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
Lindsey:
You bring up some excellent points. I am not sure how the masters swimming world views this. It always sounds nice to think that we could have our own "Masters Olympics" like swimming does but then we are not set up like an Olympic sport and we don't have National Teams. Most National Teams responsibilities are for the best team performance which includes medal production, records, and being the best nation performing in the sport. I not sure how that ideal gets transfered to masters swimming and how it would effect the goals, objectives, and mission of masters swimming. Plus how would each nation manage this and set critera as to what a National team is suppose to be made of and should the meet be swam with only these caliber of swimmers.
I aways mention back to 1988 because it was so obvious as to the superteam concept that Holmes Lumber Jax had. If you go to the FINA site and look up the results of the 1988 Championship you will see that Holmes won 30 out 36 relays that were contested at the meet and in 6 of those instances they got first and second. That was where this fire started and there has not been a performance like that since. One of the big reasons why this worked was the funding that was provided by the club.
My observation about the Masters World Championships is that its takes time, committment and money to go on these swimming trips. All the people that attend these championships frequently are not necessarily swimmers that would make a national team. So unless there is funding provided by the masters delegation or a sponsor then I can't see this thing taking off.
Another point to consider is the qualifing aspect of the meet. Up until about 8 years ago FINA did not have qualifing standards for swimmers attending the meet and now they do but they are not has hard as our USMS National standards. Does this mean they don't put a great emphasis on speed but on participation. And if participation is the most important aspect of the mission, then how will incorporating the speed element of the swimmers affect that particpation. I believe that is the real key here because FINA does not want a meet of the size of our USMS Nationals.
Your point about open competition is kinda of happening right now in that clubs can take a swimmer from a different nation and he can register with anyone he wants as long as he meets the timing requirements of National registration rules.
Maybe this is a can of worms that no one wants to deal with and leaving it the way it is currently, is what is going to happen.
Lindsey:
You bring up some excellent points. I am not sure how the masters swimming world views this. It always sounds nice to think that we could have our own "Masters Olympics" like swimming does but then we are not set up like an Olympic sport and we don't have National Teams. Most National Teams responsibilities are for the best team performance which includes medal production, records, and being the best nation performing in the sport. I not sure how that ideal gets transfered to masters swimming and how it would effect the goals, objectives, and mission of masters swimming. Plus how would each nation manage this and set critera as to what a National team is suppose to be made of and should the meet be swam with only these caliber of swimmers.
I aways mention back to 1988 because it was so obvious as to the superteam concept that Holmes Lumber Jax had. If you go to the FINA site and look up the results of the 1988 Championship you will see that Holmes won 30 out 36 relays that were contested at the meet and in 6 of those instances they got first and second. That was where this fire started and there has not been a performance like that since. One of the big reasons why this worked was the funding that was provided by the club.
My observation about the Masters World Championships is that its takes time, committment and money to go on these swimming trips. All the people that attend these championships frequently are not necessarily swimmers that would make a national team. So unless there is funding provided by the masters delegation or a sponsor then I can't see this thing taking off.
Another point to consider is the qualifing aspect of the meet. Up until about 8 years ago FINA did not have qualifing standards for swimmers attending the meet and now they do but they are not has hard as our USMS National standards. Does this mean they don't put a great emphasis on speed but on participation. And if participation is the most important aspect of the mission, then how will incorporating the speed element of the swimmers affect that particpation. I believe that is the real key here because FINA does not want a meet of the size of our USMS Nationals.
Your point about open competition is kinda of happening right now in that clubs can take a swimmer from a different nation and he can register with anyone he wants as long as he meets the timing requirements of National registration rules.
Maybe this is a can of worms that no one wants to deal with and leaving it the way it is currently, is what is going to happen.
