I started diving off of starting blocks when I was eight years old. I am now 51, and train at the Y, almost always alone, as there is no Masters program in the county where I live, or in any of the immediately adjacent counties. (There are several age group programs.) I want to work on my starts, but none of the Y's where I swim will let me use the blocks - saying that a national Y policy prohibits anyone from using the blocks unless a team/club coach is on the deck.
I have never heard of anyone suing a YMCA because of an accident on a starting block.
Yes, perhaps a coach would be valuable to me in this regard, but I'm not looking for a coach - I need and want a cooperative facility. The age groups' program schedules are not conducive to my schedule, and besides, the age group coaches already have enough on their hands during those times with lanes full of kids working their programs. I also am not excited about having to dodge those kids to do the work I need to do.
Anyone find a way to conquer this litigation-fear-induced insanity yet? Thank you.
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by Bob McAdams
You seem to be forgetting that the starting blocks are in the deep end of the pool, but pool rules require that swimmers enter from the shallow end. Even if a swimmer is going off the blocks while another swimmer is entering the same lane, there's no danger because they are separated by the length of the pool.
Not at my pool -- there's no "shallow" end and the bulkheads are opposite the blocks. We enter the pool at the starting block end. Besides, have you never seen a swimmer cross the lane lines?
Why is it that a lifeguard (there was only one) can monitor each of these three areas of the pool to make sure nobody enters one of them who isn't supposed to, but can't monitor one lane where somebody is doing practice starts to make sure that anyone who enters the lane lets the other swimmer know he is there before he starts swimming laps?
You forget that in my hypothetical the lifeguard was busy "explaining" to the Lipitor Dude why he couldn't dive. I would think that that would be a significant distraction. Anyway, it seems to me that a clueless swimmer getting in the way of someone diving off the block is a much more serious matter than a teenager swimming in the adults' lane.
(I know I said my previous post was my last in this thread, but I couldn't stop myself :) )
Originally posted by Bob McAdams
You seem to be forgetting that the starting blocks are in the deep end of the pool, but pool rules require that swimmers enter from the shallow end. Even if a swimmer is going off the blocks while another swimmer is entering the same lane, there's no danger because they are separated by the length of the pool.
Not at my pool -- there's no "shallow" end and the bulkheads are opposite the blocks. We enter the pool at the starting block end. Besides, have you never seen a swimmer cross the lane lines?
Why is it that a lifeguard (there was only one) can monitor each of these three areas of the pool to make sure nobody enters one of them who isn't supposed to, but can't monitor one lane where somebody is doing practice starts to make sure that anyone who enters the lane lets the other swimmer know he is there before he starts swimming laps?
You forget that in my hypothetical the lifeguard was busy "explaining" to the Lipitor Dude why he couldn't dive. I would think that that would be a significant distraction. Anyway, it seems to me that a clueless swimmer getting in the way of someone diving off the block is a much more serious matter than a teenager swimming in the adults' lane.
(I know I said my previous post was my last in this thread, but I couldn't stop myself :) )
