The State of Master Swimming.

Cut and pasted from the USMS Guide To Operations: Combined Meets With the consent of all (co-)hosting teams and the LSC and LMSC, a combined meet may be sanctioned by both USA Swimming and USMS and all swimmers competing according to USA Swimming rules. This mechanism allows the meet host(s) to seed the event as they normally would, based upon times, with USA Swimming and USMS members combined in heats without specific lanes allocated to one organization or the other. There are restrictions however. A divider must separate members of each organization. A lane line is sufficient to achieve the separation. This does preclude, for example, swimming two-to-a-lane with a member of each organization in the same lane. Warm-up and warm-down should be conducted in separate lanes. Relay teams must consist of members of the same organization.

I've been told that there are very few USMS members who actually take part in this forum. Reading and or posting. That might be true, but I think it is still a pretty good sampling of our USMS membership. Haggling over swim meet fees and rules doesn't address bringing a lot of new USMS members. The issue of whether or not the cost is free or $40.+ comes up in my friend's proposal only because there are potential members who have no understanding yet of all the terrific value and benefits USMS has to offer. And in some cases, they will never know or listen to a pitch until they join and see for themselves. Many have spent years: - in lap swim lanes - training on their own for triathlons - thinking about getting into a swim program - trying to recover from an injury - lonely and looking for active companionship - considering coming back to a sport left years ago - without motivation or self-esteem to begin alone ETC... I think a lot of masters coaches will understand what we're talking about here. Some of us swim or have swum in masters programs as members of USMS for years. I've been here for nearly 30 years. We can't see the big deal about any cost or fee because we have experienced the good stuff. Maybe you were one of those swimmers who were forced to join USMS to swim on your club. Or maybe you just thought "oh what the heck, $40. bucks is no big deal" and just signed up. GREAT! But it is not the case for all. Think outside the box - outside of your own situation. Consider a swimmer in the lap lanes who is perfectly happy there, but isn't all that comfortable swimming. He would like to attend a clinic to learn how to smooth out his stroke and breathe easier but has no idea such a thing even exists. With a free USMS membership, he receives a regular swim information email. He is invited to attend a paid swim clinic one weekend. His stroke is transformed. He can breathe and swim further without stopping so often. Suddenly swimming with that masters club on the other side of the pool seems possible like never before. I think there are thousands of lap swimmers out there like this guy. And I am surprised every day that USMS isn't over at least 100,000 members. For me, it's the beyond the best coached fitness opportunity available. But I sell it every day as a coach and a swimmer, so I know what we're dealing with recruiting new members. My friend thinks this idea would give USMS not 100,000 members, but 500,000. That would sure make me happy.

Haggling over swim meet fees and rules doesn't address bringing a lot of new USMS members. The issue of whether or not the cost is free or $40.+ comes up in my friend's proposal only because there are potential members who have no understanding yet of all the terrific value and benefits USMS has to offer. And in some cases, they will never know or listen to a pitch until they join and see for themselves. Many have spent years: A - in lap swim lanes B - training on their own for triathlons C - thinking about getting into a swim program D - trying to recover from an injury E - lonely and looking for active companionship F - considering coming back to a sport left years ago G - without motivation or self-esteem to begin alone ETC... Not trying to be argumentative or haggle with you here Ahelee, but I've got a different opinion of those not included in group "C", above. I don't think free is going to get them out of their comfort zone regardless. Most programs already allow a "free" tryout period of a week, give or take. And, USMS allows 30 days "free" membership to start out with so I am having difficulty understanding why they aren't flocking to the existing programs already. Some of those subsets have problems going far beyond membership costs and no matter what you or I or the collective "we" do, will get them motivated to seek out training opportunities beyond what they are already experiencing.

What PV did a while back was have the PVS (USA-S) meets automatically recognized by PVLMSC. It wasn't a true dual sanction (a dual sanction would mean you could enter the PVS meet as a USMS member). You still had to be a fully registered USA-S member to enter the PVS meet; but if you were also USMS registered it meant your times could get submitted for masters recognition. But a few years ago when we had to start turning in pool measurement and bulkhead cert forms for our times to be official, we did away with adding the automatic recognition to PVS meets. Not sure if all of this makes sense, but just wanted to clarify we didn't actually have dual sanctioned meets in PV. I've heard of meets like that but I think you have to have separate heats for masters and for USA-S. Ah, perhaps so. I recall Bill Marlin telling me a LC meet I swam in a few years ago was dual sanctioned. But he may have intended your meaning. Another LC meet I entered he told me he had considered applying for a masters sanction, but there wasn't time. Like Floyd, I swam in a meet in NC a couple years ago that was, in fact, officially dual sanctioned. We did have a separate warm up lane. Unfortunately, the meet director failed to submit the times of the masters swimmers to USMS.

