Hi all,
on Sunday, I will be swimming in my first USAS meet since I was 14. (I just turned 40). My husband (a fellow Masters swimmer and Stroke and Turn) thinks its great. My 8yo thinks it is so cool. (Could I freeze this moment in time?).
I have gotten a lukewarm response from the meet director and it is making me feel as though I might be out of place/not belong. Any advice?
BTW, the reason I am doing this is to get some NQ times in 200 stroke events. I live in a rural area and am having. Hard time finding masters meets this winter with the longer events, except for meets that conflict with my daughter's meets and/or are an 8 hour drive.
I certainly won't win any events, but won't come in last either. I am afraid of parent's thinking I am taking something away from their children.
I work a lot of USA-Swimming meets in Georgia and there are a number of Masters Swimmers who participate in age group meets; including Robert Poiletman at age 68 and Marianne Countryman at age…well she has a couple of years on you. And I have never seen anything but respect from event hosts, officials and swimmers for our Masters.
If a meet director is not overjoyed to have more entrants (and money), provided they are not maxed out, then there is something wrong with the event director, not you.
If you are not appreciated where you are, then y’all come on down to Georgia and we will show you aquatic hospitality and get you and your daughter in our meets. Your husband can S&T!
get on the blocks and do your best.
you have to swim in the "open" age anyway, which means it is *open* to any age in usas.
you will be seeded accordingly, so you are not taking anything away.
swim fast,
steve
Try to relax and have fun. Rob is right, if the meet director has a problem, then the problem is with him, not you. I do 1 to 2 USA-S meets a year - usually the 400 IM. I am by far not the fastest but the respect I get from the meet director, timers, coaches and especially the swimmers is amazing. I bet you will find you will get a lot of respect as well.
I did my first USAS meet in 20+ years a few years ago. Couldn't believe how nervous and uncomfortable I was before I went to the meet. I have to say, though, that I had far more nice comments than anything else once I got there. IMO, most people think it's really cool that someone "old" can even swim in a meet! Just go and have fun. Don't let anyone who doesn't get it get you down. You'll be great :banana:
Do you have to be affiliated with a club to enter? Do you need to have a coach?
To register as unattached contact your LSC office. You don't need to be affiliated with a club, but unattached swimmers are supposed to be assigned to a coach (for insurance purposes, presumably) at a meet.
Have fun for you !!! Do not let others tell you how you should feel ! 1st or near the end should not make a diff.
now Do it cuz you want to. Tell it how it goes !
I've been wondering about swimming USA-S meets - USA Swimming doesn't make it clear how you can register as unattached. Do you have to be affiliated with a club to enter? Do you need to have a coach?
I find its a lot of fun to go in there and smoke all the high school kids at a usas meet. The parents all seem to get a big kick out of it when an old guy can still throw down with the youth. Don't worry about it though. You will b glad u competed.
I find its a lot of fun to go in there and smoke all the high school kids at a usas meet. The parents all seem to get a big kick out of it when an old guy can still throw down with the youth. Don't worry about it though. You will b glad u competed.
I have fun racing (and training) with the kids. I'm 35, and while I'm not "smoking" them, I'm definitely giving them some good races. In my LSC, I'm in the top 20% or better of the 15 & over kids. My LSC isn't the biggest or most populated either though. I do get lots of respect though, especially when they see how I do with the 200 Fly, 400 IM, and distance stuff against the kids. Just this last weekend I raced a 15 year old boy in the 200 Fly...he beat me by about 5 seconds, but really congratulated me for doing "so well" in the event. I thanked him graciously (though I was 5 seconds off my best time). I get quite a few good positive comments from other parents and officials at the meets as well. I did get one off-colored comment (from an official) that I just ignored, but thought it was strange that one of the officials would make a comment like she did.
