Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Lane Leader: Kenneth Chung’s Impact as a Volunteer
Kenneth Chung, a current member of USA Swimming’s Board of Directors, Board Vice Chair of Fiscal Oversight, the National Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council and Officials Committee Chair for North Texas Local Swimming Committee (LSC), didn’t grow up with the opportunity to swim competitively in Hong Kong, China. In fact, he never had formal swim lessons.
“I grew up in a poor family, an environment similar to the housing projects in the U.S.,” Chung said. “It was full of crime.”
As a low-income family in Hong Kong, playing sports was not a top priority. He played soccer in school and frequented a nearby pool approximately 10 yards in length.
“I would jump in and struggle to try and reach the other side,” Chung recalled. “That’s how I learned how to swim.”
In 1989, Chung’s work with commercial insurance company, Chubb Group, moved him and his wife from Hong Kong to New York. It was a transition filled with challenges as they learned to adjust to their new lives in America.
“I tried to stay true to my word and always keep my passion and values aligned with my profession and volunteer work,” Chung said. “I always enjoyed helping people learn and grow, so that’s what I did.”
Chung has maintained his sense of loyalty and commitment to others through his work, on and off the pool deck. In addition to his current roles on the Board of Directors and on Committees, he continues as a volunteer official and was previously the DEI Chair for North Texas.
Chung believes living in different countries around the world, in addition to his background as an Asian American, has helped shape his commitment and understanding to others around him.
“I have had the opportunity to work with many different types of people,” Chung said. “Different people learn different attributes at different times. I respect those differences, and I always ask others to respect my differences from them. We have to be willing to listen to one another.”
While his daughters were in middle school, Chung and his family relocated to London. He always wanted to provide his daughters with opportunities he didn’t have growing up, so when his oldest came home with a request for swim lessons, he jumped at the chance.
“I think she was eight (years old) at the time and everyone else at her school knew how to swim,” Chung recalled. “She had to wear the arm band at school that showed she didn’t know how to swim.”
Statistics show if a parent doesn’t know how to swim, there is just a 19% chance a child in that household will learn how to swim. Chung enrolled his daughter at a local Learn-to-Swim program in London and, once they returned to the U.S., she continued her swim career on a local team. When she entered high school, she joined a year-round program.
Starting off in the stands, Chung consistently found himself missing his daughter’s races at meets. He said to himself, “I’ve got to get closer to their races.”
So, he decided to volunteer as a timer.
Chung started officiating with the summer league team and eventually became the stroke-turn judge, something he still enjoys volunteering for today.
“When I started, I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” Chung recalled. “At the time, there was no process for officials like they have now. Over time, it became more advanced. I still encourage people to work towards different positions if interested but to be flexible in where they are officiating, too.”
He continues to offer words of encouragement and advice for other officials throughout USA Swimming.
“I always want to support, help people and share my knowledge whenever I can,” Chung said. “We are all good at certain things. I want to leverage what I’m good at and defer to other people on things I’m not as good at.”
As USA Swimming continues to grow and advance its programs, educational opportunities and commitment to operating as a best-in-class National Governing Body, Chung knows we must think of others and their background.
“It’s not about me, it’s about what we want to achieve collectively,” Chung said. “What is the best way for membership to understand? We have to put ourselves in their perspective.”
With so many identities at play within the organization, Chung believes we can all learn from one another.
“I am someone with a leadership, finance and risk management background, someone who is very interested in community service, and I happen to be an Asian American,” Chung said.
USA Swimming members can have numerous identities, too. Many volunteers also have a parent role, coaches can run programs, both on and off the pool deck, and athletes can be assistant coaches.
Chung's advice for volunteers throughout the organization? “Find your north star. We are here to work with coaches to support our athletes, it’s our real purpose. We do what we need to do to support that.”
“I grew up in a poor family, an environment similar to the housing projects in the U.S.,” Chung said. “It was full of crime.”
As a low-income family in Hong Kong, playing sports was not a top priority. He played soccer in school and frequented a nearby pool approximately 10 yards in length.
“I would jump in and struggle to try and reach the other side,” Chung recalled. “That’s how I learned how to swim.”
In 1989, Chung’s work with commercial insurance company, Chubb Group, moved him and his wife from Hong Kong to New York. It was a transition filled with challenges as they learned to adjust to their new lives in America.
“I tried to stay true to my word and always keep my passion and values aligned with my profession and volunteer work,” Chung said. “I always enjoyed helping people learn and grow, so that’s what I did.”
Chung has maintained his sense of loyalty and commitment to others through his work, on and off the pool deck. In addition to his current roles on the Board of Directors and on Committees, he continues as a volunteer official and was previously the DEI Chair for North Texas.
Chung believes living in different countries around the world, in addition to his background as an Asian American, has helped shape his commitment and understanding to others around him.
“I have had the opportunity to work with many different types of people,” Chung said. “Different people learn different attributes at different times. I respect those differences, and I always ask others to respect my differences from them. We have to be willing to listen to one another.”
While his daughters were in middle school, Chung and his family relocated to London. He always wanted to provide his daughters with opportunities he didn’t have growing up, so when his oldest came home with a request for swim lessons, he jumped at the chance.
“I think she was eight (years old) at the time and everyone else at her school knew how to swim,” Chung recalled. “She had to wear the arm band at school that showed she didn’t know how to swim.”
Statistics show if a parent doesn’t know how to swim, there is just a 19% chance a child in that household will learn how to swim. Chung enrolled his daughter at a local Learn-to-Swim program in London and, once they returned to the U.S., she continued her swim career on a local team. When she entered high school, she joined a year-round program.
Starting off in the stands, Chung consistently found himself missing his daughter’s races at meets. He said to himself, “I’ve got to get closer to their races.”
So, he decided to volunteer as a timer.
Chung started officiating with the summer league team and eventually became the stroke-turn judge, something he still enjoys volunteering for today.
“When I started, I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” Chung recalled. “At the time, there was no process for officials like they have now. Over time, it became more advanced. I still encourage people to work towards different positions if interested but to be flexible in where they are officiating, too.”
He continues to offer words of encouragement and advice for other officials throughout USA Swimming.
“I always want to support, help people and share my knowledge whenever I can,” Chung said. “We are all good at certain things. I want to leverage what I’m good at and defer to other people on things I’m not as good at.”
As USA Swimming continues to grow and advance its programs, educational opportunities and commitment to operating as a best-in-class National Governing Body, Chung knows we must think of others and their background.
“It’s not about me, it’s about what we want to achieve collectively,” Chung said. “What is the best way for membership to understand? We have to put ourselves in their perspective.”
With so many identities at play within the organization, Chung believes we can all learn from one another.
“I am someone with a leadership, finance and risk management background, someone who is very interested in community service, and I happen to be an Asian American,” Chung said.
USA Swimming members can have numerous identities, too. Many volunteers also have a parent role, coaches can run programs, both on and off the pool deck, and athletes can be assistant coaches.
Chung's advice for volunteers throughout the organization? “Find your north star. We are here to work with coaches to support our athletes, it’s our real purpose. We do what we need to do to support that.”