All,
I'm thinking about attending convention in three weeks. My reasons are several but most important is that I want to become more involved in USMS and I figure the best way to find out how/what/when/where is to attend convention.
Does this make sense? Would it be worthwhile?
Paul
Paul and Doug,
I applaud getting involved at the local level and it sounds as if your LMSC and its swimmers are well served by your efforts.
In his Vision & Action Plan, Butcher points to the coach as the single most important person in the member experience and it is hard to argue. How much more local can you get than for the LMSC to support good coaching for everyone who wants it? All you have to do is look at the many views of Ande's advice/blog threads to see that there is a lot of hunger for such information, and I don't think it comes only from those who want to compete.
But negative comments towards the national organization do a great disservice to many people like Rob Copeland, Mark Gill, Mary Beth Windrath and many many others who put in A LOT of time and whose efforts that directly benefit all USMS members. You act as if your LMSC is not beholden at all to USMS and it just isn't true. (And if USMS can and should serve you better, help make it happen.)
Do you like USMS Swimmer magazine? This web site and the fora? Online registration? Top ten lists? The list goes on and it isn't just about competition. What's more, I really like the way Butcher writes in his document about how USMS can better serve ALL of its members (not just habitual competitors), and good energetic people are needed to make it happen, acting at many scales not just the local.
Fine if you don't have the patience or mentality to contribute at the national level but don't denigrate the efforts of those who do by statements like "there are some good ideas that get implemented at glacial speed" (forgive the paraphrase, but that is the essence of the two of your comments).
Paul and Doug,
I applaud getting involved at the local level and it sounds as if your LMSC and its swimmers are well served by your efforts.
In his Vision & Action Plan, Butcher points to the coach as the single most important person in the member experience and it is hard to argue. How much more local can you get than for the LMSC to support good coaching for everyone who wants it? All you have to do is look at the many views of Ande's advice/blog threads to see that there is a lot of hunger for such information, and I don't think it comes only from those who want to compete.
But negative comments towards the national organization do a great disservice to many people like Rob Copeland, Mark Gill, Mary Beth Windrath and many many others who put in A LOT of time and whose efforts that directly benefit all USMS members. You act as if your LMSC is not beholden at all to USMS and it just isn't true. (And if USMS can and should serve you better, help make it happen.)
Do you like USMS Swimmer magazine? This web site and the fora? Online registration? Top ten lists? The list goes on and it isn't just about competition. What's more, I really like the way Butcher writes in his document about how USMS can better serve ALL of its members (not just habitual competitors), and good energetic people are needed to make it happen, acting at many scales not just the local.
Fine if you don't have the patience or mentality to contribute at the national level but don't denigrate the efforts of those who do by statements like "there are some good ideas that get implemented at glacial speed" (forgive the paraphrase, but that is the essence of the two of your comments).
