Hi, my name is Neil Swanson, I am a "swim Dad" and a Timing Official for MAGSA, Maui Age Group Swim Association. We are the non profit group of volunteers that are certified by USA Swimming to coordinate the league of competitive swimming teams in the County of Maui, promote swimming (pool and open water) aquatic safety and physical fitness, coordinate pool use (practices and competitions) amongst the league and with regard to other users (diving, water polo and High School Swimming). We support competitive swimming events including Qualifying, Invitational and Championship swimming competitions. We obtain, operate and maintain meet software and timing equipment as well as other miscellaneous equipment that promotes aquatic sports.

In more concise terms we certify proper stroke technique deployed by competitive swimmers to validate times obtained by these athletes. We obtain the equipment necessary to capture and record these times, set up and tear down and storage of all equipment, namely plungers, timing pads, deck wiring, timing consuls to receive these times and pass them forward to other timing officials that adjudicate and record times. These times are then a matter of public record and officially denote the level of accomplishment of the swimmer, from an 8 year old making their first AA County time to an accomplished swimmer making their State, Regional, Junior Nationals and beyond.

MAGSA enables competitive swimmers in Maui County to test their hard earned skills and progress through the hierarchy of competitive swimmers across the State of Hawaii and the rest of the nation.

MAGSA is fundraising to replace our equipment at Kihei Pool. The equipment we utilize there represents the only functioning timing equipment in Maui. It is all 10 to 20 years old and needs to be replaced. In order of priority we need 20 Plungers ($200 each), one double strand harness or deck wiring($2500), 10 timing pads $2500 each) and a new scoreboard ($100K). We have two refurbished S9 timing consuls that are sufficient, and 3 starters that function well.

Please consider donating to MAGSA, the future of competitive swim, and all the good it does our kids and young adults depends on it!

Many Mahalos

Neil Swanson