Can anyone give me advice on how to form a team. I am an American living in Tokyo. I am competing in Japan Masters competitions currently via my local gym, but I want to quit my gym and train somewhere else. I have a long term Masters membership...but how can I get the competition applications without a team registration?
Can I form my own team just by registering a new team name for myself. I want to compete in the World Masters next year in San Fran, but am worried about not having an affiliation.
I wonder if I could start a Tokyo branch of a U.S. Masters team?
Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
Former Member
I swim unattached for a variety of reasons, mostly because I want to. I had halfways planned on going next summer - guess not!
I looked at the rules for FINA Masters Worlds and it does say you must be attached to a team, but then it says that you can't swim for a country or federation. OK, fine... so if I make up a team name, I can swim for it?
I'm not USMS, as I'm Canadian... I am registered with Masters Swimming Ontario as an unattached swimmer.
Weirdness, and disappointing. Oh well, the World Masters Games are in Australia in 2009, and that might be fun. :)
Heather
I think a team is required to have four members. I suppose that you could sign up three of your friends, swimmers or not, and use that as a qualification to start a new team. Why are you so determined about not being a member of a team? You don't actually have to practice with them. Shoot, I don't think you even need to know any of them.
Where/how are you registered now?
USMS renewal for 2006 starts Nov 1. A copy of your registration card is submitted with your entry for all USMS meets and for Worlds. Your card must indicate the team you have registered with.
Teams are registered through the Local Masters Swim Committee. If you do not have a mailing address within the LMSC's area, I am not sure you can register a team. Your best bet is to register with an existing USMS team. You do not have to live in that area.
Your problem is what team...Do you know anyone currently swimming? Did you swim with USMS before going to Japan?
Betsy Durrant
Thank you for the replies.
Since I have been in Tokyo for 5 years, I am out of touch with swimmers in the US. I don't even know anyone swimming Masters there now.
Is there any team that would let me use their name for World Masters next year? I wonder if there is any small team that is looking for another person for relays.
The other question is - if I get 3 friends in Japan who want to make a team with me, is it hard to register my team? What is the actual process involved in making a team. I noticed that there are 100's of small teams here with a small number of members.
Thanks!
You should be able to register yourself as unattached. I competed in a couple meets as an unattached swimmer. I don't see why World's wouldn't let you compete as an unattached as long as you meet qual times.
Maybe you can register with a team even if you don't train with them? My USMS card says I"m a part of a team that I've never swam with, ever, but my registrar said to just put unattached on my meet sheets, or if I really wanted I could put the team anyway. Check with some teams here in the states, maybe if they agree to let you us them as a team (so you can do World's), then you can swim in some of their relays, or they get your points or something.
Betsy:
thanks for your reply.
I never swam for a Masters team in the U.S. before I went to Japan.
I registered for the Japan Masters through my local fitness club in Tokyo after I moved here.
Since then I participated in 3 competitions through this registration: The all Japan Masters in Osaka in July, the Kanagawa Masters and the Nagoya Masters competitions.
Any advice for which team I could move my registration to in the U.S. ?
Thanks a lot.
I would say do eenie-meenie-minee-mo, and just pick a team and e-mail the coach. Check the places to swim section of the website, that has all the teams in the country listed, and just start e-mailing.
