The first edition of Forum, a weekly SOS Newsletter for subscribers, will leave the blocks tomorrow.

While much of our day-to-day coverage, including The Vortex, our monthly collation of news, announcements, links to a selection of top coverage of swimming from around the world, is (and will continue to be) free to those who register with us, the support of subscribers allows us to engage in the deeper and sometimes longer-term work at the heart of our focus. 

Forum will have the following focus:

The SOS Newsletter for Subscribers - Forum

1. THEMA

In which we'll discuss topical issues, stories, trends and events, and those things in historic context. Each week we'll select at least one topic from our core themes:

• Health, Welfare and Wellbeing - Athletes, Coaches & Any Other Humans
• Performance - Coaching ... & The Coached
• Governance - Integrity and Impact (all issues)
• The China Diaries - as a case example of how the anti-doping system and its structures, including funding models too closely associated with politics, governance and the lack of commitment to truth and transparency that has characterised Olympic sport for far too long. In the coming weeks, we'll start back when the crisis began in the days before WADA was born and its arrival immediately watered down penalties in the pool for the closest model to GDR systematic doping since the 1980s, when 'the trouble with China' began. 

We hope that some of you will engage with us on these themes either by leaving a comment at the end of articles on the SOS+ portal or directly with me by sending discussion points you would like to make anonymously. The latter is not offered to promote secretiveness but in recognition of the fact that many of you have roles or connections and networks in the sport that sometimes preclude you from commenting openly. And some of you wish to communicate with SOS, and the journalists and others we work with, in confidence for the same or similar reasons.

2. TIMELINE

A history file that will form part of a longer-term project linked to publications that will be offered either free in digital form or at a big discount, including printed material, to subscribers. Such works take time to complete. Off the blocks, we'll get going with a weekly celebration of the history of World records, before we add a sprinkling of other measures to the mix alongside points 3 and 4 below, through all of which we can tell the tales of pioneering swimmers, coaches and others who contributed to swimming's pantheon.

3. ACADEMY

An exchange in which we whittle down candidates for the following works... 

• The History Of Swimming In 100 Objects
• The History of Swimming In 100 People
• The History Of Swimming In 100 Records

Start the bidding... your suggestions for who, what, why and when: all suggestions welcome - send to craig.lord@stateofswimming.com 

In the weeks ahead, as Forum develops, we'll add a few new elements that are sill in winter training. Those include the occasional departure from our traditional skill base (words/writing) ...  and:

INSPIRATION
Wisdom and Guidance from SOS guests and contributors, experts in their field, and links to other coverage, ours, including updates to our monthly vortex compilation for all members, and a selection of recommended reads from media and books related to our core themes. 

Once again, thank you for your support for SOS, members and subscribers alike. 

For the details of packages click on the Subscribe Button in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.