National ad campaign ridicules adult swimmers

Hi Frosty, Thank-you for bringing this ad campaign to the attention of the Masters swimming community. I hope people will write to the Afterschool Alliance to let them know how they feel about it. The only e-mail address I could find was; info@afterschoolalliance.org -BV

I also sent a protest. It looks like a very low-budget operation, which may explain the strange choice of images and slogans. Jeff: I think a lot of us swimmers support rec and school swimming (and other sports and activities) for our kids and the community--for example serving on the rec team board, doing the volunteer timing, stroke and turn, providing social functions, hiring coaches etc. Swimming parents tend to promote swimming for the entire family, and that ends up translating into huge volunteer contributions to the youth of the community. I don't agree that awareness needs to be raised in the way it was. There are ways to expand conmmunity involvement, but those ads are very negative.

Effi, I agree that the method of the add is off. Your point about swimmers supporting sports and activities for our kids is the thinking that needs to be looked at. As a parent we need to be active and be an advocate for our childs best interests, but what about those that don't have that support. We can and should be advocates for those children too. That was the point I was making, questioning our motives for helping, going out and helping a program (paid or volunteered) where you have no real ties. Once again I could care less about the actual adds, the concern they are trying to convey no matter how poorly or offensive is something that needs to be addressed. Whats next New Yorkers being offended because everyone thinks all they say is Yo! because of the visa checkcard commercial.

Jeff, I doubt very few of us would argue that our society doesn't need more adults involved with children's after school activities, whether those activities are sports, tutoring or mentoring. However, the ads, which were ment for ADULTS, also send a message to CHILDREN. The campaign is telling children that ADULTS are SELFISH and do not care about CHILDREN. I don't know a single adult who truely doesn't care about children's well being, and doesn't contribute in some way (time or money), but I do know a lot of children who's cognitive development hasn't reached a level yet that they would be able to understand the scarcasm underlying the campaign. Aside from the fact that scarcasm is a very poor motivational factor, it is this disreguard of the impact it might have on children's view of adults that makes the campaign truely objectionable. S. Elaine Hamilton School Psychologist

Anyway, most people don't understand that swimming is not only for those 6 to 22 years old. That was true back in the 1970's when masters was new but not today. Second, masters or any other program doesn't take the pool away from children. In fact, except for some private county clubs or health club pools, most programs are geared more for children than adults. In Tucson, they have a good balance, on the eastside of town the rec programs in the pool are geared more for adults since the adult population uses the pool more than does children;however on the westside of town children sue the pool more so the program is geared toward children. I think the ad is a little off of reality, in fact many master swimmers are what can be termed middle aged(40 to 59 years old), the parents of many school aged children from grade school to college rather than their grandparents but even so they are of course masters that are seniors and the ad doesn't reflect reality in my opinion.

As for Jeff, his state Oregon has one of the highest state debts along with California, New York and my state Arizona, and different states deal with budget problems differently. And as he stated, especially for states that are cutting back on youth programs many of us can help with time and money and volunteering. That's ok.

The thing that bothers me most about these advertisements is the assumption that adults owe other people's children, and specifically this organization, their time and/or money. It's as if this group is saying you have a debt to pay that is akin to child support payments, and it seems to regard adults who choose not to volunteer their time much the same as deadbeat dads. The problem with their mindset is that there is no duty to help anyone. If you choose to help, you do it out of your own desire to give, out of the goodness of your heart (or perhaps out of a desire for self-congratulation, in the case of some--but mostly out of goodness). People will often give gladly of their time and money when asked politely; but to demand it as something they owe will be offensive even to those people who would otherwise jump at the opportunity to do some good. Where this approach truly fails is that, by treating it as a duty that most are ignoring, it diminishes the value of volunteerism from those who DO choose to give their time. It says to them, "Oh, thanks for the effort, but you were supposed to do it anyway." Under the line of thought they seem to be suggesting, to be justified in being proud of your efforts, you'd have to devote your life to a cause. Those who give of themselves deserve to be held in better regard than that. Furthermore, this organization's approach ignores all the other worthy causes to which one may devote one's efforts. It seems to say that someone who volunteers for the homeless, works for environmental preservation or builds houses for Habitat for Humanity still hasn't fulfilled his "duty" to children. With the sheer number of organizations that want your time and money, it demonstrates extraordinary arrogance for one group to take this sort of position with the people it wants involved. I'm disgusted by the whole thing, and like others here I emailed them to tell them so. So far I haven't seen a response; but if the arrogance of their advertisements is any indication, I doubt I will.

The stupidest part about the ad is that it's self-defeating -- its arrogance alienates the people who might otherwise be most inclined to support a good cause.

I've looked at the site in question. I do not think they are singling out swimmers. If you look at all the adds, they seem to be trying to criticize a care-free, "I got mine" attitude. However, I agree with Lainey's point that this stuff is likely to be misunderstood by children and teens who may come across it, and the very negative impression it will make on them is likely to cancel out the positive message we hope they are getting from the dedicated adult volunteers who are in fact working for this and other similar organizations. I'd nominate this ad campaign for the Arianna Huffington Bone-Head PR Award. There is one theme some folks have raised that I would like to examine a bit. Several have suggested that Masters Swimmers are good role models because kids notice that we have made exercise and fitness a lifetime habbit. Yes, it's a good thing, and a fine example for the teeny-tiny segment of the population under 18 that is aware of Masters swimming. But, are you seriously suggesting that simply showing up for workouts and meets and pursuing your own goals is at all comparable to being a volunteer for youth activities, or other charitable/community volunteer work?! (Oh really, Mr. Affleck/Ms. Lopez? We should all feel uplifted because you two deign to be your cool selves for the rest of us to see?) Even Charles Barkley realizes that being a role model is more than being an accomplished athlete. Last point, then I'll crawl off my soap-box. Shakey, I see your point about a particular Organzation that feels like the general public OWES it volunteers (or contributions that permit the paid staff to live in the style to which they have become accustomed). However, DARN STRAIGHT you better believe that every adult member of the community is obliged to ensure its youth get a reasonable start. Not everyone can have children, or choose to be parents. It takes a strong stomach to live in the same house with kids, or teen-agers. But, if you are planning on living in a community where there are people who are more than a few years younger than you who will: provide emeregency or medical services, take on all those entry level jobs you have left behind in your career, buy your old house when your lifestyle has moved on, provide fresh members to you masters team or YMCA when the old guard drops out or moves away, or pay the taxes that pay for your social security and your other benefits, you'd best be interested in how they are brought up. Put it another way (and I appreciate that you have not suggested that we do any of these things, I'm just pushing the point of "it's not my responsibility" to its illogical extreme): if we shut down their recreational activities for lack of $ or volunteers, if we defund their schools, if we let the wages they earn for their first real jobs fall to the point they work twice as long to live in poverty, if we turn their medical coverage into a joke, if we choke off their opportunities for advancement to the point where they have to "know somebody" to get ahead, if we structure the pension system so it goes backrupt 5 years before they retire, then we should not be surprised if they learn from us (by our actions) the importance of looking out for number 1. Don't count on a comfortable retirement in that case. Matt

Jeff- I can understand those poor, sensitive New Yorkers re: Yo!, eh?