Dear posters--
My boys swim on a YMCA swim team. Unfortunately the aquatics director is a clueless fool who is hostile to youth swimming. We have a great coach, but the team's ability to grow is severely handicapped because the aquatics director will only allow three lanes in the afternoon for the team. Apparently the Y has a policy to always keep lanes open for lap swimmers. Worse, the YMCA in the neighboring town had to shut down their pool, which left over a hundred boys and girls with no place to swim. Believe it or not, my YMCA (which is independent of Y national) refused to expand its team to accommodate these kids. I am working on a letter to the board of my YMCA asking them to change their policy. I'd like to bring up points related to:
--the benefits of youth swimming
--what's unique about youth swimming compared to other sports
--why a small team (25) diminishes the team experience (relays, etc.)
--any other thoughts
The whole situation is ridiculous and hopefully we can make a persuasive case to the board to change its policy. Thanks so much.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, no, my Y does not have any organized masters swimming program.
Parents
Former Member
Anyhow, to make your case, I'd try to estimate how much revenue the Y would receive from the additional team swimmers. That helps the Y manager understand he is foregoing revenue. (The lap swimmers generate no additional revenue, as their swim privileges are built into the general membership fee.)
I know that if I bought a membership thinking there would always be a lane open for lap swimming and the manager told me that they had rented out the pool to a swim team because I had already paid and the swim team was new revenue I would be upset and this would have an impact on membership renewal rates.
Swimming pools are little like gyms in that the operator would far rather have 500 members that use the facilities occasionally than 100 members that use it for hours every day. Lap swimmers typically pay far far more per hour of actual time in the pool than the club swimmers.
Anyhow, to make your case, I'd try to estimate how much revenue the Y would receive from the additional team swimmers. That helps the Y manager understand he is foregoing revenue. (The lap swimmers generate no additional revenue, as their swim privileges are built into the general membership fee.)
I know that if I bought a membership thinking there would always be a lane open for lap swimming and the manager told me that they had rented out the pool to a swim team because I had already paid and the swim team was new revenue I would be upset and this would have an impact on membership renewal rates.
Swimming pools are little like gyms in that the operator would far rather have 500 members that use the facilities occasionally than 100 members that use it for hours every day. Lap swimmers typically pay far far more per hour of actual time in the pool than the club swimmers.
