“Michael’s vision is to increase swimming in the US"
Former Member
Ok - Phelps is at the top of his career and his popularity - How could he (or anybody else working with him) help to improve swimming in the United States ?
What do we need - grassroot swimcamps ? A Michael Phelps US swimming tour ? Phelps racing various people around the country ?
Can we get 5000 people into a pool + TV coverage for a Lochte + Peirsol vs Phelps showdown ? I am certain Track and Field will have some big money races in Europe following the Olympis. How much would somebody pay to have Phelps race Cavic in 3 weeks ?
A few individuals have brought something back from the dead, or created a new life form, as it were. Bat Conservation International basically grew out of one man's getting fed up with the bad rep bats got. Citizen scientists have helped many marginal areas stay afloat and become popular. Music camps gave an extended life to bluegrass in its second coming. So I think participatory engagement might be key.
I think M. Phelps might benefit from huddling with Paul Newman (Hole in the Wall Gang camps) and also the retired tennis player (name escapes me). That would be a terrific legacy: a swim camp network for orthopedically challenged kids. In addition to everything else, such as DVDs, swim camps, master classes, ribbon cutting.... The SI cover is very nice and might pull more sustained interest than otherwise; depends on whether the notion of swimming gets fixed in the popular imagination. The TV coverage of M. Phelps should certainly help whatever he does.
Although Phelps is still on the young side to think about such things, I hope he starts a foundation and uses part of the oomph to keep college swimming programs going, as well as the city pools that are being shut down right and left.
A few individuals have brought something back from the dead, or created a new life form, as it were. Bat Conservation International basically grew out of one man's getting fed up with the bad rep bats got. Citizen scientists have helped many marginal areas stay afloat and become popular. Music camps gave an extended life to bluegrass in its second coming. So I think participatory engagement might be key.
I think M. Phelps might benefit from huddling with Paul Newman (Hole in the Wall Gang camps) and also the retired tennis player (name escapes me). That would be a terrific legacy: a swim camp network for orthopedically challenged kids. In addition to everything else, such as DVDs, swim camps, master classes, ribbon cutting.... The SI cover is very nice and might pull more sustained interest than otherwise; depends on whether the notion of swimming gets fixed in the popular imagination. The TV coverage of M. Phelps should certainly help whatever he does.
Although Phelps is still on the young side to think about such things, I hope he starts a foundation and uses part of the oomph to keep college swimming programs going, as well as the city pools that are being shut down right and left.
