May/June cover of USMS Swimmer

Originally posted by aquageek Wrong, again. Core never means majority, never has. The core is the smaller but central part, not the majority. Pick up an apple if the concept remains foreign. You will frequently hear that a group that alientates it's core is in dire straights. I'm with gull80, proud to be part of the core that trains hard and competes. I would also hazard a guess the core group does more for USMS than the rest by promoting the sport, flying to meets, participating in non USMS events and talking up USMS, etc. It's that 20% that does 80% of the heavy lifting, pretty much the case across any organization, matter of fact it is referred to as the 80/20 rule. So, you decide, take the 20% out that do meets and bust their butts for USMS in return for 20% of noodlers who will do absolutely nothing for us. Pick one. I guess it depends on how you view USMS. I don't see it as just a means for competition. I think you are overinflating the benefit that USMS competitors have on the organization as a whole. Certainly they provide a benefit but so do all of the swimmers who attend workouts, pay their dues, improve their health, but never attend a meet. Without the annual dues of the non-competitors where would the competitors be left? You would be left with a rather small organization with insufficient funds to promote the events currently on the roster. I agree that the competitors are the core of the online forum group. However, I think that the fitness/non-competitive group do just as much good for the organization by bringing others to their workouts in hopes of adding friends to their routine. You and Gull are coming from the competitive side and I am coming from the fitness side (although I do compete a few times a year). I am just trying to be accomodating to other members because it is the fair thing to do and it has very little impact on my USMS membership or how I use it. I will read the issue when it arrives and if it is lacking any information about lap swimming or competition I will allow you to serve me up a heaping dish of crow. ;)

Originally posted by aquageek Wrong, again. Core never means majority, never has. The core is the smaller but central part, not the majority. Pick up an apple if the concept remains foreign. You will frequently hear that a group that alientates it's core is in dire straights. I'm with gull80, proud to be part of the core that trains hard and competes. I would also hazard a guess the core group does more for USMS than the rest by promoting the sport, flying to meets, participating in non USMS events and talking up USMS, etc. It's that 20% that does 80% of the heavy lifting, pretty much the case across any organization, matter of fact it is referred to as the 80/20 rule. So, you decide, take the 20% out that do meets and bust their butts for USMS in return for 20% of noodlers who will do absolutely nothing for us. Pick one. I guess it depends on how you view USMS. I don't see it as just a means for competition. I think you are overinflating the benefit that USMS competitors have on the organization as a whole. Certainly they provide a benefit but so do all of the swimmers who attend workouts, pay their dues, improve their health, but never attend a meet. Without the annual dues of the non-competitors where would the competitors be left? You would be left with a rather small organization with insufficient funds to promote the events currently on the roster. I agree that the competitors are the core of the online forum group. However, I think that the fitness/non-competitive group do just as much good for the organization by bringing others to their workouts in hopes of adding friends to their routine. You and Gull are coming from the competitive side and I am coming from the fitness side (although I do compete a few times a year). I am just trying to be accomodating to other members because it is the fair thing to do and it has very little impact on my USMS membership or how I use it. I will read the issue when it arrives and if it is lacking any information about lap swimming or competition I will allow you to serve me up a heaping dish of crow. ;)