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With so many new parents joining FCAT, the Board has put together a
brief history of the Four Corners Aquatic Team to help you
understand how the team came into existence, what the team is
comprised of and where your dollars are spent.
FCAT officially came into existence in 1994. The City of Farmington
decided to discontinue its competitive swimming program. A group of
parents agreed to take over the operations of the team and they
formed a non-profit corporation. This corporation included an
elected board to run its day to day operations.
The first Head Coach hired by the
team was John Gadbois. Within two years, he hired his friend
from Alaska, John “Tex” Doherty. In May 2006, Tex
became the team’s Head Coach when John moved out of the
area. In March 2008, Tex resigned when he moved to coach in
the city near his family. In April 2008, the team hired Trever
Gray as a head coach.
Trever Gray, a renowned swimmer
and triathlete from Sandpoint, ID, was hired as the Head Coach and
Director of Operations for FCAT. Trever comes to the Four Corners
with the knowledge and talent to make aquatic sports a viable part
of the Four Corners Athletic community. With this change FCAT has
renewed a long term ambition to raise FCAT and its swimmers to the
next level in USA swimming.
Each year, swimmers from around the four corners join FCAT. They
are required to pay $55 for their annual USAS (United States
Aquatic Sports) registration. All of the $55 goes to USAS for
swimmer’s insurance, publications, educational programs,
sports medicine programs, resources and general information about
swimming-related activities. Many programs nationally, including
New Mexico, promote swim programs and provide for the uniform rules
and consistency of swim programs.
Each FCAT swimmer/family is required to pay monthly dues, donate
items for concessions and hospitality at home meets, and work at
the swim meets where their swimmer is swimming. Swim meets are the
team’s major source of fundraising at this time and are an
intricate part of the team’s income. The monthly dues pays
the salaries of the coaching staff, payroll taxes including FICA,
FUTA, SUTA, health insurance, worker’s compensation,
liability insurance, meet expenses, and travel expenses of the
coaching staff for out of town meets. FCAT is a business with
normal business expenses. It must operate at a profit to remain in
business.
The goal of the FCAT board is to run the long term operations of
the business end of the team and to provide policies and a long
term business plan in order for the team to remain in operation for
many years to come, including after the terms of the current board
members expire. The board is made up of volunteers not receiving
compensation of any kind.
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