"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.
Hmmm....I disagree with most of what Paul Smith posted.
Dan...glad to hear it...that means you have your own specific ideas on what needs to be done so please share more of them. The only way we are ever going to b able to define what USMS is will be through debate!
Now to your point about insurance, goggles, suits, etc having no appeal to you but paying for Eddie Reese to give a talk thats all great. But you are missing many years of a very clear "mission" if you will from USMS....and that has been a very inclusive, fitness based organization that is not primarily interested in meets....remember that I think less than 10% of registered members compete.
So...if we stay that course and decide we do want to grow than its logical to assume that growth would come from primarily fitness/lap swimmers not competition focused swimmers...I would argue than that any "trinkets" or give backs would probably mean quite a bit to these folks.
If however we want to try and build on your primary interest which is racing than we will need to focus on a smaller organization and that would mean less funding which means higher dues...but you still need to get the interest of those folks as well...I would suggest a very focused campaign to try and tap into high school kids graduating who maybe are not attending college but would like to continue training/competing, or recent college grads.....both groups have little if any money and I again argue that give backs, goodies, etc. are a lure.
For us old farts maybe those things are not such a good draw.....who knows?
"Subvert the Dominant Paradigm"
Hmmm....I disagree with most of what Paul Smith posted.
Dan...glad to hear it...that means you have your own specific ideas on what needs to be done so please share more of them. The only way we are ever going to b able to define what USMS is will be through debate!
Now to your point about insurance, goggles, suits, etc having no appeal to you but paying for Eddie Reese to give a talk thats all great. But you are missing many years of a very clear "mission" if you will from USMS....and that has been a very inclusive, fitness based organization that is not primarily interested in meets....remember that I think less than 10% of registered members compete.
So...if we stay that course and decide we do want to grow than its logical to assume that growth would come from primarily fitness/lap swimmers not competition focused swimmers...I would argue than that any "trinkets" or give backs would probably mean quite a bit to these folks.
If however we want to try and build on your primary interest which is racing than we will need to focus on a smaller organization and that would mean less funding which means higher dues...but you still need to get the interest of those folks as well...I would suggest a very focused campaign to try and tap into high school kids graduating who maybe are not attending college but would like to continue training/competing, or recent college grads.....both groups have little if any money and I again argue that give backs, goodies, etc. are a lure.
For us old farts maybe those things are not such a good draw.....who knows?
"Subvert the Dominant Paradigm"
