Is this the face of Masters Swimming?

Back to the marketing aspect.... I personally think even calling it "Masters Swimming" scares people off. Not to mention the logo, which is a bit dated to say the least. I am a marketing guy, nothing entices me to Masters Swimming other than the fact that I am a swimmer. I think we should look at the USAT model. They have attracted a TON of new participants that I would be willing to bet haven't swam, biked or ran competitively. I believe they did it on the "sense of accomplishment" model. (I think this could also be true for the marathon running craze that has grown by leaps and bounds the last decade) We sit here in USMS with the same logo, message, etc. To the person that said swimming is a shrinking sport. I think you are correct at an age group level. I can only say at the adult level it is growing immensly due to the non impact, full workout that swimming provides. We need to capitalize on that. Change our message and moderninze if we want to grow. Trinkets, insurance, suits, etc. don't do it to attract the common lap swimmer. How do we benefit? More people to train with, social activities, business networking, etc. The same way USAT, cycling and distance running has allowed many benefits as the membership has expanded.

For cripes sakes..... Paul is just throwing out examples of change for USMS to bite on. The details of sponsors and particular services offered can be decided later. Point is, USMS growth is pretty stagnant compared to the general population. PWolf66 is dead on. USS and USMS suffer from the same syndrome. I'm liking the cash prizes idea for Masters Nationals. I like the idea of taking money out of Evil Smith's hands on the last two strokes. Perhaps we should introduce betting into the scheme of things. We can lay down cash with the timers before we get on the blocks. The winner collects from each lane after the race.... :-) As far as a "face" of masters swimming..... Dara just doesn't go to that many masters meets or train full time with a masters team. It doesn't seem logical to imply she is the "face" of masters swimming. She's basically just an extremely old full time USS swimmer. I think Gary Hall has appeared at Masters functions as much or more than her. Neither are really representative of USMS as much as they are of USS. What we need is someone living a true life of mediocrity to represent USMS..... a real average "John Smith"...... :-) John Smith

A day in the life of an average "Masters" swimmer: 4:30 AM - Up and drive a half hour to the only pool in the area that is open that early. (I do this that early because I then have to go to work for 8 hours) 5:15 - 6:30 Get in 3500-4000 SCY 4500 if I am lucky 7:30 At work 1130 - 1230 (1:00 If time permits) Lunchtime swim - Again, lucky to get in 3000-3500 SCY 4000 if I am lucky 4:00 Leave work and go to the pool to coach the kids 6:30ish or 7 Home to eat dinner and make sure all the homework and life stresses for 3 high schoolers and one middle schooler are taken care of. 7:30 Leave me alone - Jeopardy is on!!!! :groovy: 8:00 - 11:00 Watch some TV in between helping with all the homework and stuff 11:00 Usually in bed - sometimes midnight. Up the next day to do it again......this is my M-W-F routine.....T-Th are usually a little different with Soccer practice. And of course the whole thing can be thrown off by somebody missing a ride to one of their activities. Absolutely nothing against Dara......she is truly an inspiration to all of us!!! I even defended her in the other thread about doping......but does she have to deal with this type of stuff daily like most of us do? What, no massage?

I think the face of Masters Swimming should be ALL of us. We all swim for different reasons. We have all had obstacles we have had to overcome to swim..... or swimming has helped us through life's obstacles. I will never forget when I was getting ready to swim the 100 free at Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale. I was soooo nervous and really putting the pressure on myself. I sat by the pool and watched the first heat of the 100 free. These women were 80-90 years old, They had to have help getting on the blocks but they all did RACING DIVES and FLIP TURNS. It literally brought tears to my eyes. I want to be like that when I am that age. It totally put things in perspective for me.....that I needed to lighten up and just have fun. So, maybe our "face" should be someone like that!

However, from all of the masters swimmers and even runners, cyclists, and triathletes that I know, many would be eliminated from being considered the "face" of their sport due to working with a team of people to enhance performance. I would estimate that of the adults that I know, about half of them work with some combination of a trainer, massage therapist, physical therapist, chiropractor, pilates or yoga instructor, nutritionist, etc. So, I feel Dara's getting a bit of a bad rap in that area. I know that I was surprised to find that some of the masters individuals I swim with (and this goes for 50 and 60+ yr individuals) have acupuncturists, yoga instructors, pilates classes, and weight trainers. Now, they don't go around advertising this info. It does make sense to me as to why they are so quick in the pool . . . I'm sure there are swimmers out there who are fabulous and they just swim (I know of a few). But usually, there are specific reasons as to why some swimmers are so quick in the pool. Kristina: I've observed the same thing, which is why I started the "professional masters swimmer" thread awhile back. Obviously, loads of masters swimmers seek some help to keep themselves in the pool or enhance performance. Good for them! No one should begrudge anyone in their pursuit of excellence or improvement. I wish I could do more myself! I'm sure many of the top athletes in our sport have some sort of team, as you note. I do see ART/prolo docs once in awhile for shoulder management and get a couple massages a year. But I mostly train alone and hit the weight room alone and have no team whatsoever. It's not a big deal. I'm happy with just being able to train and compete once in awhile. I am damn jealous of those getting weekly massages though ... Seems like this issue calls for a poll to see what masters swimmers are engaging in what activities to make themselves better in the pool. I like Stud's idea of across the board representation. We are all different and have different stories, different lives, different goals, different obstacles, etc. Celebrate diversity. I just don't think Dara is THE one face.

