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We discuss this before. There was a small college we have recently an ex-football player swim on the team. So, you would have to look at different college programs in your area. Masters would love to have either male or female in the 19 to 24 year old groups. Because of many college progams, there are few that swim in that age group, but if you do college you can do masters in summer time if your not in a state that has a water polo program at the college level. As for relately, most of the meets I did were 30 years ago in age group swimming, so I can still relate to teenage swimming. Its just that my times as a teenager are even more medocre now than back then.

Physically, I think i'm up there with everybody else. I'm 6'2, 175lbs. I bench 190lbs, clean & jerk is at 110lbs, 40 yd dash is 4.8, and my 50 free is 25 seconds. we had our first practice today(11-17-03) and I am only 1 of the 2 divers on the team, and I am one of the top 4 swimmers on the team. there is this kid who swims a 50 at about 23 seconds, then myself, and then we have 2 others around 28. we have a fairly large team. ESPECIALLY for a washington school. about 20 team members, then we share the pool with 2 other teams, they have 10, and 2. so we have 32 people swimming in the pool at the same time. which is fine with me, because the faster swimmers swim in lane 6(thats where I am) and then we have the the beginners and slower people in lane 1&2. the intermediate at lane 3, and we use lanes 4&5 for diving, and lane 6 is where the expierienced swimmers are. practice is from 3-5 pm. and diving practice is from 3-4:30pm. but diving is only like every other day or somewhere around that. I think we might have an ok season this year, but if not, it's ok with me. I am just using this year to get back in shape, and to learn better technique and stuff like that. so that is just an update on me. by the way, I am aware that I am younger than most of the posters here, but I say, live with it, I am the future(my generation) and I'm just trying to learn as much as I can from experienced swimmers like yourselves.

I don't post very often but this topic really touched my heart. I would like to point out that only one person posting on this thread was not happy about JC participating in our discussion forum! Most Masters Swimmers simply LOVE THIS SPORT and want to share their passion for swimming with anyone who will listen! (Note my user name!) JC we think it is awesome that you have the determination and intelligence to seek out advice on your swimming from us "older, experienced" swimmers! I have a 15 year old daughter that swims and she won't ask me for advice and gets mad if I give her any! If you need any advice, you can email me personally! I'm a swim coach and would love to help you in any way. Determination, hard work and love of swimming are three of the most important factors for success not only in High School/College swimming but for Masters swimming too! Keep us posted on your success! HAPPY SWIMMING! :D

Hey JC, When you said, " . . . and to learn better technique and stuff like that, " you are on the right track. No one here will argue much that swimming is technique, technique, technique. Besides, there are many threads on this forum have discussed this in the past and will continue to do so in the future. If you find something that works better for you, let us know about it. What you might have learned might help someone else out, too. There's no doubt that you are "up there with everybody." Your school's pool sounds like a busy place, which is great. Swimming has taken a back seat in high schools in this area. You need not apologize for posting here. 99.44% of us here do realize that you "are the future," hence the support you have received. (It's the .66% who needs to live with it!) :D To quote a famous philosopher below (Tom Ellison) . . . "As to your swimming, you’re on the right track by setting goals for yourself. Keep focused on the long haul and always remember that what you put into the water today, will be akin to putting money in the bank for tomorrow. The deposit you put in the pool each day at practice is the check you get to cash in a meet in the future….GO for it kid…and give it your all!" And like I said before, Tom means very much what he says. Later.

Originally posted by JC_FLY Physically, I think i'm up there with everybody else. I'm 6'2, 175lbs. I bench 190lbs, clean & jerk is at 110lbs, 40 yd dash is 4.8, and my 50 free is 25 seconds. I think the comment about the physical differences between you and an older swimmer didn't have as much to do with your strength or speed as the stage of development your muscles and other lean tissue are in. The simple fact is that, at your age, your muscles will react differently to training than mine at my age. Injuries won't affect you and me the same way either. But that's all the more reason for you to participate in the discussion here. I stopped swimming at age fourteen and didn't pick it up again until I was almost thirty. If I had understood then some of the things I know now about my body, I might have continued to train through high school and into college. By reading here and participating in the discussion, your vision of your athletic program will extend far beyond the next meet or next year's team. Listening to us talk about our aches and pains, our triumphs and defeats, you get a head start on all your teammates for training for your life instead of just the next ribbon. And as I said before, we benefit from your enthusiasm.

I am in my 60s, and I am always gratified and encouraged by the support I receive from younger folks (almost everybody to me) - all the way down to 12 years old or so. In the water I am accepted as one of them, and their encouragement means a lot to me. Now the I have the opportunity to encourage a younger fellow, and I say, "Go get 'em!! I hope you achieve your goals". Here is something you might keep in mind. Rowdy Gaines, who won an Olympic gold medal, didn't begin competing until he was a junior in high school.

Folks, There are a million reasons why we should welcome JC Fly to our discussion groups. But, I think another compelling reason pops out the minute you consider why he might chose to be a regular here. This is an excellent discussion forum. Look at some of the threads JC has started where he has asked for advice or comment, and look at the feed back he got. Ask Gareth why he posts and reads feedback here, rather than some of the swimming fora run out of his native UK. Most of all, take a look a the Football Player Turned Swimmer thread JoeyButts started, and the quality advice he received from a lot of experienced swimmers. As Jim Rhome would say, "have a take. Do not suck." That happens here consistently because the people who contribute make it happen. You cannot easily find this in an age group specific web site. It is particularly ironic that some suggest we need a swim forum for adults only, because this is one of the few I have seen where I would not be embarassed to have my children read what is being said. (I say this as one of the folks who have skated close to the edge of the collective standard of good taste, and pulled back by the other members.) Ask the administrators of the U.S. Swimming web sites about discussion threads that spun out of control and had to be shut down for abusive language. Here, threads get canned rarely, and usually for becoming tiresome rather than objectionable. Let's appreciate what we have and share it with the youngsters. Matt