I realize this thread will create a lot of controversy.
Over the past five years I have worked very hard to develop clubs and increase membership in USMS. The very fabric of my work and others in this area is building relationships and comradairre within the LMSC and or Club. Small clubs and large teams are proud of their "elite" swimmers and boast of their successes. With this said, it is very disturbing to me as I read through the FINA World Championships Physch Sheets to see the number of elite swimmers "jumping ship" to other clubs to swim on "elite" relays. If USMS had "Team USMS" I would have no problem with everyone coming together for a team effort. I don't have a problem with four guys coming together who swam in college using the Worlds as reunion of sorts. Where I have problem is the swimmer or swimmers who have been a member of a club or LMSC for years and because of individual egos leaves his team. What this says to me is our "elite" swimmers ego is more important than his or her club. How do you think the other 3 swimmers who normally swims on the relay with the "elite" swimmer feels. We are good enough througout the year, however we are not good enough for the Worlds. Instead of swimming for his or her club so all members of the club can be proud of the "elite" swimmers accomplishments, it is more important to this swimmer he or she represent someone else at the Worlds for personal gratification. If the relay team does win and breaks a WR the record does not show USMS as the record holder, but the name of a club the swimmer transferred too.... what a shame...
It is regretable I bring up this discussion, but it tears at the very fabric of the USMS mission regarding building club or LMSC relationships...I realize what these swimmers are doing is within the rules.. I just think it is wrong.
Mel
Parents
Former Member
I see no problem with it.
I had no idea we as masters swimmers were supposed to be committed to one particular team or LSC. Really? Shouldn't my LSC (Georgia) be pitching that to me?
I swim with lots of different teams and really enjoy mixing up my practices and seeing if I can succeed in different swim environments - it stays totally challenging and it keeps me swimming day in and day out. . .
As a kid, I remember all the slower "have nots" swimmers and parents of the "have nots" always whining and complaining about the "haves" or the swimmers who were the most talented and dedicated and setting the records.
I actually had a team mom remove some of my records and replace them with slower team swims for flimsy, made up reasons like, "the team is now called the sharks" even though the team was the same. Learn to deal with fast swimmers people! If you are slower, then either work harder or admit you are slower! To me this sounds like people crying because others are too fast - how unfair!
I see no problem with four people taking initiative and getting together to break records.
Take this thinking one step further and we may as well not even have compeititons for fear of hurting others' feelings.
I see no problem with it.
I had no idea we as masters swimmers were supposed to be committed to one particular team or LSC. Really? Shouldn't my LSC (Georgia) be pitching that to me?
I swim with lots of different teams and really enjoy mixing up my practices and seeing if I can succeed in different swim environments - it stays totally challenging and it keeps me swimming day in and day out. . .
As a kid, I remember all the slower "have nots" swimmers and parents of the "have nots" always whining and complaining about the "haves" or the swimmers who were the most talented and dedicated and setting the records.
I actually had a team mom remove some of my records and replace them with slower team swims for flimsy, made up reasons like, "the team is now called the sharks" even though the team was the same. Learn to deal with fast swimmers people! If you are slower, then either work harder or admit you are slower! To me this sounds like people crying because others are too fast - how unfair!
I see no problem with four people taking initiative and getting together to break records.
Take this thinking one step further and we may as well not even have compeititons for fear of hurting others' feelings.
