What can make a potentially great pool and swim meet (78-80 degree deep water, wide lanes, great gutter system, good starting blocks, great lighting, large scoreboard, excellent officials, etc.) into a mediocre one? The lane lines.
We recently swam our championships in a new state-of-the-art pool. The only problem was the slack lane lines. The water was very choppy and continued that way throughout the whole race. They served no more purpose than the old “floaties” we used 45 years ago. They were so loose they visibly rose and fell with the waves and had so many horizontal waves they looked like serpents at the surface. The lane lines did not cut the waves but rather rode them. When there was a race with an open lane, the waves pushed the lane lines well into the free lane. Predictably overall times were not as fast as they could have been.
It is not necessary to have the lane lines are tight as a piano wire in order for them to be effective, but tightening them up for a meet is an area that is most often neglected. We work too hard at our craft not to be given every opportunity to swim as fast as the pool allows.
Parents
Former Member
How about bowling, gotta love bowling what other sport seems to promote drinking and smoking (of course that is my take from my own experiences, golf can be considered up there too I guess). The point about the fitness level of water exercise participants can be a little misleading (experiences may vary). As Laineybug said these people have to start somewhere, some participants because of health reasons may not be able to do land, weight bearing type exercises (this includes arthritis, fibriomalygia, any cardio vascular problems, and the list goes on) but when you put these people in the water, they have a new source of empowerment, able to control themselves for the most part). True not all participants are this way, but the fact they are out and moving should be a credit. Look at the trend in assisted care housing, not to long ago it used to be bingo and TV now they are getting these people moving, even if in a wheel chair using a simple balloon to work on muscle control of the hand may get a stroke victim back to where they can hold a utensil and feed themselves instead of someone else feeding them. I would love to be able to cater to every members specific aquatic needs, unfortunately I would need about 10 pools, one for teaching lessons, one for Aqua exercise, a deep water play pool a shallow water play pool a warm water lap pool a serious competition pool, etc, this is very unfeasible so there needs to be a little compromise and tolerance of other activities, and if there is a problem information and education are your best weapons.
Sorry for the soapbox, I'll get down now I have to go move some lanes lines to get ready for our lap swimmers.
How about bowling, gotta love bowling what other sport seems to promote drinking and smoking (of course that is my take from my own experiences, golf can be considered up there too I guess). The point about the fitness level of water exercise participants can be a little misleading (experiences may vary). As Laineybug said these people have to start somewhere, some participants because of health reasons may not be able to do land, weight bearing type exercises (this includes arthritis, fibriomalygia, any cardio vascular problems, and the list goes on) but when you put these people in the water, they have a new source of empowerment, able to control themselves for the most part). True not all participants are this way, but the fact they are out and moving should be a credit. Look at the trend in assisted care housing, not to long ago it used to be bingo and TV now they are getting these people moving, even if in a wheel chair using a simple balloon to work on muscle control of the hand may get a stroke victim back to where they can hold a utensil and feed themselves instead of someone else feeding them. I would love to be able to cater to every members specific aquatic needs, unfortunately I would need about 10 pools, one for teaching lessons, one for Aqua exercise, a deep water play pool a shallow water play pool a warm water lap pool a serious competition pool, etc, this is very unfeasible so there needs to be a little compromise and tolerance of other activities, and if there is a problem information and education are your best weapons.
Sorry for the soapbox, I'll get down now I have to go move some lanes lines to get ready for our lap swimmers.
