Wednesday, April 7, 2021
North Suburban Aquatic Club Finds Value, Success Through Swim-A-Thon
In a continued effort to help USA Swimming member clubs push through the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, USA Swimming is deferring its 5% share of Swim-a-Thon funds raised back to local participating clubs through 2021.
Rory Coplan, Head Coach for North Suburban Aquatic Club (NSAC), knew last year was going to be challenging since his club could not host swim meets. Without the revenue from hosting swim meets throughout the year, Coplan decided to spearhead a Swim-a-Thon event to help raise additional funds to support the approximate 125 athletes who represent the club.
“Parent involvement was huge,” Coplan said. “I believe the lifeline of success [of a club] is the parent involvement.”
The Board decided to host a kickoff event at one of its local pools. Coplan said this event was a vital step in informing all members about the Swim-a-Thon, including why the club was participating, how parents could volunteer and where to find more information. Over the span of five hours, families came in during their scheduled time to learn about the event and receive their fundraising packet, allowing NSAC to directly give all packets to families, create a mock website profile, answer any questions they had and comply with COVID-19 spacing measures.
“After the kickoff event, we had a ton of athlete and parent buy-in,” Coplan said. Parents took ownership of the Swim-a-Thon, including reaching out to local businesses for contributions. Some businesses could not contribute financially, so they donated services and materials. All businesses participating were showcased the club’s website.
Like many other clubs across the country, NSAC is striving to maintain a stable environment for its athletes amid uncertainty and the Swim-a-Thon allowed athletes to come together and be competitive - even if swim meets were not happening. Each week during the fundraising period, NSAC had tiered prizes for athletes to win based on the dollar amount raised, with nearly every athlete hitting the minimum goal of $200. Coplan said that one week two separate swimmers raised over $1,000 each. In the end, the club nearly doubled its fundraising goal and raised approximately 70% of its 2019 swim meet revenue.
To conclude the Swim-a-Thon, the Board decided to make the swimming portion look a little different than what other clubs have done. The athletes were given three locations at which to participate: One for swimming laps, one created as a carnival area for the kids to play and one snack area for everyone to have a break. Due to local COVID-19 restrictions, NSAC is postponing this portion until May. Coplan said the silver lining is they now have more time to make sure it is a great experience for everyone.
Coplan’s two tips for clubs who are thinking about participating in a Swim-a-Thon:
1. Explain why you are doing it and why it would be beneficial.
2. Be transparent about what the club will be doing with the funds.
With such success, NSAC is looking to host Swim-a-Thons each season.
To find out how your club can participate in a Swim-a-Thon event, please visit here.
Rory Coplan, Head Coach for North Suburban Aquatic Club (NSAC), knew last year was going to be challenging since his club could not host swim meets. Without the revenue from hosting swim meets throughout the year, Coplan decided to spearhead a Swim-a-Thon event to help raise additional funds to support the approximate 125 athletes who represent the club.
“Parent involvement was huge,” Coplan said. “I believe the lifeline of success [of a club] is the parent involvement.”
The Board decided to host a kickoff event at one of its local pools. Coplan said this event was a vital step in informing all members about the Swim-a-Thon, including why the club was participating, how parents could volunteer and where to find more information. Over the span of five hours, families came in during their scheduled time to learn about the event and receive their fundraising packet, allowing NSAC to directly give all packets to families, create a mock website profile, answer any questions they had and comply with COVID-19 spacing measures.
“After the kickoff event, we had a ton of athlete and parent buy-in,” Coplan said. Parents took ownership of the Swim-a-Thon, including reaching out to local businesses for contributions. Some businesses could not contribute financially, so they donated services and materials. All businesses participating were showcased the club’s website.
Like many other clubs across the country, NSAC is striving to maintain a stable environment for its athletes amid uncertainty and the Swim-a-Thon allowed athletes to come together and be competitive - even if swim meets were not happening. Each week during the fundraising period, NSAC had tiered prizes for athletes to win based on the dollar amount raised, with nearly every athlete hitting the minimum goal of $200. Coplan said that one week two separate swimmers raised over $1,000 each. In the end, the club nearly doubled its fundraising goal and raised approximately 70% of its 2019 swim meet revenue.
To conclude the Swim-a-Thon, the Board decided to make the swimming portion look a little different than what other clubs have done. The athletes were given three locations at which to participate: One for swimming laps, one created as a carnival area for the kids to play and one snack area for everyone to have a break. Due to local COVID-19 restrictions, NSAC is postponing this portion until May. Coplan said the silver lining is they now have more time to make sure it is a great experience for everyone.
Coplan’s two tips for clubs who are thinking about participating in a Swim-a-Thon:
1. Explain why you are doing it and why it would be beneficial.
2. Be transparent about what the club will be doing with the funds.
With such success, NSAC is looking to host Swim-a-Thons each season.
To find out how your club can participate in a Swim-a-Thon event, please visit here.