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
Connie does hit the nail on the head here. I have talked several people into trying to learn to swim and then continue on with fitness or Masters swimming. When they find out that I learned to swim at age 38, and now have actually competed, it inspires them to try too. Afterall if this short little middle age woman can do it, why can't they. :)
While stories about great swimmers are inspiring, especially when I read about the longevity, it would not have gotten me into the pool, because I know I cannot be like them.
What got me in the pool was my child's coach who was also the Masters coach. She made the assumption that since my children swim, I must be a good swimmer too. She did not accept that I could not swim(at least until she actually saw me). She made Masters sound so fun, but I knew I could not keep up, so I took lessons in the spring, worked hard all summer, and joined in the fall because I wanted to be part of the fun. Competing was never, ever in my mind. And once again, it was she who got me to go to a meet(I think she was more nervous than I). Not right away, but when I felt ready for it. Her hope at the time was to show the group(no one was competing), that if I could compete being so new to swimming, they could too. It didn't work, they still don't compete, but I keep dropping off meet information in hopes that one day they will!
Connie does hit the nail on the head here. I have talked several people into trying to learn to swim and then continue on with fitness or Masters swimming. When they find out that I learned to swim at age 38, and now have actually competed, it inspires them to try too. Afterall if this short little middle age woman can do it, why can't they. :)
While stories about great swimmers are inspiring, especially when I read about the longevity, it would not have gotten me into the pool, because I know I cannot be like them.
What got me in the pool was my child's coach who was also the Masters coach. She made the assumption that since my children swim, I must be a good swimmer too. She did not accept that I could not swim(at least until she actually saw me). She made Masters sound so fun, but I knew I could not keep up, so I took lessons in the spring, worked hard all summer, and joined in the fall because I wanted to be part of the fun. Competing was never, ever in my mind. And once again, it was she who got me to go to a meet(I think she was more nervous than I). Not right away, but when I felt ready for it. Her hope at the time was to show the group(no one was competing), that if I could compete being so new to swimming, they could too. It didn't work, they still don't compete, but I keep dropping off meet information in hopes that one day they will!
