| IHRSA Report | Success by Association


Worth It for Worthington Longtime IHRSA member reaps ‘priceless’ benefits


By Patricia Amend W


here would your business be today without your IHRSA membership?


That’s a challenging question for longtime


members like Jim Worthington to consider. As the owner of the Newtown Athletic Club (NAC),


a 100,000-square-foot multipurpose facility that opened in Newtown, Pennsylvania, in 1978, Worthington has been an active IHRSA member since 1984. He and his staff have attended nearly every IHRSA Convention & Trade Show since that time, and he plans to do so, once again, next month in San Francisco, as IHRSA celebrates its 30th Anniversary. If you ask Worthington to detail what he


has gained from his 27 years as an IHRSA member, he’ll tell you that it’s impossible to do so in one paragraph. However, he’s eager to highlight some of the most important benefits. “First, we established monthly billing through an


EFT system in 1984. Prior to this, we charged by the session, clinic, or year. The resulting steady cash flow allowed us to grow our business much more rapidly. Second, we identified our unique selling point: we’re the only family health and fitness club of our size and scope in the entire tri-state area, and we have benefitted from sticking to our defining factor. Third is the networking, which has always been worth a trip to an IHRSA convention.”


Worthington says Jim Worthington


that IHRSA gave him the chance to become involved with the top club operators and suppliers in the U.S. and around the world, and to make major equipment and software pur- chases at the trade show. “The conver- sations that took place on the trade


show floor and between the seminars and work- shops were, in many cases, as valuable as the sessions themselves,” he recalls. “In addition, there have been many unforgettable speakers. John McCarthy has always had a huge impact on me and my staff. Other stand-outs include Brenda Abdilla, Karen Woodard, Mike Chaet, Casey Conrad, and Nancy Friedman. There are too many to mention.” Worthington has given back, as well. “I’ve made


presentations at conventions, as have Linda Mitchell and Doug Steinly on my staff. Both preparing for and giving the talk were great professional- development experiences.” However, if there’s one issue for which


Newtown’s IHRSA membership has been “priceless,” it’s unfair competition. “IHRSA was particularly helpful when we were


‘fighting the good fight’ against the proposed construction of a YMCA and a township fitness center. During an 18-month period in 2001 and 2002, we established a coalition of businesses that would have been hurt. Next, we developed and implemented a grass roots public relations campaign that educated the general public about how their tax dollars would be used. As a result, we halted the building of both the YMCA and the township fitness center. We were so successful that IHRSA asked us to share our experiences at a number of unfair competition seminars and roundtables at IHRSA conventions.” As he fought for a level playing field with the Y,


Petite ballerinas at Newtown


126 Club Business Internat ional | FEBRUARY 2011 |


Worthington stayed true to his commitment to act- ing as a good corporate citizen. While Newtown


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