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?"
You swim what your coach has told you to and you perform for the team - not calling your own individual shots during a dual meet.
OK, true. In a high school (or college) meet your obligation is to the team.
I did a 500 fly in a meet last year, and am planning on a 500 back this year in route to obtaining a time for a 2000 IM. I will again let everyone in the heat know what I am planning to do, as well as the starter and ref.
In a meet where team scores matter, I agree that the swimmer has an obligation to follow the direction of the coach. Not knowing that part of the story, it was appropriate for him to let those he was swimming with know what he had planned.
Plus, the kid can become a member of the Butternuts! :banana:
I disagree. High school swimming is a team sport. You swim what your coach has told you to and you perform for the team - not calling your own individual shots during a dual meet.
He got third with a 5:12, but his team was going to win the meet by a lot anyway.
Remember, the flyer kid's team did not need any points from his swim.
On a related note, the opposing coach qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials in the 200 fly. One time we were doing a set of 100's on 1:10. He did 25 of each 100 fly, rotating which 25 was the fly. Was that challenging himself, or belittling to me in the next lane, barely making the interval going all free?
Well then, I guess attention hungry players of all team sports should feel justified doing their own individual showboating during any game/match as long as their teams are winning. Coaches and teammates just love that.:shakeshead:
Did you swim in high school or have you ever coached high school swimmers? I can't imagine being self-absorbed enough to have just done whatever I wanted in an event when I was representing my coach and my team. I highly doubt any other swimmers in his heat (all teenage boys) were going to tell him that his doing fly would bother them - even if it did.
Remember, the flyer kid's team did not need any points from his swim.
On a related note, the opposing coach qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials in the 200 fly. One time we were doing a set of 100's on 1:10. He did 25 of each 100 fly, rotating which 25 was the fly. Was that challenging himself, or belittling to me in the next lane, barely making the interval going all free?
I'd have to side with the coach in this instance. This kid should have checked with his coach long before he got behind the blocks and asked the other swimmers in his heat.
As for adding some fly to a set of 100's free in a workout, provided it wasn't negatively affecting other swimmers workouts (those sharing a lane with him) I don't see a problem with it. It's masters swimming in a workout setting...totally different scenario.
I did a 500 fly in a meet last year, and am planning on a 500 back this year in route to obtaining a time for a 2000 IM. I will again let everyone in the heat know what I am planning to do, as well as the starter and ref.
You may know this already, but Austrailian Masters has Top Ten Times for every stroke at every distance including the 1500 fly!
Masters Swimming Australia - Ranking - MSA Portal 2004-2014 by Frank Braun
2004-2014 by Frank Braun
