New Financial Plan and Adjustments for the Future

Dear Jillian,

The COVID-19 pandemic has showed us that none of us know what the future holds. After extensive planning for a celebration of U.S. Masters Swimming's 50th anniversary and robust campaigns to promote USMS and attract new members throughout 2020 Olympic year, we find ourselves in an entirely unexpected state.

However, USMS coaches, members, and volunteers have responded by keeping social connections with teammates through online channels, creatively finding and sharing ways to stay healthy and fit, and working together to develop ideas on how to safely return to the water when time is appropriate. In some areas, that time is now, but for others it is still on the horizon. And despite the unknowns we face we must continue to adjust to our current circumstances while also preparing for the future.  

During the month of April, I worked with the Finance Committee and the Board of Directors to revise the USMS strategies and financial plan for the remainder of 2020. During that process, we also began to discuss 2021 and beyond. It should be noted that USMS continues to have a healthy financial position, despite revenue and membership shortfalls already realized in 2020. But as we look forward, difficult decisions had to be made to keep USMS healthy, including a reduction in staff.  

The revised 2020 USMS financial plan approved by the Finance Committee and ultimately the Board of Directors included the elimination of nearly all travel for the remainder of 2020, among numerous other expense reductions. These moves are out of concern for the health and safety of staff, contractors, and volunteers. They were also in the best interest of USMS financially. Expense reductions primarily impacted our national Administration, ALTS, and Club and Coach Development budgets (i.e., coach certification, club visits).

However, the lack of travel doesn’t eliminate club and coach support from the equation. In fact, the changes present a platform to offer increased support to our clubs and coaches through better use of our volunteer structure and expert coaches in their local areas. The next six to eight months provide a unique opportunity to reflect on our priorities and develop the structure for the future.  

Below, I’ve outlined immediate steps USMS is taking to continue to support members, clubs, coaches, volunteers, and events; initial thoughts on a longer-term vision to support USMS coaches; and updates on other relevant long-term planning.

Immediate Action

• USMS will continue to provide and update resources for coaches to provide ideas on how to engage club members away from the pool, navigate changing health guidance and facility regulations, and assist in getting their clubs restarted when appropriate. This will include sharing best practices and findings from clubs that are the first to restart with those still planning their return to the water.
• Volunteer Central, the online section of the usms.org that contains all pertinent information for USMS volunteers, has been redesigned with the guidance of our president and other volunteers. You’ll find the navigation is more intuitive and user friendly. Volunteer Central will be accessible through the footer of any content page, just as previous volunteer content has been. A tutorial has been created in case you need some guidance to help with the new design. 
• Resources for members will continue to be updated regularly.  
• Added to Volunteer Central is a section with Volunteer Info related to COVID-19. This section will be updated as new information is available. 
• We are taking the first steps to create coach certification opportunities via distance learning as an alternative while we develop a new coach support structure. There are currently 100 USMS clubs that would be Gold Clubs but only lack a certified coach. We will be offering those clubs Level 1 training online for free. This will also elevate those clubs to Gold status and allow them to receive the additional associated benefits.

Vision for the Future

USMS needs to do more to efficiently and effectively support its coaches and add more clubs to provide additional opportunities for adults to swim. A vision for this new model has been in development for some time. Our previous structure of club development and coach support was a great initial step for USMS, but we can and will do more. It is time to evolve. That evolution will take place over the next six months, requiring input from many volunteers and the expertise of USMS coaches around the country. 

• We can build club and coach programming that recruits coaches, provides initial and continuing training opportunities, and offers robust ongoing support for coaches.  
• We can provide an entry to USMS coaching immediately when there is interest. Face-to-face communication and personal relationships are important and will be incorporated in the plan, when appropriate again. 
• We can incorporate more communication with USMS coaching experts (including in person) and blend digital training tools and resources to provide greater support on an ongoing basis.  
• We can build a database of facilities that currently lack Masters programming and a strategy to target those with the most promise to start a club. 
• We can better identify promising USMS coaches and match them with available coaching positions or facilities in need of Masters programming.  
• We can provide more relevant and engaging trainings, seminars, and other forms of engagement for USMS membership while focusing training for coaches on their specific needs.  
• We will continue to support Adult Learn-to-Swim efforts and USMS Swimming Saves Lives Foundation grant programs. SSLF fundraising efforts have been paused for the time being, and we’ll consider the best approach to ALTS programming for the future, in parallel with club and coach efforts. In the interim, USMS will provide any support necessary for ALTS instructors or programs that may be able to offer lessons.

It continues to be a privilege to serve USMS’s members. I remain excited and optimistic for the future of USMS. But we have much work to adjust to new norms and to change to meet the evolving needs of USMS members. I look forward to working with all of you on building strategies to address our new challenges.  

Please feel free to send any questions, suggestions, or concerns to me directly or call me.  

Thank you for everything you do to support USMS and our members.  

Dawson Hughes 
CEO | U.S. Masters Swimming 
dhughes@usmastersswimming.org 
(941) 556-6270 

This email was sent to all national- and local-level volunteers.