Newly returned swimmer - USS vs. USMS

You can do both USAS & USMS if you want, or pick one. In my LSC any USAS meet that offers in-season events for 15-18 actually offers them as 15&Over. The time standards used are the national 15-16 age group cuts and you are categorized either as "A" or faster, or "BB" and slower as far as which USAS meets you can attend. However, for older swimmers there is an expectation that you will have "A" times. For USMS the meets are not split up by times as the meets are smaller and USMS is participation-oriented. Even at USMS Nationals you can swim 3 events without meeting qualifying cuts. My team has several post-graduate students who are very serious about their swimming and this seems to be more common each year. Some are fast enough for sponsorships. Some of our guys are working on Olympic cuts who are in their mid-twenties and also a guy in his late 40's who swims at Sectionals. We also have had some young 20-year-olds who have limited competitive experience and don't have "A" times. They swim USMS. The training decision will be more which group of swimmers will provide the best TRAINING environment, not how fast you can go in a meet. There is a world of difference between popping out a fast 50 compared to being able to keep up with a set of repeats that a Seniors group is grinding out without your getting in the way or getting injured or picking up what you need. Our coach pretty much expects that his Senior swimmers will be training twice a day through most of the year, about 20 hours a week. Your area will have regional websites for both USAS and USMS that will list the teams in your area (LSC's and LMSC's). There is also a registrar that can assist you in finding a team if you aren't familiar. You will want to have a frank talk with a coach to see what "fits" before signup. The competitions for USAS and USMS are separate although you can get your times "observed" in advance to report them as usable in the other organization if it's worth the effort for a championship. Both have their own calendar of national, zone, and local meets that you must be a registered member of that organization to participate in. Much of this is easier if you are a member of a team that can explain things. Good luck!

RH - I am nearing 27 and just joined my first USAS team and swam in my first USAS meet EVER this summer. Honestly, I don't think it matters, and I don't think either will care about your age. They're taking your money, and whether or not you show up to make that spending worthwhile is up to you. For the USAS team I joined, I've never practiced with them, just signed up and showed up to one of the meets. On my masters team, we have several people who operate the same way. My guess is you should find some team (either USAS or USMS) that has at least a few practices you'd be able to attend each week, and you can do the rest on your own. Welcome back!

Welcome back to swimming! Let me see if I can address some of your questions. I am a USMS only registered swimmer but I practice with a USAS team. I am with their Senior program. They have a higher level - National Training Group- which are the olympic potential swimmers. Some are as young as 12 in that group. I swim with 12-18 year olds and can hold my own easily (I'm 36). My team was open to me joining them but each team will be different. Some might like having an adult there, others might not. There is a masters team that practices in the same pool but they are not as competitive and the practice times are better with the USAS team. I swim 4:30-6am and make it home in time for my husband to leave for work (I am home with our 2 year old). The USAS team has afternoon practices but they are for the 2nd practice of the day for NTG and for the younger kids. The senior practice works best for me. I have not joined USAS (your USMS membership will qualify you to practice with a USAS team and vise versa). I do plan on joining USAS next year and swimming in a meet or 2. I do qualify but not for all their meets. They have some fast times! USMS is for 18 and over, USAS's highest age group is 15& over so you can do either as far as age. May I ask were you live? What teams are in the area? Alison

My team was open to me joining them but each team will be different. Some might like having an adult there, others might not. I don't have first-hand experience, but I imagine this is true. My guess is most teams would really only want older swimmers as part of their senior group. The downside to that is senior groups tend to be for serious swimmers only. Most probably have attendance policies and might frown on you consistenly missing workouts. Most coaches would probably understand your plight, but still, they have attendance rules so it wouldn't be fair to bend them just for you. The best thing to do is contact the USA Swimming club coaches in your area and discuss your goals with them. I really do think training with a USA Swimming club would be your best option based on your stated goals.

Hi NK -- Thanks for a very helpful post - that goes a long way towards answering my questions. A couple of follow-ups: 1. Do USAS teams typically accept new people over 18, or do they encourage people to go to USMS? Are USAS teams likely to be encouraging of, or at least accepting of, someone who wants to straddle both USAS and USMS? (I’m asking about USAS because frankly, it sounds as though USMS teams are more encouraging overall of swimmers who have been away from the pool for a few years. :) ) 2. To be honest, I don’t have 15-16 “A” times...yet. But I will get there, as quickly as I can. At the same time, I definitely don’t want to get in the way of much faster high school-age swimmers, or to feel demoralized when I see them swimming faster than me, until I’m at (at least) that level - and from what I remember of Seniors groups, people are often well past “A” times and looking to Nationals cuts. I’ve seen that some teams seem to operate both an “age group” and a Masters team, with some overlap between coaches. I wonder whether it would be a good idea to join the Masters group of such a joint team and ask the coaches at the outset whether it would be possible to switch into their Seniors group when my times merit it. Does anyone have experience with this? 3. My last concern about USAS teams: it seems as though many of them schedule their practice times around the swimmers’ schooldays. That’s perfectly logical, but it’s a potential obstacle for someone who has to work a traditional workday (“Sorry boss, I know it’s 3:45 PM but I have to head out for my swim workout,” probably not going to cut it.) In fact, because of the previously mentioned “demanding job,” I honestly have the same concern about being able to make it consistently to a Masters workout that begins at 5:30 or even 6:30 in the evening. How understanding would a coach be if you needed to get the workout and do it later at night (or early the next morning) on your own? (Again, I suspect that Masters teams, geared towards employed adults, will probably be more forgiving.) In fact, this is my biggest concern. I’m a (very young) attorney who works long hours. When training on my own, the only difficulty has been prolonging an already long day (i.e. if I leave work at 9:45 PM, I still go to the pool and work out from 10-11 PM, returning to work afterwards if necessary.) I have been disciplined enough thus far that I trust myself to swim at least 5-7 times a week once I join a team. And, I’m switching jobs and taking two months off between this fall, so I will have a 7 1/2 week concentrated period to focus on swimming without job demands. But when I begin my new job, I am very concerned about how to navigate its demands and remain true to my swimming goals. Any advice from people who’ve been there (or are there) is much appreciated. RH

I raced CASA (Canadian Amatuer Swimming Association) swim meets for my club until I was 28. I had several 8 month layoffs preceeding that. But when the coach called I would always swim the meets training or not. I could always knock off a fast 50 or 100 fly or crawl. When I started swimming marathon races I still trained with the CASA club the Hamilton Aquatic every year. But was not allowed toswim in meets as I was a pro.

As others have said... you can do both if you want. In fact, based on what you're saying, you probably ought to register both with USMS and with USA Swimming, to cover all options. In terms of a workout scene... odds are, you'll end up training with a masters team, is my guess. There are certainly USA Swimming clubs that would take you. The issues that you will run into: * The senior/elite groups in many of those teams have strict attendance requirements. Many of them won't allow you to just come and go as you please. * It can be a bit interesting doing all of your workouts with 15-18 high school age swimmers. Just from a social maturity level. * Workouts are going to be scheduled around a high school schedule, not the work schedule of a young legal associate. That being said, there are certainly masters programs that offer workouts that can be at a similar intensity level. My masters club had a workout on Tuesday night that was LCM involving some sendoffs faster than 1:20 base (150's LCM on 1:55). And there are numbers of swimmers who train with USMS clubs, but compete in USA Swimming meets. (It requires USA Swimming registration, but that's it.) -Rick