Expanding your aquatic services.

How do current trends affect your program offerings? Is there a market that you are not tapping into? What; is the latest water exercise trend and can you use it to your benefit? How can you attract special needs populations? Is there a place in your program offerings for a rehabilitation program? Let's take a close,r look at these issues and the role they play in your programming success.

Perhaps the most important issues for programming can be what and when. This assumes you have a facility, staff and the ability to offer . aquatic programs. You should strive to create programs that are successful on a number of levels; they should be: self supporting, well subscribed and able to meet the needs of your community. Developing a comprehensive schedule of aquatics programs is more art than science.

Let's begin with traditional instructional classes for infants, children and adults. You must plan for variables such as parental work schedules, infant nap times and competing youth and adult events and activities.

How about pre-competitive or competitive for sports like water polo, diving and synchronized swimming? Is there an interest and do you have qualified staff to instruct potential participants? If you have these types of competitive aquatic programs in your area, you can work with them to use your lessons as a feeder program. Have their coaches come to one of your lessons, run a "practice" and talk about what it is like to be a member of a swim or dive team. Water polo, diving and synchronized swimming will enjoy an increase in popularity with the Olympic Games this summer. You can offer instruction in any of these sports. They all have national organizations that you can contact for more information.

How about enhancing traditional recreation programs? Ideas include water volleyball, basketball or inner tube games. Show a movie and invite simmers to float as they watch a recent release. Invite the local community college to offer water fitness programs or the local school district to hold physical education class in your facility. Approaching local agencies and school districts is easy and they are usually receptive. Have in mind available times and days, as well as costs and what staff and programs you can offer.

There are also several opportunities in authorization and certification courses. Involve youth in the operations of your facility by creating a Junior Lifeguard program. American Red Cross Lifeguard Training, YMCA Lifeguarding and Ellis Lifeguarding are all potential offerings.

In closing, I hope to have raised more questions than I have answered. Take a few moments to read the accompanying articles and start brainstorming. Look at your users and your community and think about the programs that you can create or expand.

As always, please feel free to contact me. I can be reached at the University of Maine by phone: [phone] or by e-mail: [e-mail].