USA Deaf Swimming
The mission of USA Deaf Swimming is to support and develop deaf swimming in the United States.
Why Should You Help Deaf Athletes?
Deaf youth often struggle against low expectations and can be at risk for under-achieving. Swimming as a sport provides a way for these young people to connect with the rest of the world. Swimming enables young people to learn time management skills, develop confidence, learn persistence, overcome challenges, set and achieve goals. These athletes are role models in every sense of the word. They are in school, train hard, use a variety of communication methods including speech and American Sign Language, and use a range of technology, including hearing aids and cochlear implants, to participate successfully in the world. They demonstrate all the possibilities to other deaf individuals, and through sports represent the United States with honor and skill. Young deaf children, indeed all children, will be inspired when they see what these 14 – 24-year-olds have accomplished. When parents and teachers of newly diagnosed deaf youngsters see their stories, they will be empowered to set high goals for these potential champions.
These competitions (and particularly the Deaflympics) present deaf people in a new light; as elite athletes, an image that is valued and respected in our country and improves the image of the United States internationally.
The athletes come from all over the United States. They are all members of USA Swimming, USA Deaf Swimming, and the USA Deaf Sports Federation. The USA Deaf Sports Federation, an affiliate of the USOC, is not a USOC funded entity. Able-bodied and paralympic national team athletes receive training and travel funds, but deaf swimmers do not. Our mission aligns perfectly with USA Swimming core values. We work to build the base by enabling deaf youth to participate in competitive swimming through consultation and networking. The media attention deaf swimmers receive reflects positively on the sport and thereby its supporters. Finally, the competitive success by these swimmers is inspiring to the whole of society and, through international competition, the world.
Organization Events:
USA Deaf Swimming