May/June cover of USMS Swimmer

I think Laineybug means myopic -- meaning short sighted. Anyway, I kinda liked the idea of a "belt" system. In cycling for instance, until you reach "Masters" age which is 40 or something like that, there are different categories to race in that reflect the abillity level of the people competing. I think I see what you're saying about even that engendering a kind of competitiveness as well, but I think it might help attract people to the sport who are afraid of getting their butts kicked by a 45 year old Michael Phelps. Plus for me, it would give me something to work towards But then, I'm very goal oriented. Fitness swimmers are going to continue to be fitness swimmers regardless. The above system might attract people to the sport who would want to compete, but are afraid of looking like idiots. I still don't understand what a fitness swimmer would want an organization like USMS to do for them. If a belt system that benchmarked improvement is too competitive-seeming, then what would be better?

I think Laineybug means myopic -- meaning short sighted. Anyway, I kinda liked the idea of a "belt" system. In cycling for instance, until you reach "Masters" age which is 40 or something like that, there are different categories to race in that reflect the abillity level of the people competing. I think I see what you're saying about even that engendering a kind of competitiveness as well, but I think it might help attract people to the sport who are afraid of getting their butts kicked by a 45 year old Michael Phelps. Plus for me, it would give me something to work towards But then, I'm very goal oriented. Fitness swimmers are going to continue to be fitness swimmers regardless. The above system might attract people to the sport who would want to compete, but are afraid of looking like idiots. I still don't understand what a fitness swimmer would want an organization like USMS to do for them. If a belt system that benchmarked improvement is too competitive-seeming, then what would be better?