Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

Bobinator — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 09:25:35 GMT

Dear Cbach, Congratulations for swimming so well your first practice under less than humane conditions! I'm sorry your were treated so disrespectfully but I think your swimming made the coach take notice that you shouldn't judge a person so readily. It really sounds like you have a great attitude and I feel like you are going to win this coach over with your work ethic and courage. At a normal Nasti Practice (the team I swim with) we might have 4 lanes doing the actual workout and the 2 outside lanes doing laps or their own version of the practice. We do not have a designated coach but usually a team member in the water calls the workout and brings small copies of the practice for each of us to put in our lane wall. If I were you I would go ahead and do your own version of the workout and continue to build on that. Many people new to masters swimming around here pay a private coach to work with them on their stroke efficiency and eventually they work themselves into the main-stream practice. I'm a firm believer that master's swimming is for everyone who is willing to work no matter what their ability, age, sex, or swimming experience may be. I think most swimmers agree with this philosophy. I hope this team works out for you. Good luck and keep up the great work!!

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

SLOmmafan — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 05:30:22 GMT

I have found many clubs that only assosiate with USMS for "insurance purposes". The coaches and swimmers themselves might have no real interest in having any actual practical association with the active parts of USMS. My general experinece has been to find a USA swimming club (age group) that has a dedicated USMS team and coach. Most (not all) coaches at the Masters level worth their pay either do or did coach at the age group/kid level. USA swimming has much higher standards for their club coaches - understandable when you are paying $100/month for your child to train 5 hours a day with this person.

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

Former Member — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 13:19:10 GMT

I think there is a lot to be said for being involved in Master's swimming but also working out on your own. I am a newish swimmer slowly making progress (currently doing 25 sets of 100s) and have benefited from a few tips that the Master's swim coach as well as a few of the lifeguards have given me. My next short-term goal is to learn flip turns. I have swum next to the Master's team in the lap lanes a couple of times during their practices and went to one meet just to watch and see what the competitions are all about. The coach has made it clear that I'm welcome to attend practices as long as I commit to do it consistently. But I just don't feel comfortable enough with my skills just quite yet to attend practices. So while I understand that Master's is all about encouraging adults to swim, I am also of the thought that one should show some commitment to swimming before marrying oneself up with a team of guys and gals that is serious about swimming. To get "respect" from other swimmers, you also need to give some in return. Just like any other sport.

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

tpost2 — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 02:15:00 GMT

Hi there - I'm sorry you found it difficult to get into the pool with this club, but I could also relate to some of it. When I joined a team, the folks there were largely into fitness rather than competition, and they also just pointed to a lane and I did the work out without a whole lot of direction. It took several months before I articulated my goals to the coach, but since then, the coach has done things like recommend variations on the sets with my personal goals in mind, but it's still a very self-driven, self-motivated largely independent endeavor. Then again, I've also had the opportunity to swim with other clubs where coaches and teams are very much into competition and more organized and focused, and there is a lot of one-on-one. So it seems to depend on the group and having a clear understanding of your own goals. In other words, there seem to be many different types of "shoes" in masters ... I think you just have to find the one that fits. Calling ahead or getting recommendations/suggestions/input from other local masters swimmers is definitely helpful, so I agree with folks above that have suggested that. I do hope you stick with it, in spite of the rocky start. It's totally worth it.

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

Former Member — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 05:50:44 GMT

I would like to thank everyone who has responded. I appreciate your feedback very much. I was pretty upset about the whole thing but I am looking forward. Grudgingly or no the coach has taught me enough in the first two practices that I can do my own workout in a separate lane. I have tried to be very mindful about not expecting too much individual time from the coach. I plan on continuing to show up every time and work very hard in order to earn the respect and hopefully acceptance of the others. One of the team members even spoke to me last time! So this may end up being one of those life situations where I have to work with a less than ideal situation, but as long as I am moving forward and have a direction I am happy. Thanks again everyone=) And flystorms "USMS is great for the soul" made me happy to read. I have noticed that afterwards I feel so happy and calm yet energized! I love this!

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

cathym — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 04:38:55 GMT

I don't think that your experience reflects the attitudes of all Masters swimmers. I work out by myself but go to meets and see many people competing who are probably just a few laps ahead of you; they swim for teams and are cheered during their swims. Keep swimming and enjoy having your own lane.

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

flystorms — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 10:08:13 GMT

Wow, what a shame that you were treated like that. That's not a Team atmosphere. While I agree with one of the posters above, who said that you can't expect to get the bulk of the attention, but the coach should've definitely tried to make you feel comfortable. My Team has all sizes, shapes, speeds, and ages. Our coach orchestrates 8 lanes of varying skills like a conductor. And when new people show up, he takes the time to evaluate the person's strengths and give them tips. Before long, they become integrated with the pack in the lane that best fits their skills. Stay with it and give yourself time. You'll find that you'll enjoy yourself, become more fit and make new friends. USMS is great for the soul.

