Attention all regional championship meet directors! This message comes from the capital of master racing--New England. Here in the upper right hand of the U.S. our members participate in competitons at rate of close to 50%. This year, we are putting out a challenge to all other parts of the country for this year's SCM season. We propose to score our 2002 New England Short Course Meters Competition, scheduled for December 14-15th against all other regional SCM competitions to determine regional bragging rights for SCM Regional Team Championship. SPMA has already accepted the challenge and will go head-to-head against New England.
Here's how it works: We will take results file from all participating regional USMS sanctioned SCM championship meets held from October 1st through December 31st of this year. We will treat ever participant in that meet as a member of one "regional team" and score to the 16th place by age group (relays score twice the number of points and will also be scored to the 16th place). We will include all individual events through the 1500 m and all realys through the 800m. We will present results in two different ways: 1) Virtual SCM Championship and 2) Bilateral Regional meets (NE vs SPMA, for example).
Here's how you can participate: Send me an email "registering" your regional championship in this contest. We plan to score this meet using Hy Tek so we ask that people provide appropriate Hy Tek file.
Why are we doing this?
Over the years, we've learned that getting people to participate in competition keeps them swimming masters longer. New England's membership really took off when we created large regional championship meets with LOTS OF RELAYS. This made the meet fun for everyone and first-time competitors find relays the least intimidating way of getting into the racing spirit. We believe the regional championships are the key to getting USMS membership growth up to 25% range and getting our membership retention rate over 80%- that has been our four year average rate in both categories here in New England.
More information on the New England meet can be found at:
www.greatbaymasters.org/02scmchamp.html
How can you help?
I need a good list of regional SCM championship meets (I do have the list from the USMS calendar but it's not complete) and also need the email contacts for people, other than meet directors, who can help promote this in their region
Bob Seltzer
NEM Championship Meet Coordinator
One month down and two months to go in the NEM SCM Challenge. This is a challenge to all regional SCM championship meets to submit your results and see who can claim bragging rights to the title of "epicenter of aquatics competition for masters." Pacific Masters (LSMC), Arizona Masters (State) and GRIN (multi-LMSC) have all completed their respective regional championship meet. Pacific Northwest (Zone) and Southern Pacific Masters (Zone) and New England (LMSC) will compete the weekend of December 13-15th. Other regional SCM meets held between October 1st through December 31st can participate by sending an email to me at: seltzer@metasoft.com
Meanwhile, here in New England we are rallying the troops for victory. We know that we are badly outnumbered by Pacific Masters (10,000) Southern Pacific (2,500) and GRIN (2,600 from the combined LMSC that participate) but will strive through teamwork and organization to prevail. As a boost to our hopes, our very own Greg Shaw set 3 world records at a tune-up mini-meet at Northeastern (see related story at www.swiminfo.com) We expect to set several more world records at forthcoming mini-meet at Portsmouth on November 10th. But we will ultimately defeat our much more numerous foes not through superlative individual performance but via mass participation.
It's still not too late to participate in the excitement of a NE championship meet. For more information go to: www.greatbaymasters.org/gbmmeets.html
Good luck to all competitors.
One month down and two months to go in the NEM SCM Challenge. This is a challenge to all regional SCM championship meets to submit your results and see who can claim bragging rights to the title of "epicenter of aquatics competition for masters." Pacific Masters (LSMC), Arizona Masters (State) and GRIN (multi-LMSC) have all completed their respective regional championship meet. Pacific Northwest (Zone) and Southern Pacific Masters (Zone) and New England (LMSC) will compete the weekend of December 13-15th. Other regional SCM meets held between October 1st through December 31st can participate by sending an email to me at: seltzer@metasoft.com
Meanwhile, here in New England we are rallying the troops for victory. We know that we are badly outnumbered by Pacific Masters (10,000) Southern Pacific (2,500) and GRIN (2,600 from the combined LMSC that participate) but will strive through teamwork and organization to prevail. As a boost to our hopes, our very own Greg Shaw set 3 world records at a tune-up mini-meet at Northeastern (see related story at www.swiminfo.com) We expect to set several more world records at forthcoming mini-meet at Portsmouth on November 10th. But we will ultimately defeat our much more numerous foes not through superlative individual performance but via mass participation.
It's still not too late to participate in the excitement of a NE championship meet. For more information go to: www.greatbaymasters.org/gbmmeets.html
Good luck to all competitors.
