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Joining the Triathlon Team

Ryan Taylor

Happy fall everyone!

I hope that the start of another academic year has gone smoothly for all. One of the elements of my return to USCGA that made it remarkably enjoyable was joining the Triathlon team. Never having done a triathlon before, I was nervous coming in. I soon realized, though, that the team is a unique mix of cadets of varying classes, genders, majors, and talents. What we all had in common was a desire to have fun while doing triathlons! The team owns several bikes, so not owning a bike did not get in the way of me participating this season. The team meets for practice five days a week during sports period to bike or run, and on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to swim. Then, on weekends, we pack our bikes into the team’s trailer and travel to races throughout the Northeast.

For me, races are absolutely the best part. It is usually an early morning, because races often start at 8 am. By 10:00, though, you are done, and it feels great to have already accomplished something with your day. There is often a barbeque after the race for all athletes, so that’s a great way to finish. Given the water component of races and dropping temperature, the season is very short and by October we are done. While I am disappointed to not be competing anymore, I can still bike, run, and swim daily on my own and with teammates to continue to improve for next year.

While the Academy has a remarkably high-performing slate of NCAA teams, there are also many club teams that travel and represent USCGA. I did not know, coming in, that I would join the triathlon team, but I am so glad that I did. I hope this helped give a little bit of a feel for club sports at the Academy. Have a great fall!

Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.