:badday:I just got back from practice and basically the coach told me I'd get more out of swim lessons than masters. I thought I was doing pretty well, but I guess he was blowing smoke up my skirt (or swimsuit) when he told me that during my first practice. Basically, if I don't want to swim with other people, masters probably isn't for me.
I feel badly because I thought I'd found a home with this team. I know he's trying to do his best for me and is willing to give me lessons to improve my technique and get me comfortable enough to swim with the other beginners. But it feels like I've been sent to remedial swim class. So my confidence has been completely deflated. I joined masters because I thought I'd get a better workout than swimming alone. I know being in the lane with others makes you push yourself more, and I was working my way to that, and he said he wants me on his team. But honestly, I'm not interested in being on a team. I just want to get in the freakin' pool and swim for fitness.
Denise,
I'm also from the DC area, and have (by proxy) experience dealing with the Rec department folks in Fairfax County. It is possible that your team is paying for a set number of lanes for each practice, and by moving you to your own lane, your team was then occupying more lanes than they'd paid for. It wouldn't matter if the rest of the pool was completely empty, if your team was paying for 4 lanes, but using 5, the county could have very well put the kibosh on your private lane. It doesn't make sense, especially if the pool is as empty as you say, but some of the county rec departments in the metro area don't always make sense when they make their rules.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that it might not have been your coach making this decision at all. If the county folks got bent out of shape, he might have thought this was the best way to keep you in the sport, while keeping your team on the right side of the county.
Denise,
I'm also from the DC area, and have (by proxy) experience dealing with the Rec department folks in Fairfax County. It is possible that your team is paying for a set number of lanes for each practice, and by moving you to your own lane, your team was then occupying more lanes than they'd paid for. It wouldn't matter if the rest of the pool was completely empty, if your team was paying for 4 lanes, but using 5, the county could have very well put the kibosh on your private lane. It doesn't make sense, especially if the pool is as empty as you say, but some of the county rec departments in the metro area don't always make sense when they make their rules.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that it might not have been your coach making this decision at all. If the county folks got bent out of shape, he might have thought this was the best way to keep you in the sport, while keeping your team on the right side of the county.
