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
Having promoted and run many clinics, my experience tells me that it takes 10 or more times the amount of effort/advertising to reach/attract fitness swimmers to a clinic than it does to get the same number of triathletes or Masters swimmers into a clinic (at least in this part of the country).
There are a number of factors:
1) Reachability - Tris and Masters are more likely to already be on an existing swimming email distribution list or visit a swimming web site or read a local Tri or Swim newsletter or mag. You pretty much need to hit the deck and hunt for loner fitness swimmers where they water
2) for those used to swimming on their own, the intimidation factor of going to do ANY swimming activity in a group is higher than for those already used to swimming in groups
3) people who swim in groups are likely to bring their buddy(s) along, so for each person you sign up, there's likely one or two more he'll convince to sign up as well
4) those in groups are likely getting word of mouth input that increases the perceived value of paying for and attending a clinic.
5) where bike and swim shops have no problem with posting event promotions for outside events, pools seem particularly loathe to allow you to promote anything that will take place in another venue.
I've had much greater success in selling private lesson services to fitness swimmers. Your typical loner fitness swimmer will gladly spend many times more money for individual attention than he will to be part of a group instruction situation. And, in a private situation you have a much better chance of building a relationship with the swimmer that will translate to greater comfort level for eventually giving a group practice a try.
So, speaking strictly from the viewpoint of one who shamelessly seeks a healthy profit from almost every minute I spend coaching, marketing clinics to loner fitness swimmers is upside down - both from a short-term cash flow and a long term program building angle. Now, if I could figure out how to get loner fitness swimmers into clinics as easily as other swim-interested folks, I'd sing a different tune.
Having promoted and run many clinics, my experience tells me that it takes 10 or more times the amount of effort/advertising to reach/attract fitness swimmers to a clinic than it does to get the same number of triathletes or Masters swimmers into a clinic (at least in this part of the country).
There are a number of factors:
1) Reachability - Tris and Masters are more likely to already be on an existing swimming email distribution list or visit a swimming web site or read a local Tri or Swim newsletter or mag. You pretty much need to hit the deck and hunt for loner fitness swimmers where they water
2) for those used to swimming on their own, the intimidation factor of going to do ANY swimming activity in a group is higher than for those already used to swimming in groups
3) people who swim in groups are likely to bring their buddy(s) along, so for each person you sign up, there's likely one or two more he'll convince to sign up as well
4) those in groups are likely getting word of mouth input that increases the perceived value of paying for and attending a clinic.
5) where bike and swim shops have no problem with posting event promotions for outside events, pools seem particularly loathe to allow you to promote anything that will take place in another venue.
I've had much greater success in selling private lesson services to fitness swimmers. Your typical loner fitness swimmer will gladly spend many times more money for individual attention than he will to be part of a group instruction situation. And, in a private situation you have a much better chance of building a relationship with the swimmer that will translate to greater comfort level for eventually giving a group practice a try.
So, speaking strictly from the viewpoint of one who shamelessly seeks a healthy profit from almost every minute I spend coaching, marketing clinics to loner fitness swimmers is upside down - both from a short-term cash flow and a long term program building angle. Now, if I could figure out how to get loner fitness swimmers into clinics as easily as other swim-interested folks, I'd sing a different tune.
