Is swimming "eating its young?" Are they being burned out with mindless yardage? Do they have to do volume training for long events? Are we missing masters swimmers who were burned out as youths? As to the kids, what can we do to stop the cannabalism?
I think any large USA Swimming team should have two different tracks for swimmers. An elite track for those striving for a scholarship to an NCAA Division I program, Olympic Trials cuts, etc. and another for kids who enjoy competitive swimming but don't want to spend every waking moment either in the pool or in school. It seems like a lot of coaches have strict policies about attendance and training that end up turning lots of kids away. There should always be a place for those who want to really sacrifice for the sport, but does every swimmer need to do this?
I think any large USA Swimming team should have two different tracks for swimmers. An elite track for those striving for a scholarship to an NCAA Division I program, Olympic Trials cuts, etc. and another for kids who enjoy competitive swimming but don't want to spend every waking moment either in the pool or in school. It seems like a lot of coaches have strict policies about attendance and training that end up turning lots of kids away. There should always be a place for those who want to really sacrifice for the sport, but does every swimmer need to do this?
