I'm not sure what you are implying here, Matt. One way the meet is 'different' is that it has only slightly more than half of the normal attendence. The assumption (but not a proven one) is that significant numbers of swimmers were discouraged because of the time/cost required to attend the meet.
This is not good if you think a primary goal of the meet is to get as good a competition at the top levels as possible. It is also not good if you think a primary purpose of the meet is to get swimmers from all over the country to meet, discuss shared interests, gossip, and otherwise socialize. It is also not good if a purpose of the meet is to include significant numbers of the swimmers that do not make the cutoff times, as they are probably the ones most easily discouraged from attending. If relays are your thing, the depth of the relay events will probably be weak. Most of the top ten times last year were swum at the national meet; if fewer swimmers are at that meet, will the top ten times be as competitive?
It is especially not good if you are the one who could not afford the flight or the required week off from work, and can not attend the meet. Maybe this was your special year, where you could have done especially well?
Of course, the most significant way the meet is 'different' is that it is in Hawaii (and not Cleveland :D ). That makes it a great place to combine a meet and a vacation. It is also good because it makes it easier for our Hawaii swimmers to attend a national meet. All meets have a regional bias, but since the Hawaii region is smaller than the regions in the mainland, it will be a fairer meet for those mainland teams that aspire to national championships.
Personally, I am glad the meet is in Hawaii. It probably won't be back there for a long time, and I will take advantage of that unique opportunity. It isn't too expensive to fly from California, and I have saved up my vacation days, and recruited my inlaws to babysit.
I'm not sure what you are implying here, Matt. One way the meet is 'different' is that it has only slightly more than half of the normal attendence. The assumption (but not a proven one) is that significant numbers of swimmers were discouraged because of the time/cost required to attend the meet.
This is not good if you think a primary goal of the meet is to get as good a competition at the top levels as possible. It is also not good if you think a primary purpose of the meet is to get swimmers from all over the country to meet, discuss shared interests, gossip, and otherwise socialize. It is also not good if a purpose of the meet is to include significant numbers of the swimmers that do not make the cutoff times, as they are probably the ones most easily discouraged from attending. If relays are your thing, the depth of the relay events will probably be weak. Most of the top ten times last year were swum at the national meet; if fewer swimmers are at that meet, will the top ten times be as competitive?
It is especially not good if you are the one who could not afford the flight or the required week off from work, and can not attend the meet. Maybe this was your special year, where you could have done especially well?
Of course, the most significant way the meet is 'different' is that it is in Hawaii (and not Cleveland :D ). That makes it a great place to combine a meet and a vacation. It is also good because it makes it easier for our Hawaii swimmers to attend a national meet. All meets have a regional bias, but since the Hawaii region is smaller than the regions in the mainland, it will be a fairer meet for those mainland teams that aspire to national championships.
Personally, I am glad the meet is in Hawaii. It probably won't be back there for a long time, and I will take advantage of that unique opportunity. It isn't too expensive to fly from California, and I have saved up my vacation days, and recruited my inlaws to babysit.