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

Former Member — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:10:03 GMT

cbach, I am the USMS membership director. I'm sorry to hear about your experience. I'd like to speak with you. If you would be able to give me a call sometime, my direct line is 941-556-6279. I'm in the Eastern time zone and am usually here until at least 5:30pm. If that timing doesn't work for you, send me an email at Membership (at) usms.org and we'll figure out a weekend or evening time. Anna Lea Matysek

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

knelson — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 12:32:37 GMT

Every team is different. There are going to be some that are able to cater to those with little swimming experience and others that cannot. I think you can appreciate the fact the majority of teams are going to have limited resources and a coach can't be expected to spend the bulk of his or her time with one swimmer. Many teams are going to cater to those swimmers who are already proficient. It sounds to me like this is the type of team you found.Because of this it's a good idea to talk to the coach of a team before starting to see if it's right for you. Good luck!

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

aztimm — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 12:11:50 GMT

That does sound like an odd experience and I definitely have to say that I've never seen something like that happen. Typically most teams will let you try things out for at least a few practices (I think my team does a week or 2 week trial). After that, you discuss with the coach if what you've seen/done works for you and if you want to continue. I learned to swim as a kid but was never a part of a swim team until I joined a masters group. I had done a few triathlons, and thought I was a decent swimmer. I'll never ever forget going to my first masters swim workout. It was at the U of A (I was living in Tucson at the time), and the coach put me in the slowest lane. I made nearly all of the typical mistakes, I swam too hard too soon and nearly killed myself before we were halfway through the set. I don't know if I even got in 2000 yards that day. But the nice thing was, I wasn't alone. I kept coming back... Long story short, that was about 16 years ago, and other than vacation or injury, I've been swimming since. I've switched groups a few times (due to move and convenience). I've also tried swimming solo for a while. But there's something about swimming in a team environment that I really enjoy. Heck, even when I travel for work or vacation, I usually end up swimming with other groups too. Are there any other teams in your area that you can look at? If not, I'd probably follow some of the advice above. See if the coach can meet you before or after workout sometime, explain what you want out of a program, and see if he is willing to work with you.

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

jpetyk — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 08:18:27 GMT

That coach was rude. In a university setting, you will get a team of more proficient swimmers. However, that does not give the coach or team the right to discount a beginner, or older swimmer, that may be slower or need more instruction. It's always a good idea to talk to a team representative first, to get a feel for how the program works. Often times, teams will offer a trial membership or drop in rates. You were absolutely right in thinking USMS is the place to become a better swimmer and better fit. It sounds to me that you need to either find a different program, or take the current coach aside, and explain your goals, the USMS mission, and ask for his help to get there. Good luck to you.

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

Former Member — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 06:17:36 GMT

the coach's rude behavior shouldn't mean that everyone else in that group is equally rude -- if there is a spare lane, nothing wrong with taking advantage of it to work at a pace that's more comfortable for you (and that avoids sore shoulders) & that lets you observe more experienced swimmers -- you'll likely find a few who stick around after the end of the workout willing to translate coach-talk for you & give you a few personalized tips as for the fine print on the white board, most of us can't read anything that small that far away anyway best wishes!

RE: Confused by first USMS practice. Expectations vs reality?

ourswimmer — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 01:47:18 GMT

USMS is not a top-down organization. It offers services to swimmers and clubs. It doesn't charter clubs based on their commitment to do things the USMS Way. Some teams don't even have coaches, and the members take turns being on deck. Some teams, like the one you visited, have novice coaches. Some have really experienced coaches. Some teams have limited time and space at some or all of their workouts, and can't accommodate drop-ins of any ability let alone people who can't just hop right in a lane and do the workout. Some teams have lots of time and space at some or all of their workouts and encourage newer swimmers to come to those. You have to investigate the particular team to know what you should expect. I visit other USMS teams when I travel but I always call or email the coach first. Just showing up at a workout is rarely successful, and most teams' websites are maintained by volunteers who don't always keep them up to date. So now you know what to expect from this group and this coach at this workout. Did you enjoy the swim once you got in? Was there enough pool space for you to have your own lane without crowding other people? (It's not that no one "likes" newbies; it's that organized swimming depends on having people with similar objectives and abilities sharing a lane. I would disrupt your workout every bit as much as you would disrupt mine if we had to share.) If the coach encouraged you to return, do. You can help this coach move from novice to non-novice at the same time as s/he helps you.