FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT

NEW SWIMMER REGISTRATION FEE: A $50.00 per athlete fee is assessed when a swimmer joins COPS.  Swimmers that drop from the COPS program and later apply for reinstatement will be placed on the existing waiting list.  Returning swimmers will be assessed the $50 registration fee at the time they rejoin the team. 

MEMBERSHIP DUES: Invoices are sent to member families via the U.S. Mail on a quarterly basis. Payment is due on the 25^th of the month prior to the start of each billing quarter (billing quarters begin on Jan. 1, Apr. 1, July 1 and Oct. 1).    If you do not receive your Quarterly Invoice by the 10^th of the month prior to the beginning of a new quarter, contact the team treasurer immediately.  Invoices which are not paid by the 30th day of the month prior to the first day of the quarter, are assessed a $25.00 late fee, and the swimmer will not be allowed to practice until payment is made.  Late payment places a swimmer’s spot on the team at risk of being filled by an athlete from the waiting list.  A swimmer with a past due account will not be allowed to enter swim meets until their account is current. Any team member who practices for any portion of a quarter will be required to pay the full fees for that quarter.  An exception to this are the prorated dues of new members joining in the middle of a billing quarter.

Quarterly Dues are as follows:

At this time there are two additional non-optional charges which appear on Membership Invoices.  Itemized during the winter quarter is the fee (approximately $20.00) for the annual subscription (one per family) to Swimming World Magazine. A $10.00 per family meet hospitality fee appears on the spring quarter invoice.  In 1996, COPS entered into a team sponsorship agreement with Swimming World. In 1997, the hospitality fee was approved by the general membership in lieu of donating actual foodstuffs and paper goods for the numerous swim meets COPS hosts annually in the North Texas L.S.C.

Families who fall short of their annual fund raising minimum requirement will be invoiced the required minimum amount less any funds raised by the family via the team’s two major fund raising events each year.  This amount will appear on the Summer Quarter Invoice. 

The annual USA Swimming membership dues of $35 per athlete appear each year on the Fall Quarter Invoice.  Volunteer participation fees for families who do not meet the minimum annual volunteer hours commitment also appear on the Fall Quarter Invoice. 

MEET FEE ESCROW ACCOUNTS: Every competing swimmer has an escrow account to cover entrance fees for meets, as well as periodic miscellaneous fees.  Each swimmer is required to make an initial deposit between $25 and $75 to cover future meets.  Practice group assignments determine the amount to deposit.  As swimmers enter meets, the appropriate amount is deducted from each swimmer’s account, and the COPS Treasurer issues one check to the team hosting the meet.  On each Quarterly Membership Invoice, the meet fee escrow account balance will appear, along with the amount of deposit necessary to bring it back to the minimum.  This amount will be added to your total payment due.  When a swimmer leaves the team, any remaining funds in his meet fee escrow account may be refunded. Refund requests must be in writing or by e-mail to the team treasurer within 60 days of a swimmer’s departure from the COPS program.

SPECIAL EVENT AND TRAVEL EXPENSES: The team treasurer invoices families in advance for estimated expenses related to activities in which a swimmer chooses and/or qualifies to participate.  Such activities include, but are not limited to summer weight training, travel trips for competition and/or training, clinics, and seminars.  Invoices for such expenses will be distributed to a swimmer’s family in as timely a manner as possible.  In some situations, notice may be short due to swimmer qualification requirements being met within days of an upcoming event or activity.

If the team Treasurer on or before its due date does not receive payment of a special event/travel expenses invoice, the swimmer will not be permitted to participate in the activity.  If after an event, actual expenses exceed or fall short of the invoice payment amount, the variance will, at the Treasurer’s discretion, either be transferred to the swimmer’s Meet Fee Escrow Account or a refund check issued to the swimmer’s family.             

METHODS OF PAYMENT:

Checks are to be made payable to COPS, Inc., and mailed or hand delivered to the COPS business offices:

City of Plano Swimmers, Inc.
ATTN:  Accounts Receivable
2925 West 15^th Street
Plano,  TX  75075-7632

Checks returned “NSF”, or for any other reason, will result in a $25.00 fee.

Cash payments are accepted at the COPS business offices, Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

COPS is pleased to offer to its member families the option of using VISA or MasterCard when remitting payments for Quarterly Membership or Special Event Invoices.  A processing and handling fee of $5 will be charged to member families on each credit card transaction for payment of a Membership or Special Event Invoice.

DO NOT SEND PAYMENTS OF ANY KIND WITH YOUR CHILD TO PRACTICE or GIVE TO A MEMBER OF THE COACHING STAFF WHILE AT THE POOL!  Envelopes, pre-addressed to the team treasurer, are available at the COPS business offices as well as in the milk crates at each pool.

COPS is pleased to enable its member families to make payments using VISA or MasterCard.