A kid swam the 500 all fly in a high school dual meet yesterday. His coach was furious and benched him for the rest of the meet. One of my lane mates this morning, who was the Starter at this meet said that was showboating and demeaning to the other competitors. I disagree. Was that any more demeaning than swimming free and lapping people? Plus, I saw the flyer ask everyone in the heat if it would bother them. Even on the blocks he said "Are you sure you guys are OK with this?"
If you have an issue with sportsmanship or showboating, please solve this dilemma for me: High school meet where I know the opposing team does not have any year round club swimmers. If I challenge myself, I will lap all of them. How embarrasing for them. Should I back off and just win comfortably? But I would clearly be loafing while winning. That would be demeaning and belittling to them and pretentious on my part.
Have you tried to think about this from any other perspective than your own as a masters swimmer? If you were a year-round high school swimmer that dove in and crushed another swimmer in a 500 freestyle swimming freestyle no one would say a thing. The other swimmer would know you beat him and swam your fastest. Do you not see how switching to a stroke that other swimmer might not even be able to swim legally for more than a 50 - and crushing him in a 500 free - is demeaning? "Hey, everyone, I don't even have to swim freestyle in this event to compete with these losers!!!" For some schools, the 500 free is the last event filled - meaning that no one wants to swim it and some of the slowest kids often end up having to do it. I don't think you ever swam high school and you presume your masters experience is enough to make a judgement here. Your perspective is limited.
If you have an issue with sportsmanship or showboating, please solve this dilemma for me: High school meet where I know the opposing team does not have any year round club swimmers. If I challenge myself, I will lap all of them. How embarrasing for them. Should I back off and just win comfortably? But I would clearly be loafing while winning. That would be demeaning and belittling to them and pretentious on my part.
Have you tried to think about this from any other perspective than your own as a masters swimmer? If you were a year-round high school swimmer that dove in and crushed another swimmer in a 500 freestyle swimming freestyle no one would say a thing. The other swimmer would know you beat him and swam your fastest. Do you not see how switching to a stroke that other swimmer might not even be able to swim legally for more than a 50 - and crushing him in a 500 free - is demeaning? "Hey, everyone, I don't even have to swim freestyle in this event to compete with these losers!!!" For some schools, the 500 free is the last event filled - meaning that no one wants to swim it and some of the slowest kids often end up having to do it. I don't think you ever swam high school and you presume your masters experience is enough to make a judgement here. Your perspective is limited.
