Swim Rant

I am experiencing total disgust. I just attended a summer league swim meet. You know, the low key fun dual meets in the shallow outdoor pools. This was just a dual meet, not a divisional championship or any other sort of all star championship. Our team arrived in their polyester team suits, black and red attire and gaudy posters. The other team apparently had no team suit. Instead, 90% of the kids, even the 8 & unders, were wearing variously colored FS II suits. Blech. FS II at a run of the mill dual meet? Something wrong with this picture IMHO. Those suits should be saved for championship meets. And since when do 8 & unders routinely sport these suits? I'm sure it's because we were swimming in McLean VA, richest suburb in northern virginia, but please parents calm down and exercise restraint. I was disgusted. I forbid my kid to wear her FS II at these meets. Wholly apart from suit wear and tear, it's just inappropriate and not really consistent with the spirit of summer swim league. I cheered for all our kids racing and crushing the glammed up fastskin kids. :cheerleader: OK. I'll get off my soapbox now. It just really pissed me off. They obviously didn't have enough faith in their kids' ability to swim well without the fancy gear! Your team has the advantage because they're learning to believe in themselves before they depend on the gear to pull them through. Sometimes I actually feel sorry for kids showered with "advantages" b/c when will they recognize that they, not their belongings, will take them places? Hopefully they'll learn from the experience--if their parents don't come up with excuses for them....

I am experiencing total disgust. I just attended a summer league swim meet. You know, the low key fun dual meets in the shallow outdoor pools. This was just a dual meet, not a divisional championship or any other sort of all star championship. Our team arrived in their polyester team suits, black and red attire and gaudy posters. The other team apparently had no team suit. Instead, 90% of the kids, even the 8 & unders, were wearing variously colored FS II suits. Blech. FS II at a run of the mill dual meet? Something wrong with this picture IMHO. Those suits should be saved for championship meets. And since when do 8 & unders routinely sport these suits? I'm sure it's because we were swimming in McLean VA, richest suburb in northern virginia, but please parents calm down and exercise restraint. I was disgusted. I forbid my kid to wear her FS II at these meets. Wholly apart from suit wear and tear, it's just inappropriate and not really consistent with the spirit of summer swim league. I cheered for all our kids racing and crushing the glammed up fastskin kids. :cheerleader: OK. I'll get off my soapbox now. It just really pissed me off. They obviously didn't have enough faith in their kids' ability to swim well without the fancy gear! Your team has the advantage because they're learning to believe in themselves before they depend on the gear to pull them through. Sometimes I actually feel sorry for kids showered with "advantages" b/c when will they recognize that they, not their belongings, will take them places? Hopefully they'll learn from the experience--if their parents don't come up with excuses for them....