Minimum requirements?

Becca, I'll second what Laura said about Matt. (Matt's post was on the old forum.) Listen to what he says and you won't ever regret it. Kindest regards. Mark

Becca, There are no "minimals" at all! Good luck,,,,do it. Sincerely, swim53

I've never seen a Masters team or event turn anyone away. I suspect you'd be welcomed at just about every Masters program.

I believe that it depends on the team: one team i was interested in in London required that you had to swim 1500m (which isn't a lot); the team I'm currently on caters to all abilities (and I mean ALL :) ) Just contact the coach and ask. I'm sure that you'll be fine. don't do what I did and wait until you're 'good enough'... that could take forever! Peace....

Becca, You are clearly "good enough" to join Masters right now. Some clubs might have requirements. Just think of these requirements as directing traffic. You might not fit in with one club, but that may be because they are a triathlete's group who are doing lots of long distance, low rest swims to prepare for open water swimming, or because most of the team is gearing up for USMS National Championships, or some other reason that has more to do with them than you. There are plenty (i.e. the vast majority) of other clubs where you will fit right in. Do you need private lessons before you are "good enough" to fit in? No. Private lessons, because of the personal attention, can be an excellent way to improve your swimming. But, the most cost-effective way to really learn the strokes is a Masters club with good on deck coaching (and helpful hints from your teammates). Don't cheat yourself out of the camaraderie that will keep you coming back to team workouts long after you would have given up on lap swimming on your own. So, what's up with an age group team wanting your child to be able to swim a lap? Having coached a summer league team, I can tell you the key concern with lots of young kids, some of whom are weak swimmers, is purely safety. On our team, we did not exclude these kids; we simply asked that a parent get in the water and work with them to ensure their safety (at least until their kid could swim a lap). For adults, who know when to stop or ask for help, that is not as much of a concern, so you will not see many Masters teams impose that sort of a rule. Welcome to the gang. Trust me, you'll be swimming IM's before you know it. Matt

Hi Becca, I have struggled with some of the same issues myself. I printed a post from this site over two years ago (thanks, Matt S!) that really inspired me to keep swimming (even if master's didn't fit in my scheule). The basic gist was this: "You are good enough, fast enough, and completely worthy to join USMS just the way you are!" (If anyone can find this original post, will you kindly post a link to it? I think Becca would be encouraged by it. I can't seem to find it; maybe it's too old?) A lot of people have asked similar questions on this site--so you are not alone! Swimming is great if you have physical limitations and if you love it like you say you do, the worst thing you can do is to deny yourself of the experience! Best of luck, Laura

Don't forget that USMS is about using swimming to promoting a healthy lifestyle. Competition is just a part of that equation. (Over half the people on my team do not sign up for any meets, although many of them do sign up for triathlons.)

Becca, Now you have advice from two Marks and a Matt. That's pretty reMARKable. :rolleyes: Go for it!

Thanks muchly to everyone who responded. I just got back from vacation and it was great to see all the replies, they are very encouraging :) I'm moving in May and I thought I would wait until then, but now I'm going to research some teams here. Why wait, eh? Y'all rock! Becca

Originally posted by Becca Thanks muchly to everyone who responded. I just got back from vacation and it was great to see all the replies, they are very encouraging :) I'm moving in May and I thought I would wait until then, but now I'm going to research some teams here. Why wait, eh? Y'all rock! Becca Don't wait! The biggst thing I regret about Masters and swimming is that i waited for almost 2 years till I finally did it.