Bill:
First off thanks for providing the story. I do remember it last year. Back in 1988, I can honestly say I never heard anything about how forming this team was going to contribute to building an Aquatic facility from any of the USMS leadership or the swimmers that were swimming for the team. I am still looking thru my swimming archives because I remember I kept the a copy of the financial contribution sheet because I did make a small donation to one of the swimmers that I coach who was going even thought I did not like the concept of building this superteam and going around to the LMSC's and Clubs and recruiting swimmers from those Clubs. Even Tiger admitted that "We probably violated some of the principals of Masters Swimming, but we wanted to help those that needed help."
First off, If you notice in my post I never said anything derogatory about Tiger Holmes. "The person in charge of the team is very well respected in swimming for his contributions and accomplishments and I won't deny that excellence." Tiger is inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame and I respect that. Who am I to question that excellence. That is why I did not name him in my original post because everything he stands for in swimming I appeciate except how this was set up and the methods that were used to do so. Like Matt Biondi and Eddie Reese who have been slamed on this website before, I will always come to respect the accomplishments of people in the ISHOF. My intention was to give Mr. Goodsmith an example of what went on 17 years ago and how some in the international swimming community feel about it.
I am going to provide a commentary from Mel Goldstein that was published back in September of 1988 from the SWIM MASTER Newsletter about the upcoming World Masters Championships.
"Many masters swimmers throughout the United States are preparing to attend the World Masters Championships in Brisbane, Australia. I personally think that it is deplorable that some of them are leaving their local LMSC to swim for a super team who has recruited USMS elite swimmers throughout the country. These swimmers have prostituted themselves for personal financial gain. I think that as United States Masters Swimmers this is a very poor image to portray of our country and organization. Since we are the largest Masters organization in the world, we should be trying to set examples, especially since we are going to be hosting two International events in the next 4 years. I personally don't understand why the recruiting is going on, since there is no team scoring in these World Championships. Masters swim coaches who condone this sort of activity and will allow their swimmers to return to their clubs upon the completion of the World Championships, are not helping the Masters Coaching organization seek the high level identity which it is striving for. This sort of recruiting adds more fuel to the fire as to why we should not have team scoring at National Championships."
Bill:
First off thanks for providing the story. I do remember it last year. Back in 1988, I can honestly say I never heard anything about how forming this team was going to contribute to building an Aquatic facility from any of the USMS leadership or the swimmers that were swimming for the team. I am still looking thru my swimming archives because I remember I kept the a copy of the financial contribution sheet because I did make a small donation to one of the swimmers that I coach who was going even thought I did not like the concept of building this superteam and going around to the LMSC's and Clubs and recruiting swimmers from those Clubs. Even Tiger admitted that "We probably violated some of the principals of Masters Swimming, but we wanted to help those that needed help."
First off, If you notice in my post I never said anything derogatory about Tiger Holmes. "The person in charge of the team is very well respected in swimming for his contributions and accomplishments and I won't deny that excellence." Tiger is inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame and I respect that. Who am I to question that excellence. That is why I did not name him in my original post because everything he stands for in swimming I appeciate except how this was set up and the methods that were used to do so. Like Matt Biondi and Eddie Reese who have been slamed on this website before, I will always come to respect the accomplishments of people in the ISHOF. My intention was to give Mr. Goodsmith an example of what went on 17 years ago and how some in the international swimming community feel about it.
I am going to provide a commentary from Mel Goldstein that was published back in September of 1988 from the SWIM MASTER Newsletter about the upcoming World Masters Championships.
"Many masters swimmers throughout the United States are preparing to attend the World Masters Championships in Brisbane, Australia. I personally think that it is deplorable that some of them are leaving their local LMSC to swim for a super team who has recruited USMS elite swimmers throughout the country. These swimmers have prostituted themselves for personal financial gain. I think that as United States Masters Swimmers this is a very poor image to portray of our country and organization. Since we are the largest Masters organization in the world, we should be trying to set examples, especially since we are going to be hosting two International events in the next 4 years. I personally don't understand why the recruiting is going on, since there is no team scoring in these World Championships. Masters swim coaches who condone this sort of activity and will allow their swimmers to return to their clubs upon the completion of the World Championships, are not helping the Masters Coaching organization seek the high level identity which it is striving for. This sort of recruiting adds more fuel to the fire as to why we should not have team scoring at National Championships."
