There's a trend in this state (Rhode Island) that disappoints me. From time to time, in certain meets, they will do away with the 500 freestyle. And (when my daughter was on the HS team) I personally witnessed that it's sometimes because the coaches can't entice anyone to swim it. Lame! Sometimes it's because the team is so small that they don't have enough swimmers. OK...maybe! First, if I were the coach, and I have plenty of swimmers on my team, I pick a kid and tell him/her to get up on the blocks and swim the race!!! But...if the rules are going to be bent by not conducting an event...when a team is truly shorthanded...why not bend the rules differently? Instead of scratching an event, let certain swimmers compete in an extra event so that ALL the scheduled events can be competed?
Dan
For the High School meets in our area, the 500 swimmer is either really strong or not strong. I have seen meets where the younger kids are entered in order to gain points by having a body in the pool, but others where there is a real race right to the finish.
For the High School meets in our area, the 500 swimmer is either really strong or not strong. I have seen meets where the younger kids are entered in order to gain points by having a body in the pool, but others where there is a real race right to the finish.
