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 Pam Himstreet
....
If we are "missing the mark", then tell us what "the mark" is. Anyone with ideas to further expand our efforts to serve the fitness swimmer can contact me or any Fitness Committee member at any time.
This year we set our goal to grow the efforts we already have in place and that means getting more local workout groups to participate. You can help in that area too. You can also contribute any articles you have that could benefit the fitness swimmer. We want to hear from all of you on this posting as all of you have the fitness swimmer in mind. And please, encourage your fitness swimmers to check out the Fitness website and the activities available.
Thanks, Pam Himstreet, Chair of the Fitness Committee
Actually, that's just what I'm hoping to do, make some input, but want to hear out people who are willing to share their experiences, and attempt to make input with a little broader information base than just my own experience.
After that I can start formulating some ideas and suggestions to present.
One thing that does concern me is that I hear people 'venting' about this and that (related to various aspects of USMS, definitely not just fitness swimming) but very few of them, for one, approaching people that may make some difference - people like you and members of various other committees.
Also, what bothers me is that so many people end up not knowing about the efforts that you guys DO put in accommodating the fitness swimmer.
Now, to be fair, this is not unique to the fitness aspect of the USMS, even though I started discussing fitness on this forum at this particular time.
The reason I chose to discuss fitness swimming here is because it appears that there are fitness swimmers at large that come to this forum, and probably find this forum before they find and explore the 'fitness' section on our (USMS) website.
Okay, here's a thought....
I wonder if making periodic announcements about fitness events in this forum (the bulletin board) wouldn't increase exposure.
It's still on the website, and it doesn't require webmasters involvement, which will make it more immediate dissemination of information.
Originally posted by Pam Himstreet
....
If we are "missing the mark", then tell us what "the mark" is. Anyone with ideas to further expand our efforts to serve the fitness swimmer can contact me or any Fitness Committee member at any time.
This year we set our goal to grow the efforts we already have in place and that means getting more local workout groups to participate. You can help in that area too. You can also contribute any articles you have that could benefit the fitness swimmer. We want to hear from all of you on this posting as all of you have the fitness swimmer in mind. And please, encourage your fitness swimmers to check out the Fitness website and the activities available.
Thanks, Pam Himstreet, Chair of the Fitness Committee
Actually, that's just what I'm hoping to do, make some input, but want to hear out people who are willing to share their experiences, and attempt to make input with a little broader information base than just my own experience.
After that I can start formulating some ideas and suggestions to present.
One thing that does concern me is that I hear people 'venting' about this and that (related to various aspects of USMS, definitely not just fitness swimming) but very few of them, for one, approaching people that may make some difference - people like you and members of various other committees.
Also, what bothers me is that so many people end up not knowing about the efforts that you guys DO put in accommodating the fitness swimmer.
Now, to be fair, this is not unique to the fitness aspect of the USMS, even though I started discussing fitness on this forum at this particular time.
The reason I chose to discuss fitness swimming here is because it appears that there are fitness swimmers at large that come to this forum, and probably find this forum before they find and explore the 'fitness' section on our (USMS) website.
Okay, here's a thought....
I wonder if making periodic announcements about fitness events in this forum (the bulletin board) wouldn't increase exposure.
It's still on the website, and it doesn't require webmasters involvement, which will make it more immediate dissemination of information.
