Is there really a division between masters swimmers? i.e. one camp allied to a more low key fitness oriented approach with low membership growth vs. a meet oriented competitive (elite) camp?
This sounds ridiculous to me. I don't think I've ever run into anyone that acknowledged this debate on a pool deck.
What spawns this rift in Masters swimming? Is this an old guard vs. younger member phenonmenon?
Are there different motivations that exist that create this conflict in terms of the future of USMS? Why can't both coexist?
I say we poll some people out there and find out what they support.
John Smith
Cutting it down to say 3-4 heats per age group per event would certainly help get it over with.
John - maybe you would want to calculate a timeline with 4 heats per age group. That would be about 50 heats per event - adding together both men and women. While 50 heats of 50's would take about 25 minutes (two courses short course). Fifty heats of 1650s would be about 10-12 hours.
And you have to make the whole thing worth it so that someone wants to bid for the event. I would take all the 50 and 100s that I could put in a pool. Give me 8 heats per age group. Eight heats per age group will run about an hour of heats. 50's run quickly.
I would want to have the distance events far more competitive.
If you really want to drag a long course meet - have every event have two full heats of each age group. Trust me, it would take a long time.
As to whether you are going to seed by age group/by time or just by time, that is a religious discussion. While I might vote for seeding by time only - just like the distance events, I do not think that will get passed any time soon. But it is a rules year, have your LMSC propose it.
michael
Cutting it down to say 3-4 heats per age group per event would certainly help get it over with.
John - maybe you would want to calculate a timeline with 4 heats per age group. That would be about 50 heats per event - adding together both men and women. While 50 heats of 50's would take about 25 minutes (two courses short course). Fifty heats of 1650s would be about 10-12 hours.
And you have to make the whole thing worth it so that someone wants to bid for the event. I would take all the 50 and 100s that I could put in a pool. Give me 8 heats per age group. Eight heats per age group will run about an hour of heats. 50's run quickly.
I would want to have the distance events far more competitive.
If you really want to drag a long course meet - have every event have two full heats of each age group. Trust me, it would take a long time.
As to whether you are going to seed by age group/by time or just by time, that is a religious discussion. While I might vote for seeding by time only - just like the distance events, I do not think that will get passed any time soon. But it is a rules year, have your LMSC propose it.
michael
