Recruiting

Originally posted by Rob Copeland Connie asked “So, which direction does USMS want to take to contribute in trying to remedy this situation?” And without seeming completely ignorant, of which situation specifically do you speak? For the most part, I was trying to keep within context and the issue that knelson brought up, that doesn't seem to be isolated to his area. The issue being that pools appear to be losing ground to either cuts in public support, or because private or semi-private facilities need something other then just swimmers to keep their doors open. I have seen and heard that this is not isolated to a negligable number of incidents. I;ve also seen brand new facilities built and exceed their financial goals within the first year of operation (Like Santa Clarita) and much like our own pool, facility turned over to a self supporting foundation tasked with operating like a private business, and making it, so, I know it's possible. I know there are models of sucessful teams, sucessful facilities out there. Well, what better way to market pools and facilities but to show them now to financially benefit from a masters group. Yea, I know there's a brochure out... Are you talking about club situations or LMSC/national operations situations? It appears the situation of which you speak deals with how clubs are managed and operated. Am I missing something? If this is an endemic club issue then USMS someone should ask USMS to officially look into this. My concern is that USMS does not have the manpower to mediate on behalf of each club and that most clubs aren’t to keen on mandates from the national office (as occurs in USA-Swimming). Not really to mandate things. There are several things that USMS as a whole can do, starting with promoting itself on the national level, to providing informational tools to the LMSC's and clubs on how to grow and thrive. There are *some* materials to that effect already available, but IMO, they are very limited, and what I'm hearing from 'the trenches' more informational and marketing materials from the USMS to the local areas would be welcomed. I'm going to stay at the conceptual level here on the buletin board, and not get in a lot of detail. I don't know if youl're familiar of not with my getting involved with the marketing comittee at the last convention... Well, there's a lot more that I think our Marketing can accomplish with little less talk and some more focused eforts. Well, we wrote a new marketing plan which targeted some short term efforts. With the governance change, I think we need to follow up with a comprehensive marketing plan that will address the issues that we're talking about in here, and many others. I'm sorry I'm not getting into an elaboration of them all, it's about 15-20 minutes befoire my bedtime. Not the right time of the day to start a comprehensive outline and a point by point xample with ideas on addressing the issues. Connie providing improved products and service to USMS clubs and members is extremely important to me. And I’d be very interested in hearing any solutions that will help our clubs. Well, you will be hearing from me, I'm your current Marketing Vice chair eyeing the marketing chair position, and as I understand you're most likely going to be the next USMS president... So, I expect at some point we'll be talking in a more formal setting, at the convention, or similar, and in much more depth then we can here on the bulletin board. I'm also waiting to see who will be elected as the VP of member services. Anyways, if you're interested, you will be hearing a lot of my ideas, not really my ideas alone, but ideas that I gathered by talking to many people within my LMSC, and some from people outside the LMSC.

Originally posted by Rob Copeland Connie asked “So, which direction does USMS want to take to contribute in trying to remedy this situation?” And without seeming completely ignorant, of which situation specifically do you speak? For the most part, I was trying to keep within context and the issue that knelson brought up, that doesn't seem to be isolated to his area. The issue being that pools appear to be losing ground to either cuts in public support, or because private or semi-private facilities need something other then just swimmers to keep their doors open. I have seen and heard that this is not isolated to a negligable number of incidents. I;ve also seen brand new facilities built and exceed their financial goals within the first year of operation (Like Santa Clarita) and much like our own pool, facility turned over to a self supporting foundation tasked with operating like a private business, and making it, so, I know it's possible. I know there are models of sucessful teams, sucessful facilities out there. Well, what better way to market pools and facilities but to show them now to financially benefit from a masters group. Yea, I know there's a brochure out... Are you talking about club situations or LMSC/national operations situations? It appears the situation of which you speak deals with how clubs are managed and operated. Am I missing something? If this is an endemic club issue then USMS someone should ask USMS to officially look into this. My concern is that USMS does not have the manpower to mediate on behalf of each club and that most clubs aren’t to keen on mandates from the national office (as occurs in USA-Swimming). Not really to mandate things. There are several things that USMS as a whole can do, starting with promoting itself on the national level, to providing informational tools to the LMSC's and clubs on how to grow and thrive. There are *some* materials to that effect already available, but IMO, they are very limited, and what I'm hearing from 'the trenches' more informational and marketing materials from the USMS to the local areas would be welcomed. I'm going to stay at the conceptual level here on the buletin board, and not get in a lot of detail. I don't know if youl're familiar of not with my getting involved with the marketing comittee at the last convention... Well, there's a lot more that I think our Marketing can accomplish with little less talk and some more focused eforts. Well, we wrote a new marketing plan which targeted some short term efforts. With the governance change, I think we need to follow up with a comprehensive marketing plan that will address the issues that we're talking about in here, and many others. I'm sorry I'm not getting into an elaboration of them all, it's about 15-20 minutes befoire my bedtime. Not the right time of the day to start a comprehensive outline and a point by point xample with ideas on addressing the issues. Connie providing improved products and service to USMS clubs and members is extremely important to me. And I’d be very interested in hearing any solutions that will help our clubs. Well, you will be hearing from me, I'm your current Marketing Vice chair eyeing the marketing chair position, and as I understand you're most likely going to be the next USMS president... So, I expect at some point we'll be talking in a more formal setting, at the convention, or similar, and in much more depth then we can here on the bulletin board. I'm also waiting to see who will be elected as the VP of member services. Anyways, if you're interested, you will be hearing a lot of my ideas, not really my ideas alone, but ideas that I gathered by talking to many people within my LMSC, and some from people outside the LMSC.