I see that National Championships page lists the 2018 Spring Nationals as SCY or SCM (TBD). How and when will this decision be made, and how do we make our voices heard on this subject?
I, for one, feel very strongly the meet should be swum in short course yards. This is the culmination of the scy season. An scm season has organically developed after lcm and ending in December. Please do not turn this all on its head because we are also calling this meet an "International" Championship.
I see that National Championships page lists the 2018 Spring Nationals as SCY or SCM (TBD). How and when will this decision be made, and how do we make our voices heard on this subject?
I, for one, feel very strongly the meet should be swum in short course yards. This is the culmination of the scy season. An scm season has organically developed after lcm and ending in December. Please do not turn this all on its head because we are also calling this meet an "International" Championship.
The decision rests with the USMS Championship Committee.
I have heard comments like the one from Ron above (strongly against SCM), from people like ChrisS/JenniferP (prefer SCM) and people like GaryP (will be there either way). The challenge is trying to decide what suits the majority. All Riverside entrants were given an opportunity to fill out a survey about this subject after the meet and we should have the results soon. We don't have the means to poll the entire membership, but asking those who just attended Spring Nationals seemed like as good of a place as any to ask prospective swimmers their opinions on the two course formats. A decision on which course will be used is expected no later than September. The official deadline per the rulebook is six months prior to the start of the meet.
Jeff Roddin
USMS Championship Committee
I'm with ChrisS and JenniferP. I would love to see a true SCM National Championship meet as I've never both tapered for a SCM meet and had the sufficient time between events that a National Championship would allow. I also agree with Chris that there's not much difference between SCY and SCM and that way too much emphasis is placed on SCY.
Jeff, even though the survey was taken at Nationals, there may be a slight skewing of data as Southern California has a very large SCM meet each December. With the majority of swimmers at Nationals being West Coasters, they may not feel the need for a SCM National Championship since they have a premier meet right in their backyard. Most of us are not so fortunate.
I for one would love for spring nationals to be SCM. The difference with SCY is not great, and there are few SCM facilities in the country that can have a championship with 2000 people. Indy is one of them.
There is too much emphasis on SCY, a course that nobody else in the world uses. And one of the joys of masters swimming has been having fast SCM meets, something I didn't really get to do in HS/college. It's time to have a real SCM nationals.
An scm season has organically developed after lcm and ending in December. Please do not turn this all on its head because we are also calling this meet an "International" Championship.
Organic or not, the only time we can have an official SCM national championship is at spring nationals (article 104.1.1 in the rule book).
I was at Riverside but seemed to have missed that survey. I am in favor of a real SCM National Championship, although I would prefer it in 2019 when I age up!
Jeff, even though the survey was taken at Nationals, there may be a slight skewing of data as Southern California has a very large SCM meet each December. With the majority of swimmers at Nationals being West Coasters, they may not feel the need for a SCM National Championship since they have a premier meet right in their backyard. Most of us are not so fortunate.
Yes, we have a big SCM meet in December in Southern California, but a National Championship that might even attract more international swimmers would be a good thing! I am for it.
