Even our friend Aquageek gets a mention!
www.wsj.com/.../in-u-s-masters-swimming-training-is-more-important-than-the-race-1438622826
I think the article is fine as far as it goes, but it would be nice if they at least mentioned that competition IS a big facet of masters swimming for lots of us. Sure lots of USMS members do not compete, but how many other adult sports can boast of having an annual national championship event where ~2,000 athletes compete?
Swimmers who want to fire up their competitive juices are already drawn to USMS because they are mostly the only game in town for adults who are serious about competitive swimming. Attendance at nationals flat-lined long ago and probably so has the number of swimmers in other sanctioned meets.
Don't get me wrong, I think that the more competitive USMS members are a huge asset, and I think we should be more aggressive in pursuing swimmers who quit or "graduate" out of USA-S or college varsity/club swimming. But IMO even those people are less interested in competition than a great club environment. Great coaches and great clubs are the secret sauce, not more/better catering to competitive urges.
Agreed. I think there is certainly a balance between attracting both competitive and non-competitive swimmers. On the one hand, after a lifetime of competitive swimming, many post-college/club swimmers should be encouraged to stay with the sport and experience the satisfaction of being competitive in the sport that they love (sometime even more competitive than they were as age groupers) within a welcoming club environment. And on the other hand, there should be plenty of encouragement given to non-competitive swimmers who would prefer to enjoy swimming for fitness, and who might even become potential future competitive swimmers, within a welcoming club environment. USMS is on the right track in welcoming both competitive and non-competitive swimmers, and understanding that this is the key to growth.
Swimmers who want to fire up their competitive juices are already drawn to USMS because they are mostly the only game in town for adults who are serious about competitive swimming. Attendance at nationals flat-lined long ago and probably so has the number of swimmers in other sanctioned meets.
Don't get me wrong, I think that the more competitive USMS members are a huge asset, and I think we should be more aggressive in pursuing swimmers who quit or "graduate" out of USA-S or college varsity/club swimming. But IMO even those people are less interested in competition than a great club environment. Great coaches and great clubs are the secret sauce, not more/better catering to competitive urges.
Agreed. I think there is certainly a balance between attracting both competitive and non-competitive swimmers. On the one hand, after a lifetime of competitive swimming, many post-college/club swimmers should be encouraged to stay with the sport and experience the satisfaction of being competitive in the sport that they love (sometime even more competitive than they were as age groupers) within a welcoming club environment. And on the other hand, there should be plenty of encouragement given to non-competitive swimmers who would prefer to enjoy swimming for fitness, and who might even become potential future competitive swimmers, within a welcoming club environment. USMS is on the right track in welcoming both competitive and non-competitive swimmers, and understanding that this is the key to growth.
