So we had a dual college meet yesterday, against a team we should have beaten (we did not). I got stuck swimming the 50 and the 100free, after having been told the day before I would be swimming the 200im and the 100fly, which I was excited about. So from the very beginning I was a little bummed, because I really wanted the chance to swim something different, but alas and alack...that is not for me.
So I anchored the 200medley relay and pulled us ahead for a win...okay cool.
I swam the 50 free and got 1st but did a pretty cruddy time which was
disappointing (27.1)
Then I had the 100 freestyle. I got up on my block and Idk if any of you have experienced this, but when the block is not square to the pool...like its a little crooked? But this block was, and I had noticed it when I was taking my mark on the 50 free, so now I was more tuned into it, and I was trying to adjust myself so that I was square to the water, even though the block was not. While I was doing this the official said take your mark, so I just moved my foot over an inch and took my mark, and then go. I swam the race, won it, did a horrific-ly bad time for me (58.5) and took my warm down lap. When I got out my coach is trying to tell me about how I have the strength I just need to get the speed, and idk my coach really was just irritating me so I said okay and walked away. I went to see my mom, and she says she thinks they're disqualifying me for a false start. So I go down to talk to my coach, who doesn't really know whats going on. Eventually he takes out the rule book and is reading over if they can do this, and he finds the rule and him and the assistant coach decide that I can not be disqualified, because it wasn't really a false start, I was moving on the blocks which should have warrented a "swimmers stand up" at which point if I had fallen in or dove in rather I would have been dq'd. By now the meet has been stopped for 10minutes while the officials are discussing this, but my coaches never approached them with their finding. During the break which was some 30minutes later, my coach goes to them and brings up the rulings and stuff, but the official says: he knows it was a bad call, but now it is after the fact and can not be revoked. So, whatever, that stinks. But what made me most angry was that later, after the meet, I asked the official about the ruling, and he said, in football, if theres a question about a ruling, the coach doesn't come over to the refs 30minutes later, they stop everything and go running over right then. Which basically, implied that if the call had been argued right from the start when it happened, it would have been overturned and we would have tied the meet. The only reason I am not super angry is because the time was horrible, so its not like I loss a really good time.
But yeah.
I am strongly considering not swimming for college next year, because I use to love swimming, but under this coaching I just dread every minute of it. But turning down $8,000 is a tough decision, but on the other hand I do not want to burn out from swimming forever by pushing myself to bear it another season. idk...any suggestions?
Morgan, :2cents:
I think it is a priveledge to be in your position; I never got the opportunity to swim in college. If I could go back to Freshman year of HS knowing what I know now, I could have had a pretty good HS swimming career but would probably have had to make a collegiate choice between swimming and soccer. Ended up going to school because that is where I wanted to go, and from there, it all worked out for the best.
I can also appreciate the position you are in with the coaching. I know plenty of people who had to stop swimming NCAA because of coaching (I am very thankful one person in particular had to quit - b/c of that, I now know them!). That can really make or break you (literally), but part of this is also a function of the athlete him/herself. Some people can take the crap, excel and move on. Others just don't work that way, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Bottom Line: your primary reason for being where you are now is to go to school (even though I did encourage you to skip class in lieu of swimming :p). When it comes to swimming and school, I think you should do whatever you need to do to make sure you graduate at the level you wish.
:wave:
oh an yes, they are unfortunately my times for yards. And like some of you have said, my disappointment in my times lies in the fact that I have swam faster, consistently for the past 4 or so years. This year my times have been a good second off my normal range for both events...which is frustrating, because I don't feel like I am slacking off or doing anything to hinder my performance, yet it isnt there. I am strongly considering not swimming for college next year, because I use to love swimming, but under this coaching I just dread every minute of it. But turning down $8,000 is a tough decision, but on the other hand I do not want to burn out from swimming forever by pushing myself to bear it another season. idk...any suggestions?
Morgan:
I can appreciate the position you are in. I chose to go to a school that did not give athletic scholarships (Dartmouth) for academic reasons. But I nonetheless wanted to continue my swimming career, although I will admit to some burnout from some mega-yardage going in. But, I too, hated my college coach. She had a distance free background/bias and all our training was geared around that even though we had a couple sprinters on the team. I hated it. There were very few practices I enjoyed, although I did enjoy my teammates and the meets themselves. (I will say my college times improved despite the workouts; I think it was because I was lifting weights/doing drylands more.)
Unfortunately, I tore my rotator cuff at the end of the season. This caused me to miss my east coast and NCAA championships. I never swam at college after my freshman year despite pleading from teammates. I spent the next summer swimming with my AAU team, but ultimately couldn't face the prospect of going back to swimming with a coach I detested doing workouts I hated. I didn't swim any kind of "workout" whatsoever for 24 years and turned to other sports. This is obviously just one perspective. I think if my college career had ended differently and not left such a sour taste in my mouth, I might have come back to masters swimming sooner.
