In Need of Repair

In my previous Swimwatch post I discussed the underlying malaise that has brought the sport to a position where it holds trials for international events and no one can swim fast enough to qualify. I pointed to the Swimming New Zealand policy of sole centralized Millennium training as the principal reason for the problems. I supported that assertion with an explanation that the centralized training policy has had two destructive consequences that have gutted swimming in New Zealand. First the national sole provider concept has not worked. And second the effort put into trying to make the sole provider concept work, has wrought destitution on the rest of the sport. The regional club programs and coaches that breed and nurture championship swimmers have been neglected. The sport’s infrastructure has been laid bare and is not performing as it should and as it once did.

So what can be done to reverse the neglect and revive swimming into a healthy, prosperous and successful sport? Here is what I think is needed.

  1. Dismantle the socialist centralized national training squad. Find club homes for the coach and the swimmers currently working in the Millennium program. Hold a small party not to recognize the passing of something bad, but to welcome something new and better and to recognize the good New Zealanders who committed their careers to the Millennium program. The idea was a bad one but that in no way should diminish the efforts of the swimmers. Their commitment was exemplary and should be recognized.
  2. Organize a national roadshow of five or six conferences around New Zealand involving every club and every coach. Each conference would explain the change in Swimming New Zealand policy; a change from a socialist, centralized model of elite training to a “Swimmers First” private enterprise, diversified, club-based program. The clubs should be made aware that the performance of every club is now the first and foremost priority of the national federation. The performance and success of swimming in New Zealand is now down to the clubs. Swimming New Zealand is relying on them and needs their help. A commitment to the “Swimmers First” program will involve the clubs in some new responsibilities and some new rewards.
  3. Responsibilities: The new structure should be managed by policies and procedures used around the world to manage multi-site corporations. In the 1980s I was Managing Director of New Zealand’s largest exporter of animal by-products. The company was listed on the New Zealand stock exchange and had offices in Sydney and Yokohama and various businesses in ten New Zealand towns. The procedures used there to manage the business would work well in the case of a diversified Swimming New Zealand competitive program. Each club signing onto the “Swimmers First” program would be expected to comply with the following reporting procedure.
  • Prepare a simple annual budget showing the expected number of swimmers for the coming year. The budget would also detail the number of swimmers forecast to participate in Division 2, Age Group and Open Championships. And the budget should forecast the time improvements expected from swimmers above a set standard.
  • Each month a simple two page report should be submitted by each club reporting progress against the budget and should include a 400-500 word commentary on the clubs training and competitive performance.
  1. Rewards: There are many others far better than me at deciding what rewards should accrue to clubs joining the “Swimmers First” program. Here are some items that should be considered.

Incentive payments to coaches placing swimmers on national teams.

Discounted access to the Millennium Institute medical and other support services.

Discounted access to the Millennium Pool for club camps.

Free advice by successful coaches brought in from around the world to visit participating clubs. I am thinking of coaches such as Schubert, Salo, Touretski, Bowman and McKever.

Access to the Swimming New Zealand Head Coach whose only function would be to monitor and assist club members.

Discounted travel to Division 2, Age Group, Open Water and Open Pool Championships.

Access to the current normal Sport New Zealand athlete reward payments.

  1. Fee: There should be a fee charged by Swimming New Zealand in addition to the normal club membership fee for membership of the “Swimmers First” program. This fee should be additional to the normal club membership fee.

The program change to a “Swimmers First” private enterprise, diversified, club based program would see the function and purpose of the Millennium Institute change. The facility would become a genuine “performance centre” for everyone. Swimming New Zealand, clubs and individual swimmers could use it for camps, advice and clinics. Swimming New Zealand would operate a facility that would service the sport’s infrastructure; making club programs stronger.

So there you have the skeleton of a change that I believe would begin the process of repairing the sport’s badly damaged infrastructure. I was asked recently at what point would I back off the criticisms of Swimming New Zealand that have frequently characterized the Swimwatch blog. Recent events have demonstrated the reason for my concern. Swimming New Zealand is experiencing first-hand the product of their incompetence and neglect. The minute Swimming New Zealand introduce measures that lead the whole sport forward; the minute they show concern for the future of their members, at that moment this blog will be totally supportive. The suggestions here are one way that could be done. There are others. But whatever they are, we need to be told and we need to be told soon.

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