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?
I remember one year when a butch of girls on my team shaved lower part of the back of their hair. Did anyone else do this in the early 90s or still do that.
Oh geez... I did that my senior year of high school along with 3 other girls on our team (it was our relay). The sad thing is that we thought we were really cool. It was 1993...
When I swam age-group in the late 80s in CO, I LOVED it when we got to play water polo instead of swimming! We definitely played the 'kill the kid with the ball' version. Sometimes, after someone successfully completed a get-out swim, we'd get to play jump or dive too. This was where the coach yelled "jump" or "dive" as soon as your feet left the diving board. It was a blast to play and watch.
Yep. One of my fondest memories is somebody having to dive in to stop a swimmer on a false start. Seems like it was always somebody with clothes on.
Another thing - remember when meets, even the big serious ones had fun names? Some of my favorite meets:
Halloween Meet - always over at Bowie
Thanksgiving Meet - I recall GWU
Sleighbell Meet - RMSC
Valentine's Meet
Cherry Blossom Meet - always at Bowie
I loved playing sharks and minnows as a kid. We'd play in our 12 foot deep, 12.5 yard wide diving well. It was great fun. Sometimes there'd be like 20 or so kids playing. It got really tough to make it across when you had 5-10 kids trying to pull you up! Also, water polo days in lieu of practice were like dreams come true. We never played "legit" water polo, though. It was more like "kill the kid with the ball". But it was great fun!
I wasn't on a swim team as a kid, and in fact I didn't really swim as a kid other than froggy style breaststroke around the pool. But, I LOVED playing sharks and minnows. That game was awesome. :bliss:
I remember my favorite swim meet, I was 12 years old.
The Hamilton Aquatic Club Christmas Carnival of 1945.
The boys were back from the war. My three brothers who had served were there. All of their buddies were back even the survivors from prison camps. What a happy but sad group we had at the pool. We also remembered the guys who did not get back.
Coffee 5 cents a cup
Double dip Ice Cream cone 5 cents
Milk Shakes 5 cents
Coca Cola 5 cents
French Fries 5 cents
Chocolate Bars 5 cents
Hot Beef sandwich with fries and veggies 35 cents
Jantzen swim suit $1.95
Swimming at the pool 5 cents
Street car to go to the pool 3 cents
Movie at the Century theatre 10 cents
Movie at the Savoy theatre 7 cents
Bag of peanuts 5 cents
During the war bag of soy beans roasted like peanuts 5 cents no peanuts available
Hot Dog 5 cents
Times do change...
I remember one year when a butch of girls on my team shaved lower part of the back of their hair. Did anyone else do this in the early 90s or still do that.
Uh, would that be a Freudian slip?
Talking of ropes………
In the 1950’s we swam 220 and 440 yards in 33 1/3 yard pools. The final ‘touch’ was a spindly rope strung mid-air across the pool somewhere along its length. The timers and judges peered across this rope to determine when a body part crossed this virtual wall to determine the winner and time. . . .
Ian.
Nice to know someone else remembers 220s and 440s. We swam them in a 25 yd pool with a rope finish line -- 880s too.
I love these stories!!!
I am from the days with no googles, caps, and the suits were nylon V back type with a modesty panel in the front made by Jantzen. My favorite Jantzen was a vertical 1" striped. I remember having a yellow one and a blue and white striped one. These suits NEVER wore out!!!! :angel:
