At the convention I kept hearing...
"Swimming is the number one choice of exercise in adults" and
"Ask anyone and they'll be able to tell you gow beneficial swimming is" and similar phrases...
Well, I can't dipute the facty that swimming is good for you, one of the best forms of exercise there is.
Now, having said that, I can't help it notice that even in this 'day and age' where so many people are close to obsessed with fitness and exercise - especially in California - the USMS membership of some 40,000 is only 0.15% of the population of the US.
This leads me to think that we (the USMS) has missed the boat somewhere!!!
Coming back from my fiorst convention, I see that thewre is a lot of focus on competetive swimming, and most of the delegates and BOD nad EC are either current or former competetive swimmers, and naturally the focus would be on competing.
That alone is wonderful... BUT...
It is my understanding that close to 80% of the USMS membership consists of fitness swimmers.
Also, I hear that :
- in the last 2-3 years the USMS membership has been stagnating.
- USMS does want to grow in membership.
And...
at the convention, I see 'fitness' as being an auxiliary, almost a stepchild focus to the competetive side.
Don't get me wrong, I love to compete myself, BUT...
Competetive adult swimmers are a very narrow demographic and if USMS wants to grow, they (we) need to find more attractive ways to "build-educate-service" our potential fitness swimmers.
I find it puzzling that many 'fitness swimmers' will readily enter open water swims, but when they hear of a swim meet, they don't think they're good enough for it... I've done both, and let me tewll you, swim meets are much easier, especially for a first timer, then an open water mile swim in an ocean or a lake.
I also see coaches right here in this forum that are having a hard time explaining to their fitness swimmers why (other then insurance that some clubs require) they should be members of USMS.
I think USMS is failing in it's core objectives when it comes to attracting membership, servicing them and educatiing them, which I strongly believe will mostly come from the fitness side.
Well, this is all that comes to mind at the moment. I'm hoping to eventually refine the thoughts.
Comments, thoughts anyone? I'd love to have some dialogue about this and hear what other people think.
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by gull80
I disagree. Only a handful of the people I swam with in high school and college are USMS members. As for the rest, some may be swimming for fitness, but I suspect many are no longer involved in the sport at all (but could be "recruited").
But...
You could much easier get someone back in the pool by getting them to just start working out a little bit, have fun. Months later as they get into better shape and start having fun, if they have an ounce of competetiveness in their body they will get bitten by the competing bug, and probably end up competing.
If you approach them right now, after noth haviong swam for a decade or two and suggest that the USMS is a great place to compete, they're most likely to say, oooh, yea, the good old days, but I'm not up to competition now... It's been too long.
When I say fitness, don't think of the ftiness swimmer always staying a fitness swimmer. Some of them will start competing (like I did) others may not.
The progression usually goes...
Non swimmers may become fitness swimmers (first baby step)
Strictyly lap swimmers may discover the benefits of coached workouts (and some may remain lap swimmers)
Coached fitness swimmers may discover swim meets, and become a competitor while others may remain just fitness and social swimmers.
Most people will not be fixed in one of those categories forever. USMS (meaning from the national organization lever all the way down to the coach) and could provide them opportunity to grow as a swimmer.
Even though I went from a non-swimmer to a fitness swimmer to a competing (very slow) member in 3 weeks I recognize that this is very unlikely path for most people.
To digress... I think I'm one of those people that try really hard to blend in and not be different, but I'm just different, and can't hide for too long. :rolleyes:
Originally posted by gull80
I disagree. Only a handful of the people I swam with in high school and college are USMS members. As for the rest, some may be swimming for fitness, but I suspect many are no longer involved in the sport at all (but could be "recruited").
But...
You could much easier get someone back in the pool by getting them to just start working out a little bit, have fun. Months later as they get into better shape and start having fun, if they have an ounce of competetiveness in their body they will get bitten by the competing bug, and probably end up competing.
If you approach them right now, after noth haviong swam for a decade or two and suggest that the USMS is a great place to compete, they're most likely to say, oooh, yea, the good old days, but I'm not up to competition now... It's been too long.
When I say fitness, don't think of the ftiness swimmer always staying a fitness swimmer. Some of them will start competing (like I did) others may not.
The progression usually goes...
Non swimmers may become fitness swimmers (first baby step)
Strictyly lap swimmers may discover the benefits of coached workouts (and some may remain lap swimmers)
Coached fitness swimmers may discover swim meets, and become a competitor while others may remain just fitness and social swimmers.
Most people will not be fixed in one of those categories forever. USMS (meaning from the national organization lever all the way down to the coach) and could provide them opportunity to grow as a swimmer.
Even though I went from a non-swimmer to a fitness swimmer to a competing (very slow) member in 3 weeks I recognize that this is very unlikely path for most people.
To digress... I think I'm one of those people that try really hard to blend in and not be different, but I'm just different, and can't hide for too long. :rolleyes:
