For those of you with fewer than 4 people in a lane at workout, congratulations, this rant does not apply to you. I hope.
For the rest of us, especially those who regularly have to share with 8 or more per lane, does your coach keep the wall cleared so everyone has an opportunity to finish swimming? Or does the wall get cluttered with the first two or three people who think it is necessary to hold onto the gutter with both hands and have both feet on the ledge? And are oblivious to the idea that there may be other swimmers behind them that want to get a time for the full distance of the pool? Yeah, me too.
You need to talk about lane rules & let them know you WILL finish to the wall if they are in the way they will soon learn that you are coming to it over them !
You need to talk about lane rules & let them know you WILL finish to the wall if they are in the way they will soon learn that you are coming to it over them !
I have done that. Unfortunately, the coach is subject to a lot more whining about me making my way to the wall, and does not seem to think that it is a prerogative of all people in the lane to finish their swim.
I have tried going first, last, on a different interval, doesn't matter. They even get huffy if they are passed. :shakeshead: I seem to be the only one in the lane who actually realizes (or cares) that it is crowded.
Anyone who doesn't think strong finishes are important needs to watch the finish Phelps put on that fly in the last Olympics.
One thing I've tried in the past during a practice is to have those that finish stack up on the opposite lane line after they complete. It gets somewhat difficult to use this principle when the intervals are extremely tight, however.
Unfortunate to be sure. I think with kids this happens because kids rarely think about anyone but there self so the thought that they are clogging the lane for the ones behind them just doesn't occur.
Well, that isn't true. But point taken.
I'm hoping that with a new group of coaches coming in this issue will be addressed-we're talking 12-16 year olds-they should know better but don't realize they only hurt themselves,and it's the coach who should remind them.
And I still think that a strong finish is as important as a strong start-I've seen too many swimmers cruise into the wall,expecting to have won,only to have been beat by the swimmer who took an extra stroke or extended fully.
I'd actually say it's more important-a bungled start you MAY be able to fix over the course of your event,unless it's a sprint-but a finish is a finish,no fixing that.
My coach made up a list of "reminders" and sent it out to the whole team. This included: letting everyone finish at the wall, don't jump in front of someone when you are getting in the pool, swim in a circle, and don't breath on people after you finish a hard set. I think these "reminders" came out of past complaints and what she saw from the deck.
All swimmers should be required to read this and sign the dotted line at the bottom of the page! :)
My USA Swimming club does make all swimmers sign a code of conduct. One of the bullet points is that swimmers will "Not impede or interfere with another swimmers training."
Masters teams and swimmers tend to be a little more laissez faire, but there's really no excuse for poor etiquette.
Anyone who thinks finishes don't matter much needs to watch this video (ok, it's running, not swimming, but the same principle applies):
Arrogance Personified - YouTube
