Exploring Sustainable Pool Models: Balancing Subsidies and Private Sector Initiatives in Aquatics

Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, #40. Innovative Pool and Team Management: Leveraging Private Sector and Community Partnerships

Enhancing Aquatic Programs: Integrating Fitness and Health for Sustainable Pool Operations

Insightful discussion with Swim OGs, Mick and Sue Nelson, as they delve into the challenges and solutions surrounding pool, team and aquatic management, planning and programming. Discover how innovative approaches can transform the future of swimming facilities.

• Explore the financial fears and sustainability issues of subsidized pool models.

• Learn about the role of private sector and entrepreneurial coaches in pool management.

• Understand the importance of bridging the gap between swim schools and high school programs.

• Discover strategies for effective use of underutilized pools across the country.

• Gain insights into drowning prevention and the broader impact on aquatic health and wellness.

Don't forget to subscribe for more episodes and join the conversation! Introduction of Sue happened on #37. 

More artwork on the Substack pages. See https://Substack.com/@rauterkus.
Total Aquatic Programming is at https://TotalAquatics.llc 

 

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Experience the Adventure of Open Water Swimming with ISCA's Events + Stroke Counting

Open water swimming insights from the International Swim Coaches Association's upcoming festivals.

Discover why these events are more than just races and how they can enhance your swimming skills.

• Overview of the East Coast Open Water Festival and the new Jamestown Open Water Festival.

• Detailed race formats, including The Great Knockout and family-friendly options.

• Comprehensive safety measures and protocols in place for participants.

• Benefits of open water swimming, from endurance to mental resilience.

• Practical tips for transitioning from pool swimming to open water challenges.

Join us as we explore the opportunities these festivals offer to swimmers of all ages and abilities.

 

 

 

Learn More & Sign Up

Plus, Andrew Sheaff, coach, author, consultant, shares some insights on a great tip that can be applied to everyone’s swimming.

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Publishers' mindset

Guy hits a home run. 

Some sports talk here too. 

People of sports are different.

But, he says a couple of bad words.

Fwd: Momentum is Building! New Coaching HER® Champions + Menstrual Health Modules Now Live

Meet the newest Coaching HER® Champions and see how we're growing, together.

View in browser NEW Champions   l   NEW Menstrual Health Content   l  Website   l   FREE COURSES Meet the newest Coaching HER® Champions We're thrilled to welcome several new Coaching HER® Champions—organizations that are stepping up to create more inclusive, girl-centered sports environments. These partners are investing in the well-being, confidence, and retention of girls in sport by committing to use our research-based tools, trainings, and cultural change strategies. "USA Ultimate is dedicated to introducing more girls and women to the sport of ultimate....We want to make every girl or woman who plays ultimate to feel seen, heard, and supported." - Kevin Erlenbach, USA Ultimate Chief Executive Officer. read more "At ISCA (SwimISCA.org), we believe great coaching is about more than drills. It's about understanding who we're coaching... This isn't just about better outcomes, it's about better relationships, stronger teams, and helping young athletes thrive." -Mark Rauterkus, Webmaster & Program Director, International Swim Coaches Association read more "This partnership ensures our coaches, both men and women, are better equipped with the knowledge and tools to understand the specific social, emotional, and physical considerations when coaching girls. " — Jess Nash, Rush Women's Alliance Coordinator, Rush Soccer  read more "For over 50 years, WAGS has proudly championed the empowerment of women and girls through soccer... By equipping coaches with the tools to recognize and challenge unconscious gender biases, we're not only changing how girls are coached—we're changing how they see themselves." - Kerry Diederich, Executive Director, WAGS read more "Our goal is to enhance our coaches' and players' development through education and cutting-edge research that challenges the status quo and redefines what it means to coach girls. At Eastern FC, we are deeply invested in our girls' program and are excited to continue advancing it with partners like Coaching HER!" - Beau Morki, Technical Director read more "This partnership with Coaching HER will give us the ability to increase the participation of females in the game of soccer in the VYS community and provide further education on the stigmas that young females face." - Stephen Bird, Director of House, Vienna Youth Soccer.  read more NEW MENSTRUAL HEALTH Menstrual health education that is free, accessible, and widely adopted. ORGANIZATIONAL CHAMPIONS BECOME A ORGANIZATIONAL CHAMPION University of Minnesota Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, 1900 University Ave SE, 203 Cooke Hall, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA Unsubscribe Manage preferences

Swimming's Local Initiatives Must Drive Downing Prevention and Water Safety Awareness

#38 Navigating the Complexities of Drowning Prevention in a Changing Political Climate - part 2 with Sue and Mick Nelson

The critical issues surrounding swimming, coaching and community recreation is water safety, and less so the making of gold-medal champions. The challenges faced by aquatic facilities today are on the rise. Closing pools. Indifferent politicians. Tighter budgets. Busy families. Covid too. Discover the trends, obstacles, and solutions in the world of swimming and drowning prevention.

• The impact of COVID-19 on drowning statistics and swimming lessons.

• Challenges in maintaining and operating commercial swimming pools.

• The shortage of qualified lifeguards and its implications.

• The role of local organizations versus national support in drowning prevention.

• The importance of educating communities and politicians about the value of aquatic facilities.

 

Half of Americans don't know how to swim, yet they're the ones making decisions about our pools. It's time to educate our communities and politicians on the true value of water safety." - Sue Nelson

Key concepts:

Drowning prevention, data analysis, CDC, Consumer Product Safety Commission, trends, COVID impact, swimming pools, lifeguards, aquatic programming, local advocacy, ethnic disparities, pool closures, maintenance issues, swimming lessons, community education, USA Swimming, private sector, public sector, water safety, Mick Nelson, Sue Nelson, Mark Rauterkus, podcast, aquatics, governmental challenges.

 

Notes of Merit

1. Data Usage and Comparison

2. Difference between data usage by Mick Nelson's organization and the CDC.

   • Importance of current data for local advocacy and marketing.

   • Trends identification and the limitations of data collection.

3. Impact of Political and Economic Changes

4. Effects of layoffs and budget cuts on data collection and analysis.

   • The role of local organizations versus national support.

   • The importance of local action plans in drowning prevention.

5. Trends in Drowning and Water Safety

6. The impact of COVID-19 on drowning statistics and swimming lessons.

   • Increase in backyard pools and their safety concerns.

   • Ethnic disparities in drowning rates, particularly among Hispanics.

7. Swimming Pool Closures and Maintenance Issues

8. Tracking of commercial pool closures and reasons behind them.

   • Challenges in pool maintenance and the role of trained personnel.

   • Financial constraints and their impact on pool operations.

9. Lifeguard Shortages and Training

10. Difficulty in recruiting lifeguards and the reasons behind it.

    • The need for qualified lifeguards due to increased recreational facilities.

    • The impact of work ethics and financial incentives on lifeguard availability.

11. Community Education and Political Influence

12. The lack of swimming skills among Americans and its implications.

    • The role of community and political education in valuing aquatic facilities.

    • Misconceptions about the financial operations of swimming pools.

13. Future Discussions and Podcast Continuation

14. Introduction to upcoming topics in the next podcast episode.

    • The need for increased swimming education and awareness.

    • The role of the private sector in addressing aquatic needs.

 

Learn more

• Link to the business of Sue and Mick Nelson, Total Aquatic Programming, https://TotalAquatic.llc

• Heavy Or Not podcast

• International Swim Coaches Association

• Heavy Or Not #37, and Part 1, and Introduction to Sue Nelson’s Career Journey on Substack.

Check out this episode!