If cash prizes are offered, we must have drug testing. I think any sponsors that put up the cash will insist that the winners are clean (or at least test clean). I generally do not like the idea of raising the stakes like this. I agree with the comments about USMS marketing. The logo is boring. I would put a cool decal on my car but the existing logo is not. I agree the clinics presents some logistic challenges. But I have to believe that in key cities - USMS could convince local nationally renowned coaches or athletic achievement experts to speak to a USMS audience. Some here know Eddie Reese. Wouldn't he agree to something like this? One thing about Masters - is that we are adults, and in general can pay for things. This isn't like USS - where we must more forcefully provide opportunities for children with few resources. I would pay money to hear Eddie Reese or Dave Marsh or Richard Quick.

I don't know about the $$$ angle. If you spread 10,000 through all the age groups, is it really worth it? Is that the reason to compete? Maybe for the younger kids out of college ... I get just as jazzed up for a grudge race as for winning a few dollars. I guess I wouldn't turn down a free suit though. One reason to grow membership is to have more meets and opportunities for meets, whether actual, or postal or virtual. Swimming seems to have a very entrenched lap swimmer/fitness swimmer non-competing mindset. And health, in and of itself, is a great goal. But I wonder why the enormous anti-competition bias in our sport? I fully understand that fundamentally some people dislike competition, and, if it's that, that's perfectly fine. But this certainly doesn't seem to be the mindset in running or triathlon or cycling. In those sports, anybody and his brother -- no matter how slow -- seems happy and eager to enter a race. Newbies embrace races. Newbies start to keep training logs and prepare for races. But not so much in swimming. Is it because it's so "dull?" Is it because it's too difficult and technique oriented? Or, unlike running where you just walk out the door, is it just too time-consuming to get to practices and meets? I guess I just wish more masters swimmer would try meets. They might find they like them. Or not. But if Dara Torres were THE face, that would not provide the incentive to reverse the relative lack of competitive swimmers. I wholly agree with swoomer on that score. It's not just about elite swimmers. Paul: Don't stop with college campuses. Very few people seem to know what masters swimming is or that it exists. How about flyers and information in every health club and rec center too?

I might be wrong here (probably not though :) ) but it seems like many cycling races, triathlons, and runs provide an opportunity to take in some new scenery. This means that not only are you seeing new sights and hearing new sounds but you are challenged by different hills, turns, surfaces, etc.. On the other hand, I can tell you what the pool is going to be like at every USMS meet across the country. Could this also have something to do with cycling and triathlons getting far more airtime than swimming? Maybe. That's one reason I like running. But swimming has variety too. We've got 5 strokes, including butterfrog, we've got different race differences, meets in different locales, sprint meets, OW meets, postal challenges, etc. In the summer, and in CA, there are outdoor pools. Plenty for everyone to choose from according to ability and preference.

They would have to participate in a few meets per year as proof of membership as well as an indicator of general health? :D Nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe swim a 100 free in a certain time limit. School kids have a national standard in Phys.Ed. for example...for running the mile in less than a specific time (depending on age). I can't tell if you're joking, QS. I've often heard here that "master's swimming is for everyone" or "master's swimming is about fitness" or "you don't have to compete to be in master's swimming". If you require meet participation or any "time trials", you'll chase away more people than you'll recruit. But maybe that's all part of your diabolical plan....

I think Dara makes a great poster child for masters swimming, but the face of masters swimming to me is more a regular joe. How about: :fish2:the person on some small, unknown team that doesn't have any meet swimmers who just learned how to swim 2 months ago and just learned how to do a flip turn? :fish2:the US Army vet home from iraq minus a leg looking for some alternative rehabilitation so he may go back to the front lines? :fish2:your local masters coach who took a floundering program and built it into a local fitness mecca? :fish2:80+ yr old Doug Strong, who despite the fact that he may DQ, will swim the 200 fly at every nationals he can make?