Try Masters Swimming Club Information
Welcome prospective swimmers to your club in January and August

Try Masters Swimming is our campaign to introduce adults to the benefits of swimming with a USMS club. Have your club ready to host new swimmers in January and August.

Here is how two clubs had such a successful campaign.

Clubs will offer at least two FREE workouts during January and August. This change was made based on survey data from both prospective swimmers and clubs showing that two or more workouts helped sell the prospective swimmer on joining the club. 

New for 2023, we will only be running ads and sending mailed boxes for Gold Clubs that have confirmed participation through a double opt-in form. See the list of participating clubs and workout groups from July 2023. 

How Does Try Masters Swimming Work?

USMS will run a nationwide advertising campaign from Dec. 27–Jan. 25 and July 27–August 25 targeted to people who have an interest in swimming within a roughly 10-mile radius of a Gold Club's location. The goal is to get them to try at least two free workouts in January and August.

Participating clubs have opted in during club registration/update process to offer at least two free workouts during Try Masters Swimming. This campaign will drive potential members to our trial membership form, which will only list participating clubs. Once potential members have filled out the form and selected your club for their free workouts, an email will be sent to your club contact with their information so you can reach out to them with information about your club, when the practices are, and any special instructions. (We'll also send a confirmation email to the potential members with the club contact and coach CC'd on it as a backup, but you should reach out first.)

Gold Clubs that cannot commit to participation during both of the Try Masters Swimming campaigns will lose their Gold Club designation for the remainder of the year. 

How Can My Club Take Part?

This is what you need to do to be a part of Try Masters Swimming:

1. Sign up to participate in Try Masters Swimming through the club registration/profile process.
2. Confirm participation by completing a double opt-in form (for Gold Clubs only). 
3. We recommend picking a couple of workouts a week during January and August as the free workouts designed to be welcoming and fun for new swimmers or have all workouts available to new swimmers, whichever is more convenient and fits your club's structure.
4. Promote Try Masters Swimming at your facility, and encourage your members to bring friends, family, and co-workers to a workout.
5. Have your club contact respond within 24-48 hours to the potential member inquiry that will be emailed to them with the appropriate information.
6. Create an amazing experience for potential members at your workouts.
7. Follow up with them after their workouts.

*Participating in Try Masters Swimming is one of the Gold Club Designation criteria.

Timelines

January

• Nov. 15, 2023 - double opt-in process begins
• Dec. 1, 2023 - digital toolboxes available
• Dec. 10, 2023 - double opt in ends (must fill out the double opt-in form by today)
• Dec. 27, 2023 - mailed boxes will start to arrive
• Dec. 27, 2023 - ads begin
• Jan. 25, 2024 - ads end

August

• June 15, 2024 - double opt-in process begins
• July 1, 2024 - digital toolboxes available
• July 9, 2024 - double opt-in ends (must fill out the double opt in form by today)
• July 27, 2024 - mailed boxes will start to arrive
• July 27, 2024 - ads begin
• August 25, 2024 - ads end

What Resources Are Available to My Club?

All participating clubs will have access to a digital toolbox that contains the following:

1. Best practices document 
2. Poster to hang at your facility
3. Flyer to hang at your facility
4. Press release to send to local media
5. Sample website text for your club's website
6. Email templates to potential members, your facility, and your current members
7. Social media sharables
8. USMS logos 

Gold Clubs who requested a mailed box will also receive:

1. USMS caps
2. USMS decals
3. TRISWIM samples

And, as always, you can email us.

Why January and August?

January

1. Many people choose starting a fitness routine as their New Year's resolution.
2. New members will get a full year's worth of benefits.
3. Surveys indicated this was a desirable time for both clubs and potential members

August (for 2024)/July

1. Many seasonal pools begin opening up for the summer in late May and early June, so there will be more pools open and more space available.
2. USMS's Year-Plus membership starts July 1. This is the membership that includes the rest of 2023 and all of 2024 for a discounted price, which is attractive to new members.
3. The Summer Olympics start on July 26. The pool swimming takes place from July 27-August 4 and that usually gets much of the general public's attention around our sport. 
   1.  In non-Olympic years, the campaign will run in July.