How do you feel about copying the kid's swimming method of organizing Masters by time standards??
For example, there would be A, B and C times for all ages and both sexes. Local meets would be either A, A/B, B, B/C, C or OPEN.
There could be Championships for any of these categories at the LMSC level. To go to Regionals would require having made a new category, the Regional time. National entrantrants would come from the Regional pool or perhaps from the "A" pool.
I'm ambivalent on this as it seems too unwieldy at this early stage of our development but does answer the needs of folks who are looking for the mythical level playing field.
Emmett; we could still have the "Mediocre" Champs as an extra event (suggested in your earlier post). Since there are 26 letters in the alphabet, we could go an even larger number of categories with an ever declining number of swimmers. (Avoiding, of course, the politically incorrect "F" time standard.)
Heck, I can see a day when EVERYONE wins something !
Former Member
Here is the 4th vote for SCM Nationals. The timing has got to be better than back-to-school August.
Until USMS officially (if ever) decides on adding a SCM Nat's, perhaps those folks on/near the West Coast will continue to view and participate in SPMA's championships, which I hope will return to Long Beach this year.
Interesting that no one from the USMS championship committee has weighed in with their thoughts?
Maybe someone (who knows how) can set up a poll on this idea which would add some weight to the folks at USMS making these decisions?
The question of SCM Nationals has come up on the forums before and members of the Championship Committee have weighed in then.
What I recall they've said is that 1) there aren't enough potential additional venues available, given that it's already difficult to find facilites willing and able to handle SCY and LC (which would mostly be the same venues that would host an SCM meet), and 2) organizing a three national meets a year would be unduly burdensome and costly. They have raised the possibility of occasionally holding the SC meet in a metric pool. (I hope I haven't misstated their answers.)
I was disappointed when I saw those answers, since I'd also like to see an SCM Nationals. I don't if the issue has ever been formally considered by USMS, though.
Originally posted by Glenn
Just read Ken's post again...Would an SCM Nationals be possible and/or easier to organize every other year?
First of all, just to be clear, that post isn't my own opinion and I'm not in any way involved in the process -- I was just recounting what members of the championship committee have said on the forums, in the past. (My only formal involvement in USMS governance was two fun-filled years on my LMSC's board.) But it seems to me we won't know until it's been tried. Maybe USMS could schedule a December SCM Nationals once, as a test, to see what the response is and if the difficulties really are insurmountable. Then, based on that experience, they can decide whether to make annual or biannual -- or never do it again.
OK Rob, now you've done it! Because of my big mouth, I have now been asked (read coerced) by my LMSC to go to the convention (looks like we will, Laura and I were supposed to last year but a family emergency stopped us). My vote is that they'll chase us out of San Diego withing 24 hours!
In additon, our current LMSC President (Go Cindy) is "rushing" to get a proposal to Leo who is the chair of the rules committee. My guess (from what I've heard) is that it most likely won't go to far as Leo has notified us that it has to be deemed an "emergency" to be considered by the committee.
OK gang, I'm stepping up here because I really believe that this has relevance. If anyone else out there on this forum feels the same than you need to do your part and contact your LMSC rep and have them support this. My hope is that we'll get the support and place a SCM Nationals for December of 2004 on the calender.
Rob, I am clueless as to setting up a "poll" on this site. Help me out here buddy and start up a new thread with a poll!
