“When people first think of Artistic Swimming, make-up, glitter and sequins are often what comes to mind...It is so much more than what most people think.”
Grace, power, stamina, and split-second timing all come together to create the dynamic sport of artistic swimming. Since 1979, USA Artistic Swimming (formerly known as USA Synchro) has served as the national governing body for the sport. USAAS organizes, participates in, and promotes hundreds of competitive events each year, from the local club level all the way up to the National Teams.
Artistic swimming has always demanded an incredible amount of practice, dedication, and passion from its athletes - and no less from the organization that supports them. In early 2020, the National Teams were practicing their championship routines and USA Artistic Swimming was growing to become a increasingly high-profile sports organization.
Then COVID-19 hit. All standard operations at USA Artistic Swimming were completely halted and in-person events were cancelled. Pools closed, club programs shut down, and teams scattered. For 75 days, National Team athletes were limited to in-home Zoom training. Even after the team cautiously returned to the pool - with heavy restrictions and frequent testing - the USAAS staff were faced with severe funding challenges and a long road back to “normal.” During this difficult time, USA Artistic Swimming depended on an accurate history of financial data from Altruic Advisors to help make informed decisions and steer the organization through the pandemic.
Strength & Flexibility
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Altruic Advisors had been assisting USA Artistic Swimming to build stronger, more flexible accounting processes. With CFO Solutions, USAAS received custom financial reports anchored by timely, accurate bookkeeping. Altruic Advisors helped the organization develop strong internal controls and implemented a cloud-based accounting system to increase efficiency.
The Altruic team also provided USA Artistic Swimming with support on all accounting and audit-related matters. This allowed the organization to take advantage of time-sensitive opportunities like the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as reducing the costs associated with financial audits.
Making It Look Easy
With confidence in their financial accounting, USA Artistic Swimming turned their focus towards engaging members and coming up with creative new events. During the pandemic, the organization hosted virtual land competitions, held Zoom meetings with athletes, and even broadcasted the world’s first Virtual Artistic Swimming World Series, with teams from around the world submitting videos of their routines.
No matter how many financial acrobatics USA Artistic Swimming was forced to perform, they managed to maintain stability for their staff and National Team athletes, and provide their members with valuable resources and experiences. Despite the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, USA Artistic Swimming is working every day to grow their organization and attract new people to the sport.
“The support that Altruic has provided to our general finance practices, the audit process, PPP Loan application and beyond has a direct correlation to the improvements within our organization. They are a key member of our team.”
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Did you know?
In 2020, the organization rebranded from USA Synchro to USA Artistic Swimming to help shed common misconceptions about the sport and tell a clearer story of the power, precision, and artistry demonstrated by its athletes. The name change also aligns with the terms used by the international federation (FINA) and other governing bodies.