This new thread occurred to me while reading posts comparing Spitz to Phelps, as well as reflecting upon mortality considering heart attacks etc. In swimming we immortalize individuals or teams for various feats or contributions, but do little to preserve a feeling for subsequent generations of enthusiasts about what it was like to train and compete 'back in the day'. Just what day am I talking about? Exactly: there have been many 'days' or more properly 'eras' that can be narrowly characterized by differences in equipment, distances swum and trained, coaching methods or more widely by larger factors: world war, global depression, racial segregation, inequality of the sexes. All of these can contribute to very different experiences than what are common today to the younger swimmer; hence, 'what was it like'. I visualize a thread that continues to be added to as new people read it and remember their own experiences. As well, experience can vary with national origin, not just era. There have already been posts on this topic scattered in various threads, please feel free to copy or quote material from them to here.
Please remember that this is not about how fast a particular swimmer was, but about the conditions that defined competitive swimming of that day.
We also have a priceless resource out there: aging swimmers in their 80's or 90's who may be less likely to read or hear of this thread; why not ask them for some of their memories or impressions and pass them on to us, while we still can?
Parents
Former Member
All the coments about not going under water during *** stroke brought back some memories. Rope lane lines w/ hot dog flotes when I was a litttle kid 7 - 8 yrs. The thing that has changed the most for me is that when I was a kid, swimming was what everyone did. There was some serious comraderie(sp?) with all of us swimmers. Now boys high school swimming has been consolidated into one of five city high schools?
Off my soap box now, the days of brittle chlorine ravaged hair, wearing 3 suits, officiallly for the additional drag, actually because individually they were transparent.
Starter pistols that fired blanks, whirlies, and team parties at the drive-in, or at the city pool I worked at and had the keys to let me and my friends in.
Got Boost
All the coments about not going under water during *** stroke brought back some memories. Rope lane lines w/ hot dog flotes when I was a litttle kid 7 - 8 yrs. The thing that has changed the most for me is that when I was a kid, swimming was what everyone did. There was some serious comraderie(sp?) with all of us swimmers. Now boys high school swimming has been consolidated into one of five city high schools?
Off my soap box now, the days of brittle chlorine ravaged hair, wearing 3 suits, officiallly for the additional drag, actually because individually they were transparent.
Starter pistols that fired blanks, whirlies, and team parties at the drive-in, or at the city pool I worked at and had the keys to let me and my friends in.
Got Boost
