Help! I'm going to my first practice ever for a master's swim team on Sunday morning. I've been swimming on my own since March and have worked up to 50 minute sessions-a little over a mile-3 days a week. I've never been coached or trained before, so the whole thing has me pretty intimidated. I've been reading the forum and from what I see, you all seem to recommend team training to improve. I'm over 40, still about 10 pounds heavier than I'd like to be but not in horrible shape. I'm a little nervous that I won't be able to keep up or that people will resent a slow untrained swimmer messing up their practice.
Any advice?
Thanks!!
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by Fitswimmer04
The only thing that would keep me from continuing weekly is the cost. In order to join the Master's team, you have to join the Y. I've had a membership at a different Y for 12 years that is more convenient for me to go to before work. (That one costs less too) The bottom line is that I would have to pay over $600 to swim with the team on Sunday morning. Is this a standard practice?
It depends on the team and the facility -- there really is no "standard" practice, throughout USMS. (I don't know about the Y.)
For example, my team isn't affiliated with any facility (we rent pool time at a local college, but other than that we're completely independent) so there's no issue of joining a facility -- we just pay dues to the team. The pool where I swim when I'm not working out with my team, has it's own team (which I'm not a member of, obviously) but they give people the options of joining the team, with or without membership in the facility (different fees for each). Others, as you've seen, require membership in the facility.
So if cost is an issue you really have to shop around for a deal, but bear in mind that the team that has the best fee structure, may not have the most convenient schedule or the most appropriate philosophy for you -- every team is different :).
Originally posted by Fitswimmer04
The only thing that would keep me from continuing weekly is the cost. In order to join the Master's team, you have to join the Y. I've had a membership at a different Y for 12 years that is more convenient for me to go to before work. (That one costs less too) The bottom line is that I would have to pay over $600 to swim with the team on Sunday morning. Is this a standard practice?
It depends on the team and the facility -- there really is no "standard" practice, throughout USMS. (I don't know about the Y.)
For example, my team isn't affiliated with any facility (we rent pool time at a local college, but other than that we're completely independent) so there's no issue of joining a facility -- we just pay dues to the team. The pool where I swim when I'm not working out with my team, has it's own team (which I'm not a member of, obviously) but they give people the options of joining the team, with or without membership in the facility (different fees for each). Others, as you've seen, require membership in the facility.
So if cost is an issue you really have to shop around for a deal, but bear in mind that the team that has the best fee structure, may not have the most convenient schedule or the most appropriate philosophy for you -- every team is different :).
