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?
1) $70 - how about $40?
2) I still have a picture of me in my jacket when I was 10. Ugh, what a dork :doh:
3) Red fingers, yum!!!!
4) Best suits
5) I used to go off intentionally
6) Still do. It's a great thing as the older swimmers pair up with a younger one as thier 'coach'
7) Hmm, how about you had one type of gatorade - green
8) Blech
9) BUCKET TURN!!!!!!!
10) I still swim that way :doh:
11) Having to have people stand on the step of the wooden block or you would cause it too shoot backwards
12) Nylon rope burns from lane lines
13) Times only measured to tenths.
14) Starter guns
15) recall ropes - and people diving in to stop swimmers
16) Dive starts in less than 4 feet of water :shakeshead:
17) Sharks and minnows on fridays :bliss:
18) getting tossed into the well as an 8&U and later tossing 8&Us in as a 'big' kid
19) parents versus kids relays
20) Clothes swims - nothing like swimming in jeans and a sweatshirt
21) Water polo on fridays
22) having to touch with both hands.......on the same level in Fly/Br
23) Wall pushups
24) Chair races - relays while dragging a small deck chair behind you
25) Racing without goggles (for me it was more an eyesight thing, mostly blury versus totally blury really wasn't worth goggles)
1) $70 - how about $40?
2) I still have a picture of me in my jacket when I was 10. Ugh, what a dork :doh:
3) Red fingers, yum!!!!
4) Best suits
5) I used to go off intentionally
6) Still do. It's a great thing as the older swimmers pair up with a younger one as thier 'coach'
7) Hmm, how about you had one type of gatorade - green
8) Blech
9) BUCKET TURN!!!!!!!
10) I still swim that way :doh:
11) Having to have people stand on the step of the wooden block or you would cause it too shoot backwards
12) Nylon rope burns from lane lines
13) Times only measured to tenths.
14) Starter guns
15) recall ropes - and people diving in to stop swimmers
16) Dive starts in less than 4 feet of water :shakeshead:
17) Sharks and minnows on fridays :bliss:
18) getting tossed into the well as an 8&U and later tossing 8&Us in as a 'big' kid
19) parents versus kids relays
20) Clothes swims - nothing like swimming in jeans and a sweatshirt
21) Water polo on fridays
22) having to touch with both hands.......on the same level in Fly/Br
23) Wall pushups
24) Chair races - relays while dragging a small deck chair behind you
25) Racing without goggles (for me it was more an eyesight thing, mostly blury versus totally blury really wasn't worth goggles)
