My team, Rockwall Aquatic Masters is having a long course meet on 6th July and I am actively trying to convince team mates to sign up. On my blog I was describing my disappointment that more of my team mates had not signed up. One commenter posted the following, "Why do they have to participate? I have more fun going to practice than I do meets. I don't find meets fun anymore." I guess I had assumed that most people enjoy meets and I found it strange that my team mates did not want to sign up. This got me thinking and I wondered why people compete or don't compete? Any thoughts?
I have no problems letting go of my best times from the past. Heck, I can't remember what most of them are anyway. That's one of the benefits of growing up swimming in the pre-digital age. I'd actually love to know all of my prior best times in my 'off events' and my exact times from my best events in college (e.g., I know the minutes and seconds, but not more), but they are unsearchable and I stopped detailed tracking of times after high school.
I wonder if this barrier to masters competition -- comparing oneself to younger times -- will grow as the current generation ages since there are all these digital records of their 'performance in their prime.'
As far as the question of why people don't compete, I am looking forward to answers as a number of us in Arizona have been frustrated/stymied by our low meet participation rates. I want to try to understand what would increase participation --
adding social activities?
adding 'fun' events (e.g., fun relays, swim the IM in whatever order you want, etc.)?
having more frequent meets, but with fewer events in each meet and a shorter timeline (e.g., create a ~2 hour meet)?
having a 'first timers' meet where truly 'novice' master swimmers (or those retruning to competition after a long time) can compete without the so-called studs?
other ideas?
I have no problems letting go of my best times from the past. Heck, I can't remember what most of them are anyway. That's one of the benefits of growing up swimming in the pre-digital age. I'd actually love to know all of my prior best times in my 'off events' and my exact times from my best events in college (e.g., I know the minutes and seconds, but not more), but they are unsearchable and I stopped detailed tracking of times after high school.
I wonder if this barrier to masters competition -- comparing oneself to younger times -- will grow as the current generation ages since there are all these digital records of their 'performance in their prime.'
As far as the question of why people don't compete, I am looking forward to answers as a number of us in Arizona have been frustrated/stymied by our low meet participation rates. I want to try to understand what would increase participation --
adding social activities?
adding 'fun' events (e.g., fun relays, swim the IM in whatever order you want, etc.)?
having more frequent meets, but with fewer events in each meet and a shorter timeline (e.g., create a ~2 hour meet)?
having a 'first timers' meet where truly 'novice' master swimmers (or those retruning to competition after a long time) can compete without the so-called studs?
other ideas?
