The KNZB dismisses its hard-working volunteers while angling for equal or higher funding

Technical director André Cats of the Dutch swimming federation KNZB (Koninklijke Nederlandse Zwembond) is counting on the umbrella sports organisation NOC*NSF to maintain its annual elite-sport contribution to the national swimming squad. That's a fine ambition, but does it actually square with what André Cats — and therefore the federation — is saying, and with the mission of NOC*NSF?

This past week, André Cats spoke on behalf of the KNZB about the future of competitive swimming. Earlier in the week, he told a journalist the following: "Our elite-sport programmes can hold their own against any country in the world, but our clubs still have limited resources. Over the coming years we need to move away from the volunteer culture at the clubs. In other countries, you already find real professionals working at the poolside."

If you take a look at the Mission and Vision of NOC*NSF, one point stands out clearly. NOC*NSF: "Our mission: Optimal sporting conditions for everyone in the Netherlands. Our mission is to create optimal sporting conditions for everyone: from recreational athlete to elite competitor, from disabled athlete to volunteer and fan."

So NOC*NSF also stands for the hard work of the volunteers. In my eyes, they are the bricks that competitive swimming is built on. Where it all begins is in the pool — hours upon hours of training under the guidance of volunteers. These people are not just anyone. Among them you'll find certified professionals, coaches and parents. Together, they make sure young swimmers can take the step up to the professional level. As soon as those talents reach that point, the youngsters who come out of a club are no longer allowed to train there and have to report to the training centre instead. There, they fall under the watchful eye of the KNZB, among others.

Looking at the bigger picture, volunteers are quite simply vital to the world of swimming. The same goes for clubs that provide swimming lessons. There, people give their time selflessly to teach as many children as possible to swim. And on top of that, you have the many volunteers who provide active lifeguard supervision.

The KNZB is moving its chess pieces in the wrong direction. The realisation that it's people who make the sport — and that this can't simply be orchestrated from behind a desk — clearly hasn't fully sunk in yet. When it came to swimming lessons, I've asked senior federation officials on several occasions: "Do you ever actually stand in the water in your swimming trunks? Do you have any idea what happens on that pool floor and how important the work being done there really is?"

The KNZB needs to take a good hard look in the mirror. The swimming safety they claim to champion and the elite sport they're chasing are delivered by people. You can't leave those people out in the cold. And there's another question worth asking: how does NOC*NSF view this shift in the KNZB's stance, which flatly contradicts NOC*NSF's own mission?