The date to 'discuss the organization' of a USMS Club here at the Thomasville Y has been set for 4/25. I am starting to prepare a very short presentation and trying to anticipate questions.
One of the benefits USMS offers its member is insurance during all sanctioned events and organized workouts. What does organized workouts mean?
For those of you who have been in on the organization of a club, what questions should I expect to field? (I've read FAQ and looked at the documents Rob posted a couple of weeks ago.)
What else do I need to know? What have you found to be helpful? What I am asking for is your personal experiences.
Thanks!
Parents
Former Member
Well, we are still working on getting the club going, BUT, this past week I have had sooooooooo, many people express an interest... One interested swimmer even said that she thought her father would be interested, and interested in competiting too!
Our aquatics director has been a great help. At first she just wanted us to 'do our own thing' but then when she started hearing a lot of folks saying we wanted someone to help with our stroke mechanics and to coach workouts, she started thinking about a coach. Swim coaches are very few and far between down here. She came up with the idea of using one of the college kids, with lots of swim team experience and who guards. AND since she is offering to pay him, we thought that was a good place to start.
I have a question related to our new coach and Masters. It is my understanding that he can not swim masters and collegate at the same time? Is that correct? Would the fact that he is 'coaching' a Masters team prevent him from collegate swimming? Does he need to be a member of USMS to coach the club?
Then, this afternoon, the aquatics director said she has found one of the Y members who use to actually COACH a masters team, and that person was interested in coaching us! And, that she could see having two coaches, one for early morning workouts and one for the afternoons! How much luckier can we get?
During our conversation this afternoon I also mentioned to the aquatics director that after we register our club I thought we will be able to post our pool in Places to Swim. You should have seen her eyes light up! Y'all, I do have to say that even though our indoor pool is old (recently refurbished) and slow, it is one of the prettiest, cleanest and best managed pools I've ever been associated with (and in comparison to some of the horror stories I've read here about pools it must be in the top 25--of older pools). In the four plus years I've been swimming in it I've only seen it slightly cloudly once, the rest of the time it has been crystal clear, and I've never seen it dirty... not even an unsightly, ring around the pool.
So that is my question and up date on what's going on.
Well, we are still working on getting the club going, BUT, this past week I have had sooooooooo, many people express an interest... One interested swimmer even said that she thought her father would be interested, and interested in competiting too!
Our aquatics director has been a great help. At first she just wanted us to 'do our own thing' but then when she started hearing a lot of folks saying we wanted someone to help with our stroke mechanics and to coach workouts, she started thinking about a coach. Swim coaches are very few and far between down here. She came up with the idea of using one of the college kids, with lots of swim team experience and who guards. AND since she is offering to pay him, we thought that was a good place to start.
I have a question related to our new coach and Masters. It is my understanding that he can not swim masters and collegate at the same time? Is that correct? Would the fact that he is 'coaching' a Masters team prevent him from collegate swimming? Does he need to be a member of USMS to coach the club?
Then, this afternoon, the aquatics director said she has found one of the Y members who use to actually COACH a masters team, and that person was interested in coaching us! And, that she could see having two coaches, one for early morning workouts and one for the afternoons! How much luckier can we get?
During our conversation this afternoon I also mentioned to the aquatics director that after we register our club I thought we will be able to post our pool in Places to Swim. You should have seen her eyes light up! Y'all, I do have to say that even though our indoor pool is old (recently refurbished) and slow, it is one of the prettiest, cleanest and best managed pools I've ever been associated with (and in comparison to some of the horror stories I've read here about pools it must be in the top 25--of older pools). In the four plus years I've been swimming in it I've only seen it slightly cloudly once, the rest of the time it has been crystal clear, and I've never seen it dirty... not even an unsightly, ring around the pool.
So that is my question and up date on what's going on.
