This started out as a response to the vote about SCM Championships. As I wrote, it seemed like I had an idea that was at least thought provoking. Here it goes:
There has been a lot of noise about the sheer size of SCY Nationals... Many of the popular suggestions on how to curb this problem revolved around the concept of exclusion (each of which flirt with contradicting USMS all inclusive philosophies). Perhaps instead of restricting who can come/6th event rules/A,B,C, cutoffs etc., we should look into running a second meet (SCM Nationals) at (roughly) the same time, but in a different part of the country.
This would certainly dillute SCY Nats., but people are complaining that they are too big already... It also causes complexity at that national level which could stop this idea in its tracks, and it may make one NC a "psuedo-Championship" b/c the most elite swimmers consitently choose one format. But most of us can agree we need to do something, and most agree excluding less accomplished swimmers is not in USMS's long term interests either.
This idea certainly has its detractions, and is one I am not neccesarily advocating. But I hope it will illicit some thoughtful responses regarding why this is a better/worse idea than 6th rule or ABC cutoff's. I'll start by pointing out its strengths:
1) It may curb SCY overcrowding
2) Provides a SCM championship at the national level
3) May provide a net increase in attendance since many swimmers are more willing to travel for regional meets.
SCM and SCY could be culled from the same bidding procedure, and the sites would need to be geographically distant (not neccessarily east coast/west coast, but you certainly do not want both within the same region).
What do YOU think?
Craig,
I think you may have missed my main points to hosting a 3rd nationals, only one of which had to do with meet size (and that would be at the bottom of the list).
The main interest that I've heard from others and why I've pushed for this is to give USMS swimmers another championship on a different "course" (SCM) at a different time of year. November/December will work for some but not all, just as the timeframe for our two current championships doesn't work for everyone. More options all arouind benefits everyone.
Presently there are some great regional SCM meets, I'd simply like to see that time of year "rewarded" with a championship as well.
Interesting concept - different meets, same time, different venues. However the idea of swimming against a phantom turns me off a bit. The thrill of competition would certainly be diluted - at least to me.
I do like the idea of "seasonal Nationals". But then I wonder would some think one the premiere event over another? Would more weight be given to another one? Would more than one National meet really solve the problem - if it's open to "everyone" who's to say "everyone" wouldn't go? Now I'm back to the swimming against a phantom again....
I think the entire concept of a National meet should be kept pure. Forgive me here if I get way off base as I don't know who is eligible for a National meet or how the meet is structured, anyway....I can't help but think a National meet, even if it's for Masters, should be structured/designed like other major meets. It starts at the local level with the "best swimmers" then moving to a regional meet in order to qualify for regionals.
Only problem with the above mentioned idea is that it may come off a bit "elitest" and not embrace all swimmers.
No worries. Re:the mistakes, it looks like my flash-in-the-pan idea did not generate as much talk as I thought. Oh well. For what it is worth, I did understand your reasoning (a shared desire for SCM NC), but I was trying to meld that with the need to alleviate SCY NC congestion. I understand the suggestion has detractions, but I was looking for peoples reactions. But the lack of conversation tells me all I need to know...
One other thought I've heard is to have 2-3 nationals around the country, officially. They could all be run on the same days with the same order of events. Heck, it wouldn't take much work to combine all of the results (even each day) for grand master results. So even though they'd be at a different pool, you'd be competing against people across the country.
This would also make the meet closer to people, so you would probably have a net increase in total participation, but a net decrease in number of people at each facility.
If you really wanted to be spiffy, you could time coordinate the sessions... so that the east coast started at 11am, and the west coast started at 8am, and ran sessions at approximately the same time.
Then, you could have the combined integrated results posted at each facility probably within an hour of the finish of the racees at all of the sites.
-Rick
another criticism about multiple NC-- someone could complain that one pool was 'faster' than another, thus giving some swimmers an advantage over others!
I've got to agree with Dulfin about the "phantom swimmers". Part of the fun of nationals is to meet people from all across the country. (Met several Georgians on the shuttle bus, a few Californians during breakfast, and my former college assistant coach from Rhode Island.)
Right now, any swimmer gets three events for free, and can swim six if they make the three additional NQTs. What if that were made a little harder? For instance, you make 1 or 2 NQTs, you can sign up for 4 events, 3-4 NQTs gets you five events, and 5-6 NQTs gets you six events. I don't know how much of a difference this would make, but it might shave off just enough that people wouldn't feel the meet was too long.
(And since my swims are just at or worse than the current NQTs, this system wouldn't benefit me at all. :D )
I for one would like to see things stay as they are. I like the fact that once a year or so I go to a really big meet, bringing together swimmers from all over the country. Having nationals in 3 locations in the country really wouldn't be nationals, more like a number of regional meets. As for the meets being too big they're nothing like they were before 1993 when qualifying times were introduced. Don't fix what isn't broken.