However, you are in a position where you have to balance financial considerations also. So that has to weigh into your analysis. I also want to caution you not to be too worried about your plateau. It could be temporary or be sort of self-fulfilling because of your current unhappiness. I plateaued for awhile too in my mid-teens, then began improving again. Sometimes, I have read, women don't improve all that much in college or very incrementally. An adjustment in your training would probably help in that regard.
Do you have a USS team you can return to in the summer? Maybe you could talk to your coach there and see if you enjoy swimming over the summer? Have you told your current coach about your doubts? If he knew how seriously unhappy you were, maybe he'd change his approach? It sounds like you are a valued member of your team and that he would want to keep you. College swimming is a great thing. But you have to enjoy it or it can dampen your enthusiasm for college in general. I hope your spirits rise soon. How is you back injury?
I tend to think that many judges/refs are very lenient(sp). Thursday, I was at a high schol race and I would have dqed every breaststroker. They all took a full butterfly kick off of the wall. Rule interpretationis truly in the eye of the interpreter.
Craig, why would this be a DQ? Is high school different from USA, USMS, and NCAA, where you are now allowed to do a dolphin kick off the wall? I will admit to not being so familiar with HS rules.
Former Member
Swimmers not obtaining an unfair advantage, even though they have entered the water, shall not be charged with a false start." That last sentence is interesting. If you were still fidgeting, trying to get set, then you probably had a slower start than the other swimmers, and did not gain an advantage.
They probably did have a legitimate call about delay if you were fidgeting for 5 seconds (rule 2-1-3-e: "A swimmer who unnecessarily delays in assuming and holding a motionless starting position after the command 'Take your mark' shall be charged with a false start.")
Yes your right, I most certainly was the last one into the pool on the start...with more of a flop than a dive, because I was taken off guard so much, because honestly, I am not even sure it was 3seconds from take ur mark to go, and like i've said, I was not in my mark haha!
Former Member
oh an yes, they are unfortunately my times for yards. And like some of you have said, my disappointment in my times lies in the fact that I have swam faster, consistently for the past 4 or so years. This year my times have been a good second off my normal range for both events...which is frustrating, because I don't feel like I am slacking off or doing anything to hinder my performance, yet it isnt there. I am strongly considering not swimming for college next year, because I use to love swimming, but under this coaching I just dread every minute of it. But turning down $8,000 is a tough decision, but on the other hand I do not want to burn out from swimming forever by pushing myself to bear it another season. idk...any suggestions?
I'm too new to swimming to know the finer points of the rules, but it sounds as if communication has suffered here, and you were hurt by that. While I've not been in your particular situation, I know how it is to be at the receiving end of decisions made by people not communicating properly, and I'm sorry that happened to you!
Might it help if you talk with your coach? In a non-accusing, friendly way, maybe talk about your disappointment but desire to find ways to prevent the same thing from happening and especially to help your team win.
BTW, I agree with the earlier post that those times sound great to me, but I also know that when you aim high, anything short of your goals will be disappointing to you. You are accomplishing a lot, so don't forget to give yourself credit for it, even as you keep your goals in sight. Congrats on the strong performances you delivered in the meet!
Former Member
I tend to think that many judges/refs are very lenient(sp). Thursday, I was at a high schol race and I would have dqed every breaststroker. They all took a full butterfly kick off of the wall. Rule interpretationis truly in the eye of the interpreter.
The duty of the starter is to start the race in a fair manner for all. Having said that, swimmers are not allowed to abuse the system. The instructions for the starter state that the starting signal is to be given when all swimmers have become motionless (I believe the NCAA rules are worded in a similar manner as USA Swimming and USMS). So if you stopped moving for a brief period of time, then the starter could have legitimately given the signal. If you kept moving then and the starter felt that it was not fair to keep the other swimmers down, then he should stand them all up. When I referee, I know that I get starters upset at me when I don't allow a false start because the swimmer never stopped. If the rules were not this way, then the starter would have the ability to esentailly disqualify anyone and everyone.
In the NCAA I beliee that they are still supposed to call the swimmers back when there is a false start. So it doesn't sound like they followed those rules either. Again, when I referee, if the officials don't follow the rules, there is no disqualification.
Leo
Former Member
I tend to think that many judges/refs are very lenient(sp). Thursday, I was at a high schol race and I would have dqed every breaststroker. They all took a full butterfly kick off of the wall. Rule interpretationis truly in the eye of the interpreter.
That's the most confusing part of the turn. How on earth do you only do "a single downward butterfly" kick from a streamline without raising your feet first??
And Morgan, don't get down on yourself. I think talking with your coach is the first step you should take.
Rich
Former Member
That's the most confusing part of the turn. How on earth do you only do "a single downward butterfly" kick from a streamline without raising your feet first??
And Morgan, don't get down on yourself. I think talking with your coach is the first step you should take.
Rich
The thing is, I don't think that the Illinos Highshool Atheltic Ass't'n allows even the one part of the movement.
