Has the USMS ever consider starting a foundation? Many nonprofit organizations have one so that their members and other intersted parties can give large donations and the organization can use the foundation to help with extensive costs.
Generally, they are very easy to run once they have been started.
Or does the USMS have a donation mechanism connected to the membership? Has anyone ever discussed a true membership drive? I've never seem any type of membership pamphlett or brochure. If the new magazaine is going to be the property of USMS, this seems to me to be a great way to entice more people into membership and making donations. I live in a small town of about 33,000 in west central Illinois. There are two members to CMSA, however, there are other poeple who have swam in college and still swim. When I've mentioned USMS to them, they do not see a reason to become a member -two used to get Fitness Swimmer and didn't know about Swim Magazine.
I generally swim in postal races because trips to Chicago to swim for the day can be very expensive. The organization does offer many benfits to swimmers outside of simply being a link to compettition. Oddly, I don't even know towhom to address this question.
USMS has so many benefits that many people could use. The organization seems ot be very passive though.
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by craiglll@yahoo.com
I've tried to get a team started for about 5 years. I continue to swim alone. there are probbly 5 to 7 people who would join a team if they thought that thye could really benefit from it.
Many USMS clubs started as two people adjusting their schedules in order to train together, perhaps taking turns finding and bringing a workout to the pool. Both agree it would be good to find another couple people to join them (if for no other reason to be able to have a whole lane all doing the same thing during a crowded lap swim time). Over time, if all use consistent word of mouth, they grow this informal group into regular workout group. At some point they might decide to hire a coach to occasionally come work with the group. Later, if the group continues to grow, they might wish to pay for regular coaching.
Unfortunately, they don't see any benefit. Almost all of them swam in college, but now, think that USMS is only about compettition.
USMS is about whatever the leadership of the local group wants it to be about. In a small percentage of clubs it is ALL about competition. In MOST clubs there is a much more even split between those wishing to compete and those who just want to exercise with a group. Generally, the larger the club, the smaller the percentage of people that compete in pool meets regularly.
If you found a couple people to workout with and y'all hired a coach, you'd be in the driver's seat and could set the parameters of the coach/athlete relationship.
A collagoation would give local, small teams great support.
What kind of collaboration did you have in mind? I've heard it suggested that USMS hire coaches on a provisional basis and "seed" pools with them in order to start and grow USMS programs that would eventually become self-sufficient. While, in reality, that's not supportable within the current USMS structure, it does point to a knowledge that the real determining factor to whether programs will grow and endure is the presence of a coach with a passion for working with adult swimmers.
If that coach is a risk-taking entrepreneur type, the chances of growth/success go way up. Unfortunately, I think a large percentage of people drawn to coaching tend to be controlling comfort/status-quo seekers instead of risk takers.
NOW I'm gonna get hate mail.
Originally posted by craiglll@yahoo.com
I've tried to get a team started for about 5 years. I continue to swim alone. there are probbly 5 to 7 people who would join a team if they thought that thye could really benefit from it.
Many USMS clubs started as two people adjusting their schedules in order to train together, perhaps taking turns finding and bringing a workout to the pool. Both agree it would be good to find another couple people to join them (if for no other reason to be able to have a whole lane all doing the same thing during a crowded lap swim time). Over time, if all use consistent word of mouth, they grow this informal group into regular workout group. At some point they might decide to hire a coach to occasionally come work with the group. Later, if the group continues to grow, they might wish to pay for regular coaching.
Unfortunately, they don't see any benefit. Almost all of them swam in college, but now, think that USMS is only about compettition.
USMS is about whatever the leadership of the local group wants it to be about. In a small percentage of clubs it is ALL about competition. In MOST clubs there is a much more even split between those wishing to compete and those who just want to exercise with a group. Generally, the larger the club, the smaller the percentage of people that compete in pool meets regularly.
If you found a couple people to workout with and y'all hired a coach, you'd be in the driver's seat and could set the parameters of the coach/athlete relationship.
A collagoation would give local, small teams great support.
What kind of collaboration did you have in mind? I've heard it suggested that USMS hire coaches on a provisional basis and "seed" pools with them in order to start and grow USMS programs that would eventually become self-sufficient. While, in reality, that's not supportable within the current USMS structure, it does point to a knowledge that the real determining factor to whether programs will grow and endure is the presence of a coach with a passion for working with adult swimmers.
If that coach is a risk-taking entrepreneur type, the chances of growth/success go way up. Unfortunately, I think a large percentage of people drawn to coaching tend to be controlling comfort/status-quo seekers instead of risk takers.
NOW I'm gonna get hate mail.
