The United States Lifesaving Association traces its roots to the early development of organized lifesaving sport in the United States. International competition and exchange, beginning with early events such as the 1956 invitational in Australia, helped strengthen relationships among agencies and accelerated the sharing of techniques, equipment, and best practices. That spirit of collaboration remains a cornerstone of the USLA today.

Why Lifesaving Sport Matters

Lifesaving sport encourages lifesavers to develop, maintain, and improve the physical and mental skills needed to save lives in aquatic environments. Lifesaving competitions include a variety of events designed to develop and demonstrate rescue skills, fitness, and readiness.

International Competition

The premier international lifesaving event is the Lifesaving World Championships , hosted by the International Life Saving Federation every two years at locations around the world. The World Games also include lifesaving competition every four years. Additional international events can be found on the ILS Lifesaving Sport calendar .

For the Lifesaving World Championships, each national association is invited to send a national team and may also send a youth team. USLA members are welcome to apply for selection opportunities when they are announced, as well as to compete in other international events as eligible.

Membership Verification Letters

Some international competitions require a membership verification letter confirming that a competitor is a USLA member in good standing. To request a letter, please email the Lifesaving Sport Chair at lifesavingsport@usla.org.

Please include the following details in your request:

• Full name
• USLA membership type (for example, Professional or Alumni)
• USLA member number
• Affiliated agency, chapter, and region
• Name of the event and host organization
• Event location and event dates
• Any required wording or form the host organization requests
• Where the letter should be addressed (person or organization name)