EDDIE IZZARD

Since 2013, the average number
of swimming lessons made
available to primary age children
per year has risen from 16 to 18
At inum endis ellaccatus um ati am, asitaquasi dolore quam es eriae nam simagni stioriosam non earia vid quiaect atiumquia quiam fugia
“Our strategy is centred around
improving swimming from its foundations
by making it more visible and relevant to
people’s lives, ensuring facilities are best
in class, and providing experiences which
genuinely meet people’s needs.”
We have many examples of well-run pools, but we also have
the challenge of an ageing pool stock and an economic
climate which is squeezing everyone’s purse strings
MAKING SWIMMING VISIBLE
The ASA’s five-year strategy, which is
supported by Sport England, aims to return
swimming to its heyday of attracting more
than three million adult swimmers every
week. One of the people brought in by
the NGB to help do this was Nick Caplin,
former director of communications at Sony
Computer Entertainment Europe.
As the ASA’s director of participation,
Caplin has been integral in developing
the new strategy. “What we’ve done
is spend time really understanding the
market. What’s clear is that there are many
different reasons why people go swimming;
what motivates one person is very different
from the next, but there is a huge latent
demand we need to tap in to.”
Increasing the visibility of swimming
through a national marketing campaign and
improved digital presence is one of the first
areas the new strategy will tackle.
“We need to be better at reminding
people why they should go swimming,”
says Caplin. “Every day you see people
out jogging or cycling, but by its very
nature swimming often happens behind
closed doors. If you ask someone on the
street why they don’t swim more often,
their response is usually, ‘because it never
crossed my mind’. We want to change this
by putting swimming at the forefront of
people’s minds and showing why it should
be integrated into their weekly routine.”
Like many other sports, one of the key
challenges for the ASA is around facilities.
With an ageing pool stock – and 65 fewer
pools across 87 fewer sites than in 2013
– the public perception is that many
facilities are not up to scratch. The ASA
plans to support facilities by introducing
best practice endorsements and hygiene
support services, as well as new ways
to accurately measure who is using the
facilities. All of which will help to raise the
perception of swimming.
“We have many really great examples
of well-run pools,” explains Caplin, “but
we also have the challenge of an ageing
pool stock and an economic climate that
is squeezing everyone’s purse strings. By
working together, combining our expertise,
and supporting smaller facilities, we will be
able to modernise swimming.”
The third key area of the strategy
focuses on tailoring the swimming offer
for different needs. The ASA has seen
great success with Swim Safe – its annual
open water safety programme for children
– and initiatives such as the Dementia
Friendly Swimming Project which is aimed
at supporting people living with dementia
to continue being active.
Over the next two years the ASA will be
developing new programmes to encourage
more people to get involved. These range
from mass-participation challenges –
such as timed 500m swims – to new
aquacise classes aimed at different levels.
Underlying all this will be the integration of
new swim-logging technology.
Caplin is quick to stress that none of this
can be done by the ASA in isolation and
requires all stakeholders in the swimming
industry to work together.
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2015 © Cybertrek 2015 61