Most programs already allow a "free" tryout period of a week, give or take. And, USMS allows 30 days "free" membership to start out with so I am having difficulty understanding why they aren't flocking to the existing programs already. So... what exactly is happening in those first free days training at the club? In general that is. Not asking about the great clubs with motivated coaches who send welcome material, offer 101 Clinics and have open welcoming swimmers in the lanes. What if the new swimmer shows up to a club where swimmers split lanes and they get angry they now have to circle swim because of the new guy? What if the coach or coaches never ask the new swimmer about their reason for swimming or goals set in joining the club? The only way for a program offering Free USMS Membership to work is if masters coaches who want to build their clubs, step up their game - A LOT. This is a small piece of an email I received from my friend laying out his idea: "THE LAP SWIMMERS - FREE USMS membership! We go after every adult possible. They get weekly swim newsletters on tips from coaches across the USA. Coaches and USMS experts should fall all over themselves to do this. This new data base would be 500k lap swimmers in half a year if marketed well. You ask me how: Go after USMS clubs to do the work (they benefit!!!) Groups and Associations: Every USA Tri FREE! Every USA-S alumni FREE! Every USA-S Parent FREE! Every former USMS FREE! Every Cyclist/Runner in their associations FREE! Every Parks & Rec person in the Nat association FREE (and they get literature to get it to their pools) Offer it to AARP FREE! College Coaches Assoc. and their Alumni FREE. USA High Schools coaches and their alumni FREE! City Colleges FREE! YMCA swimmers FREE! Jewish Community Centers (one former swimmer is CEO – now in NY). Give each and every Masters team and swimmers the means to market and spread the word that it is FREE!!! FREE workouts, tips and swimming news." I still say free is good, especially for 1st year members.

If everyone is free, according to your friend, where would USMS get money to run the association? Post #20 on this thread Wookie: Rob Butcher is a sales guy - he knows how to sell masters swimming. Challenge Rob to do what he does best - sell his sport. There is a potentially great USMS Club & Coach Development Team. Challenge this team to put a club in every possible town that has a pool. And then assist the head coach to learn how to sign up new USMS members. And - sign them up for free with a confirmed email/address! Even if they do not join the local club right away. A new member might be sold when they attend their first USMS Clinic. Start bringing USMS Clinics and events at the most novice of levels to these areas - and charge $$ for them. Make $$ by charging for clinics & events & sponsorship, not dues. Other options: #1 first year USMS membership is free #2 very low dues (not as likely to succeed) And from Post #27 The greatest asset USMS, it's clubs and coaches could have for revenue is direct leads to people who like or need to swim.

Making something free automatically cheapens the value of the product. It is also what desperate organizations do to simply increase numbers. USMS is not a cheap organization and is not in a desperate state. $40 is no barrier to anyone wishing to join. $0 would do quite little for the organization as a whole.

Haggling over swim meet fees and rules doesn't address bringing a lot of new USMS members. The issue of whether or not the cost is free or $40.+ comes up in my friend's proposal only because there are potential members who have no understanding yet of all the terrific value and benefits USMS has to offer. And in some cases, they will never know or listen to a pitch until they join and see for themselves. WHY do they "have no understanding" of what USMS can do for them? I don't see why they have to join for that. Sounds like you basically want to divert 75% of USMS revenue into what is effectively an advertising campaign. I also disagree with some of your basic premises: -- that if the typical rec/lap swimmer only knew (more) about USMS they'd join in a heartbeat -- that every adult swimmer in the US would benefit from USMS membership -- that it is beneficial to USMS that every adult swimmer in the US become a member. I know a lot of people who know all about USMS and choose not to be members. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you know what? Much as I love it, USMS isn't for everyone. And it can't do all things for all people, either. Lots of people jog. Are they all members of the masters version of USATF (whatever that is)? USMS membership is affordable. We should continue to strive to make it an even better product, keep it affordable, and get the word out. Every indication is that Rob & co are doing just that; +25% in 3 years isn't shabby at all. Heck, Dara Torres probably did more advertising for masters swimming than anything mentioned in this thread.

USMS already charges for clinics(ie swimfest), nationals(open/poo). There are teams that charge extra for clinics that aren't part of the normal montly fees. Companies that want to sponsor USMS are charged a fee. That fee is based upon what type of sponsor a company wants to be. Again, if USMS drops the $40/year fee(which is cheap for the value that members get) where will USMS make up the lost money from the 50,000 plus members? I agree with Geek that if the fee was $0, the value of USMS membership would become seriously questionable. What worthy organization charges $0 for membership? Hey, let's not be talking "poo" here, okay? :D

Making something free automatically cheapens the value of the product. It is also what desperate organizations do to simply increase numbers. USMS is not a cheap organization and is not in a desperate state. $40 is no barrier to anyone wishing to join. $0 would do quite little for the organization as a whole. Maybe so Geek. But I think masters swimming can help the desperate state of a lot of our communities: Pools are closing Swim Programs are closing Swim Coaches don't have large enough programs to be a "full-time professional coach" Triathletes are racing unsafely Americans are out of shape and obese Depression is rampant Senior citizens are inactive slowing them down faster How many adults still need or would like to learn how to swim? Kids needs to see adults leading an active fit lifestyle as an example Add to the list... USMS can certainly do their part to spread the love. 1st year free.