"Dara Torres should be the face of United States Masters Swimming"
Brent Rutemiller, October issue Swimming World Magazine
"Of Course, Torres isn't on this trip alone. Aside from the support of Hoffman, her daughter and her coaches, Torres relies on a team. She has a nanny who tends to Tessa, a strength coach, and physical and massage therapists who work her like a piece of dough."
John Lohn, October Swimming World Magazine
With all due respect to Mr. Rutemillier & Mr. Lohn I would suggest that they spend a little more time around the people who not only compete in the meets of our sport but with the people who are the backbone as volunteers in the day to day running of it....Dara's only contribution has been making a few workouts early in her comeback, attending a couple of meets and signing autographs and collecting checks for clinics.
If you want a "face" of Masters Swimming look to Susan Von der Lippe who beat Dara as the first person over 40 to qualify for Trials....and she did it training with a masters team 3x a week...working par time, no nanny, no trainers....no PR person....that to me this is the core of what we are in my opinion.
How about Rob Copeland who somehow manages to run this entire organization, swim extremely well, post on our forum....all without a massage therapist and pilates instructor....again this is what Masters represents...to me.
Dara has done something remarkable for anyone her age... give her credit..but lets see if at some point she wants to time at one of our meets...or be on one of our committee's to help promote masters...without an appearance fee.
Parents
Former Member
Define "valuable"?
Unless you have a clear reason to be a part of USMS I don't think the fact that Dara....training almost exclusively with a USS team....sends any message that would get more people to sign up....if having people sign up is even a goal?
As I stated...if USMS is not providing any tangible benefits to be a part of their organization...individuals will continue to move to their own training groups as many of our tri friends have done...coaches will continue to "self insure" and not require their members to be join USMS....and our numbers will keep dropping off.
Of great importance or service would be the definition implied here. USS uses elite swimmers (Phelps, Hansen, Crocker, etc.) to generate intrest in age group swimming when just a tiny fraction of swimmers will ever make it to their level or even have the opportunity to swim in the same pool. The same idea applies to USMS...desiring to be a part of something that "that swimmer" is part of. I'm not a marketing guru, just presenting some ideas.
Of course having people sign up is a goal. If not to increase membership and revenues, what other purpose would there be to advertise? If there are people in USMS board positions who are reluctant to push for increased membership due to their own lane crowding, then that is sad. Sad for them and sad for USMS as well. I certainly hope this is not the case.
Don't even get me started about people moving over to triathlons. :mooning:
Define "valuable"?
Unless you have a clear reason to be a part of USMS I don't think the fact that Dara....training almost exclusively with a USS team....sends any message that would get more people to sign up....if having people sign up is even a goal?
As I stated...if USMS is not providing any tangible benefits to be a part of their organization...individuals will continue to move to their own training groups as many of our tri friends have done...coaches will continue to "self insure" and not require their members to be join USMS....and our numbers will keep dropping off.
Of great importance or service would be the definition implied here. USS uses elite swimmers (Phelps, Hansen, Crocker, etc.) to generate intrest in age group swimming when just a tiny fraction of swimmers will ever make it to their level or even have the opportunity to swim in the same pool. The same idea applies to USMS...desiring to be a part of something that "that swimmer" is part of. I'm not a marketing guru, just presenting some ideas.
Of course having people sign up is a goal. If not to increase membership and revenues, what other purpose would there be to advertise? If there are people in USMS board positions who are reluctant to push for increased membership due to their own lane crowding, then that is sad. Sad for them and sad for USMS as well. I certainly hope this is not the case.
Don't even get me started about people moving over to triathlons. :mooning:
