I was just curious. I noticed that quite a few posts are from people in the UK, Canada (which is outside the US, technically ;) ), or high school swimmers.
Are people posting here because discussion boards are not available elsewhere? (I haven't looked.) Or is the information quality higher here?
Former Member
What is so great about USMS is that any one can join. I have always swam but it was aside to running. I had several operations & can't run anymore. USMS has given me a great way to reconnect with competive swimmign & with ohters who swim becasue they love it.
Freestyle is emphasized inthe US so much because it is the first stroke taught. In other parts of the world that isn't so. In Japan, most learn *** first.
I'm currently not a USMS member. About 4 months ago, I could barely swim at all. I decided to take some classes offered by a local Masters club, and now I can swim better than I ever have in my life. I think I will eventually join that Masters club, once my work schedule cools off a little, maybe in a month or two.
Just this past Saturday, I went to watch a Masters swim meet for the first time. Previously, I had only attended college swim meets. I was surprised by the wide variety of swimmers at the Masters meet. There were the people that were so fast that it was intimidating. I don't know if I would ever be able to reach that level. But there were also people who were competing just to finish. The biggest crowd applause was for the people in their 70's and 80's when they arrived at the finish. I saw a guy in his 80's who walked with a cane and had to be helped up on the block, but he dove right in and swam a complete race.
I mailed in my application about 2-1/2 weeks ago. Haven't received anything yet, but I guess it probably takes a few weeks. Don't know if I will enter any meets or not, but I'm looking forward to the magazine. Also, after reading about it here, maybe I will go by a Masters meet sometime just to see what it's like - then decide if I want to try it the next time.
member (Delaware Valley) Big Cat Masters
(we're affliated with the age group team that is sponsored (for lack of a better word) by penn state university.)
i absolutely love masters swimming! joining the team after having swam collegiately and then playing water polo for PSU made me realize that i've always been (and will always be) a swimmer. i just made a little trek into another part of the aquatic world... i like the fact that you can take it as seriously as you want and no one makes fun of you either way- i train a minimum of 5 days a week, but the people who only swim once a week (or once every 2 weeks!) don't say anything about my nearly obsessive relationship with the pool! ;)
