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 Fitswimmer04
I want to thank Connie for starting this thread first of all and I want to thank Robert for his fantastic post. I joined the group to participate in the virtual swims which make my morning laps more interesting. I don't know if I would ever race, because I lack experience and training. The three suggestions Robert made are exactly the type of things I would love to see in a workout group, I might be able to learn the skills I need to become a more active member of USMS. To answer Connie's question from earlier, I would be willing to travel for a weekend clinic-maybe not all the way to California, but with enough advance notice I would certainly consider a trip out of state.
It is certainly far easier for USMS to exist primarily for people who are experienced swimmers than to expend energy and cost on teaching new people. Robert's post asks if USMS considers it important to reach out to fitness swimmers or not. I believe from what I have read, that they do.
I get the feeling that much of the impression about catering to experienced swimmers only would be changes if we went ahead and out together a better 'newbie' section on the website along with some more literature and perhaps a few pages concentrating on total newbies in the magazine as well... and other possible places...
More than one person I talked to, or shared my 'story' on how I became a Masters Swimmer said that on occasion they would prefer to hear a story like that, rather than someone that is a top swimmer. Reasoning being is that even though we all admire the elite, most of us are aware that we'll never be the elite, but when we see someone closer to our caliber still beating the odds then we start thinking, heck, if she can do it, I can do it too!
Another thought - about the bulletin board seeming to be THE place a lot of newbies come for help... I think a lot of us like the interactive part.. and also, it does provide for some of the social aspect, especially for those lone and unattached swimmers who aren't lucky enough to live in the area with an active Masters Team.
Perhaps there could be a 'special area' for them...
Originally posted by Fitswimmer04
I want to thank Connie for starting this thread first of all and I want to thank Robert for his fantastic post. I joined the group to participate in the virtual swims which make my morning laps more interesting. I don't know if I would ever race, because I lack experience and training. The three suggestions Robert made are exactly the type of things I would love to see in a workout group, I might be able to learn the skills I need to become a more active member of USMS. To answer Connie's question from earlier, I would be willing to travel for a weekend clinic-maybe not all the way to California, but with enough advance notice I would certainly consider a trip out of state.
It is certainly far easier for USMS to exist primarily for people who are experienced swimmers than to expend energy and cost on teaching new people. Robert's post asks if USMS considers it important to reach out to fitness swimmers or not. I believe from what I have read, that they do.
I get the feeling that much of the impression about catering to experienced swimmers only would be changes if we went ahead and out together a better 'newbie' section on the website along with some more literature and perhaps a few pages concentrating on total newbies in the magazine as well... and other possible places...
More than one person I talked to, or shared my 'story' on how I became a Masters Swimmer said that on occasion they would prefer to hear a story like that, rather than someone that is a top swimmer. Reasoning being is that even though we all admire the elite, most of us are aware that we'll never be the elite, but when we see someone closer to our caliber still beating the odds then we start thinking, heck, if she can do it, I can do it too!
Another thought - about the bulletin board seeming to be THE place a lot of newbies come for help... I think a lot of us like the interactive part.. and also, it does provide for some of the social aspect, especially for those lone and unattached swimmers who aren't lucky enough to live in the area with an active Masters Team.
Perhaps there could be a 'special area' for them...
