Friday, June 5, 2009

21st Century President's Letter

Greetings to all of the Newport Harbor Aquatics Booster Members! Well, it is official. Our new Board for 2009-2010 has been voted in, and we are taking our Member Communications into the 21st Century as well.

First off, I want to say how excited I am to be working with such a talented and dedicated Board. I truly believe that we have put together a group that will continue to strengthen the tradition that is Newport Aquatics, and will take us to the next level as The Elite Program in the United States. We will post the new Board shortly, with their associated roles, so they can be accessed directly for questions and assistance.

We have a full slate of goals that we are looking to achieve over the next 12 months - the first of which is to improve our communication with Booster Members, Newport Aquatics Alumni, and the community in general via my blog, our new Facebook page, and an aggressive public relations outreach campaign that is currently being formulated. We will strive for greater transparency across all aspects of the Boosters as we continue to build the culture and the "brand" that is Newport Aquatics.

As I spoke about at the Swim Banquet, Newport Aquatics is much more than the individual sports. It is a family, a culture, and a Program that all of us should be proud to be associated with. The values that are represented - and communicated - by Newport Aquatics help us draw the best young athletes into the program, drive attendance to our events, motivate the parents to volunteer for the cause, retain and attract the best coaches in the sport, and ultimately allow us to raise the necessary funds. All of these elements allow us to not only keep the program at an elite level, but give us the opportunity to create the "most elite" program in the country. We should be the program that others look up to, including the other sports at Newport Harbor. That is the goal, and the Boosters is an integral part of making that a reality.

Bottom-line, this is all about the kids. We all want the best for them, and that means making the program the best it can possibly be. To do this, all levels of communication will be key - starting with communication across the Boosters. All ideas, thoughts, suggestions, questions, concerns, and criticisms are highly encouraged. We are starting with a tremendous foundation and launching off point, and it is up to us to take it from here.

Two other major goals for the coming year: make a positive, measurable impact on the entire Aquatics Program and Have Fun. So far, we are off to a great start . . .


I look forward to your feedback and continued dialog as we embark on the summer Club season and get ready for the Fall. Until next time . . .

At your service,

Matt McLaren
President
Newport Harbor Aquatics Boosters