5 WAYS TO GROW THE USAWA IN 2025
by Clint Poore
Good morning, good day, good afternoon and good night to you!
This article is about 5 ways to grow the USAWA in 2025.
1. We can begin 2025 by actively recruiting meet directors in more states. The USAWA currently has active meet directors or clubs in Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Louisiana, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Kentucky. One prominent goal should be to increase this to 20 states and meet directors in 2025. An easy way to encourage meet growth in other areas is by adding a link to the website saying “HOST a USAWA MEET in YOUR AREA!” Then we can follow it up by adding a meet director resource page to help new & existing USAWA meet directors with any questions they might have.
2. Make the USAWA NATIONALS the premier event of the year! The USAWA Nationals should be the can’t miss event of the year, not just another meet on the schedule. It needs to be special and an event the whole family would want to attend. You may be saying that “it already is”, I will disagree with that statement. The Nationals should take precedence over every other meet and should be the shining example of what the USAWA has to offer lifters. If you have recently lifted outside of the USAWA in a weightlifting or powerlifting nationals, then you will see we as an organization need to to step it up and make the USAWA Nationals the main event of 2025!
3. Modernize the USAWA logo. I have inquired about this in the past and was rebuffed by erroneous claims. I have been assured the logo has been changed at least twice before in the past & it’s high time for the USAWA to have a modern and professional looking logo. A logo speaks volumes to potential lifters and the current USAWA logo doesn’t look good at all in the modern world of strength sports. Let’s work together to have a logo that is professional and modern that encompasses everything the USAWA has to offer. Hopefully I will have one to present in the near future, but if someone has a better idea…..lets see it!
4. Give sponsors a reason to support the USAWA! We are the only strength organization in America that doesn’t allow basic 7mm Knee Sleeves in competition and this needs to change. To further add to this, we need to consider allowing yoga pants/leggings, whichever you call them. This would be a great plus in attracting more women to the USAWA and meet directors can check to make sure they are of non-supportive material. Allowing Knee Sleeves and Leggings/Yoga pants is a step in the right direction and will help open the door to potential sponsors for our larger events. Plus, it would make sense, USA Weightlifting already allows non supportive leggings.
5. Finally, we must EMBRACE CHANGE! For the USAWA continue growing its membership, we as an organization must be open to doing things differently than we did in the past. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. Let’s move the USAWA forward and embrace change to grow in 2025. 2024 was a record membership year for the USAWA with 135 members. Our 2025 goal should be no less than 200 members, if not more.
In closing, may we learn from President John F Kennedy’s words, “Change is the Law of Life….and to those who only look to the past or present are certain to miss the future!” Our 35th President was making a very wise statement that holds true for us today. May we as the USAWA, be open to change and never miss the opportunities of the future!
Be Strong!
Clint Poore