.
  • The event qualifying period is January 1, 2025, through August 31, 2025.  Athletes will be 14 or 15 years old as of the day of the qualifying swim submitted on the application.


*Athletes can be dual citizens, but their sport nation must be the United States, and they must have resided in the United States for at least twelve (12) months prior to the camp/ competition, according to World Aquatics rules.


Camp Eligibility
 

Qualifying period:

  • January 1, 2025 through August 31, 2025. Only Long Course Meter times will be considered.
  • Eligible athletes will be 14 or 15 years old as of the date of the qualifying swim.


NOTE: Athletes who wish to attend the National Diversity Select Camp shall be US Citizens and be able to represent the USA in international competitions in accordance with the rules set in place by World Aquatics. Athletes who are on or have been to any National Select Camps, National Teams/National Junior Teams, or USA Swimming international trips, will not be eligible for the National Diversity Select Camp. Athletes who previously attended the National Diversity Select Camp are not eligible. Athletes cannot attend Zone Select Camp and National Diversity Select Camp in the same year. Athletes must be Premium USA Swimming members. Flex members must upgrade their membership to be eligible to attend.

Athlete Application Process

The 2026 NDSC athlete application will open on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 and close on Sunday, February 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm MT. Athletes will be notified of their selection no later than Friday, March 13.

The National Diversity Select Camps are application based. USA Swimming will provide a link to apply and will notify athletes of selection no later than six weeks prior to the start of camp. Athletes will be notified directly via email if they have been accepted to the camp. Coaches and parent(s)/guardian(s) will also be copied on this notification.

Disclaimer:

This event may be canceled by USA Swimming upon reasonable notice for any reason, including but not limited to a force majeure event.  If deemed necessary, the event may be reassigned or rescheduled.

Questions?

For more information, click here or please contact Kristin Alfano
kalfano@usaswimming.org  |  719-309-7198

 

2022 National Diversity Select Camp:

Julia Huffmaster, BOZ, is one of 52 top athletes from across the country selected to attend the USA Swimming National Diversity Select Camp. Congratulations, Julia!!

USA Swimming announced on April 15th the names of the 52 up-and-coming athletes selected for its National Diversity Select Camp. The camp will be held May 5-8 at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. 
 
The full list of athlete and coach participants may be found here. Forty-five different clubs from 24 states will be represented. Alumni of the program include Tokyo Olympians Simone Manuel and Torri Huske. 

“The National Diversity Select Camp is an amazing opportunity for swimmers from diverse backgrounds to receive elite-level support, opportunity and exposure within the sport of swimming,” USA Swimming Diversity Equity and Inclusion Program Director Leland Brown III said. “For many who attend, this is the first time they have the opportunity to compete and connect with swimmers, coaches and USA Swimming staff who look like them, which is such an important experience and opportunity for these athletes.”  

An athlete at last year’s camp noted, “NDSC helped me realize that the sport of swimming is diverse even if I may not see it. It helped me realize that I have a community here too.”   

The purpose of the camp is to instill a vision of success and inspire athletes from ethnically under-represented populations to become leaders in the sport of swimming. Some of USA Swimming’s most diverse talent is brought to the camp for an extended weekend of pool training, leadership development, team-building activities and learning. Athletes’ personal coaches are encouraged to attend the camp as well. 

The goal of USA Swimming’s National Diversity Select Camp is to: 
• Demonstrate the viability of multicultural success in swimming 
• Achieve performance excellence at every level of the sport 
• Expound on the benefits and value of participating in the sport of swimming 
• Be positive leaders and role models that others from multicultural backgrounds can emulate. 

Originally created in the 1990s as an Outreach Camp, the National Diversity Select Camp was renamed in 2006. The camp hosts swimmers between the ages of 14 and 16 and selection is based on times swum at USA Swimming sanctioned events. Each athlete selected for the camp will receive complimentary room and board at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, ground transportation and full airfare to Colorado Springs. 
 
For more information on National Diversity Select Camp please visit  https://www.usaswimming.org/swimmers-parents/swimmers/swim-camps#national-diversity-select

Read the story on the USA Swimming website at:  https://www.usaswimming.org/news/2022/04/15/Fifty-two-athletes-selected-to-2022-national-diversity-select-camp 

 

Each year, USA Swimming invites 56 athletes from underrepresented populations to participate in a four-day camp program which includes pool training, motivational and education sessions and team-building activities. Selection is based on times swum at USA Swimming sanctioned events.

PURPOSE: Instill a vision of success and inspire athletes from ethnically under-represented populations to become leaders in the sport of swimming.

GOALS: To empower athletes from ethnically under-represented populations and their coaches to:

  • Demonstrate the viability of multicultural success in swimming. 
  • Achieve performance excellence at every level of the sport. 
  •  Expound the benefits and value of participating in the sport of swimming. 
  •  Assist in recruiting more swimmers and coaches from diverse ethnicities to the sport of swimming. 
  •  Be positive leaders and role models that others from multicultural backgrounds can emulate.

NUMBER OF ATHLETES: 56 athletes (28 boys & 28 girls)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: To be announced.

AGE: 14 – 16 years of age. Age is as of the first day of camp.

ELIGIBILITY: Any USA Swimming registered athlete member who is eligible to represent the USA in international competition: a U.S. citizen who has NOT represented another country in international competition, in the case of dual citizens (your sport nation must be the United States), meets the qualification time standards, has not previously attended a USA Swimming Diversity Select Camp and represents an ethnically underrepresented population that is less than 10% of the current USA Swimming membership. These populations can include: African American, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, Native American, and others. As an added component, six athletes of each gender will be chosen from Outreach membership applicants. A swimmer cannot attend a Zone Select Camp and the Diversity Select Camp in the same year.  

QUALIFICATION STANDARDS: Athletes must have achieved at least one Diversity Select Camp time standard to apply for selection. These times are AAAA National Motivational Times for 13-14 year olds. Times must have been achieved in a USA Swimming sanctioned or approved meet (able to be proven in the SWIMS database).

APPLICATION: The athlete application is available when posted on the USA Swimming website. 
 

Please note: Application must be filled out by the athlete.  The athlete must have a USA Swimming website account and username that is linked to the athlete's USA Swimming record. The athlete will not be able to access the application until logged into his/her account.


SELECTION CRITERIA: From the applications, the athlete with the fastest time in each of the 13 Olympic events will automatically be selected. Only LCM times will be considered. Additionally, three athletes of each sex will be selected based on IMX scores, three athletes of each sex will be selected based on outstanding performance in one or more events, and five athletes of each sex will be chosen based on Outreach membership status.

CAMP SCHEDULE: The 4-day camp program will include a combination of pool training, motivational and education sessions, and team building activities.

COST: Each athlete selected for the camp will be provided free room and board at the Olympic Training Center, ground transportation in Colorado Springs and full airfare to Colorado Springs.

PERSONAL COACHES: As with the National Select Camp program, the personal coaches of the athletes selected will be invited to attend the camp and will be provided an educational tract similar to that offered to the athletes. Personal coaches will be provided room and board at the OTC, ground transportation from/to the Colorado Springs airport, and a $200 reimbursement to offset airfare expense.

CAMP STAFF: The camp staff will be selected from accomplished multicultural candidates from across the USA and include a head coach, four assistant coaches, two managers, and a national team athlete. Assistant coach and manager candidates must submit a written application. The staff will be announced when the team is set, however, appointment is contingent upon passing all required background screens.

USA SWIMMING STAFF: Staff from the Sport Development and National Team divisions, as well as outside speakers will be assigned as necessary to provide support and make presentations.