Swimming at USS meets

RE: Swimming at USS meets

The Fortress — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:17:42 GMT

Just F.Y.I.--my USA-S (I'm still not used to not calling it USS) LSC has either normal registration ($64 for the year) or a "seasonal" registration for 150 days for $34. I think many LSC's do this. If you only want to swim one or two meets for the season (like I did) you can do the seasonal. If you want to register for all of 2008 you can do it now and that registration includes the last few months of 2007. That and your entry marked as unattached is all you need... Thanks Amy! I got my USS card in the mail a couple months ago! I guess I probably need to print out the manual entry form, send check, etc. Most entries just seem to be submitted electronically by teams. Yes, here I come, DFL. I don't think I can hide like you though.

RE: Swimming at USS meets

gobears — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:14:46 GMT

Trying to figure out how to sign up as an unattached ... If I do, this'll be my first USA-S meet. I'm sure we won't be swimming the same events. :joker: Just F.Y.I.--my USA-S (I'm still not used to not calling it USS) LSC has either normal registration ($64 for the year) or a "seasonal" registration for 150 days for $34. I think many LSC's do this. If you only want to swim one or two meets for the season (like I did) you can do the seasonal. If you want to register for all of 2008 you can do it now and that registration includes the last few months of 2007. That and your entry marked as unattached is all you need...

RE: Swimming at USS meets

The Fortress — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:40:19 GMT

Maybe we can do one together this year, Jeff. I may be doing the November Open. Alison Alison, I was thinking of swimming on Sunday, since it's at a seemly time in the afternoon and I have to be there anyway. Trying to figure out how to sign up as an unattached ... If I do, this'll be my first USA-S meet. I'm sure we won't be swimming the same events. :joker:

RE: Swimming at USS meets

swimshark — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:45:50 GMT

I am hoping to sign up again for 2008 and do another meet or two, maybe one where I get to finish DFL against the really fast 15+/17+ open groupers Maybe we can do one together this year, Jeff. I may be doing the November Open. Alison

RE: Swimming at USS meets

Former Member — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:55:02 GMT

I swam in a USA meet this summer. It was my only long course meet this year. My two boys swim. I was slightly better than middle of the pack and didn't surprise anybody. I felt a bit self conscious, but many parents, especially, were very kind to me. The kids don't want to be beat by a 48 yr. old. Most of the USA meets around here are "unclassified" meets where the heats are simply by time, not by age. They post results by age. So you will see a fast 13 yr. old swimming against not so fast 18 yr. olds or even a 48 yr. old. I have seen Ross Davis and Ande Rasmussen in USA meets in Austin. They do better than me.....

RE: Swimming at USS meets

Former Member — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:43:11 GMT

Good Luck at your meet Amy... I swim in USA-S meets this summer. It was alot of fun. All the kids I swam against were very supportive. Some even cheered for me when they were not swimming. One meet I went to was a prelims/finals and to my surprise I made finals in all my events and was even able to move up 1-2 places and drop time. I thought for sure I was going to pass out having to swim the 200 IM and twice in one day. As of last week I started swimming with the age group kids again. Swimming with the kids is alot of fun and a great way to end a long day of work. I would love to swim some meets with them this winter. I have even made bets with a couple of the middle school girls. I owe one a blizzard and with the other it is to see who will break a minute in the 100 free 1st. You will do well and may even surprise yourself. Just remember to have fun and don't worry about age....IT is just a number.

RE: Swimming at USS meets

gobears — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:43:41 GMT

Hey Alison-- Thanks for asking but it's not until next weekend. I think it will be fine but odd since I don't really know anyone else there. I'll let you know. As long as I don't fall off the blocks or something I think it will end up being a good experience :drown: Amy

RE: Swimming at USS meets

Jeff — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:01:09 GMT

Dont worry, I have not swam in meets since high school. We are holding a meet next month and I have heard alot of the adults ranging from 25-63 say the same thing in masters. Just remember jump in and do your best. Everybody is nervous thats what brings out the best in us..Good Luck

RE: Swimming at USS meets

gobears — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 07:55:16 GMT

Amy, I may be in my 20s, but never having done USS prior, I signed up w/ a local team and did my very first USS meet (LCM distance meet) this past summer. I was the oldest by 7 years (except for the parents and officials), and completely dwarfed my competition. But that was not to say they wouldn't go down w/o a fight. I was in the 2nd fastest heat both times, swam WAY slower than that first heat (and some of the girls), and was almost mowed down by a 13y/o in the 800. I did feel like I stuck out, but I was so excited to be swimming in my very first USS meet that it didn't matter. That sums up how I think I'll probably feel. You all are making me feel less odd for wanting to swim at this meet. Thanks!!! Also, I'm not trying to discount those in their 20's but I think when you're under 30 people assume you might still be swimming USS. I'm hoping that, with a cap and goggles, maybe no one will notice me!:cool:

RE: Swimming at USS meets

swimshark — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 07:53:24 GMT

Amy, how did it go? I'll be doing my first on in Nov. I'm nervous already about it. Alison

RE: Swimming at USS meets

Muppet — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 04:22:36 GMT

Amy, I may be in my 20s, but never having done USS prior, I signed up w/ a local team and did my very first USS meet (LCM distance meet) this past summer. I was the oldest by 7 years (except for the parents and officials), and completely dwarfed my competition. But that was not to say they wouldn't go down w/o a fight. I was in the 2nd fastest heat both times, swam WAY slower than that first heat (and some of the girls), and was almost mowed down by a 13y/o in the 800. I did feel like I stuck out, but I was so excited to be swimming in my very first USS meet that it didn't matter. Since my special friend is a coach for the team I signed up with, I sat and chatted with the kiddos, talking about summer league, vacations, school, summer reading, their workout groups, their coaches... I was just a slightly older, taller, hairier, less-cuter version of them! I am hoping to sign up again for 2008 and do another meet or two, maybe one where I get to finish DFL against the really fast 15+/17+ open groupers

RE: Swimming at USS meets

swimshark — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 02:57:28 GMT

RE: Swimming at USS meets

poolraat — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:46:50 GMT

I think you'll do fine. And you'll be surprised at the support you get from the young swimmers. My first swim meet (ever) was a USS meet I entered as a 49 year old. I do a few every year because masters meets are hard to get to sometimes but with my kids swimming I'm already at the USS meet so I might as well swim.

RE: Swimming at USS meets

gobears — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:22:51 GMT

Thanks for the replies. I swam USS twenty years ago but I was out in Southern California and we did have a few "older" people who would be in meets occasionally. I'm in an area now where there really aren't many masters opportunities and I don't think many masters go to USS meets. Hopefully no one will notice me and I'll be able to get a short course time:blush:

RE: Swimming at USS meets

knelson — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 09:33:22 GMT

If the meet is a senior meet age doesn't matter. You just have to make the qualifying time. If not, the top age group will usually be "and over," such as "13 and over" or "15 and over." Odds are you'll be twice the age of everyone else in your heat, but you do meet the "and over" criterion!

RE: Swimming at USS meets

FindingMyInnerFish — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 09:13:06 GMT

I'm just curious: when adults swim at USS meets, how does that work? I thought such meets were divided into age groups (the masters' meets I've gone to are divided into seed times, but with so many different ages, I can see why). I have to admit I'm pretty ignorant of how USS meets are conducted. I ask because as Poolraat says, there don't seem to be a lot of masters' meets in my area, and so I'd like to get more meet opportunities. But I am VERY slow, so this might not be a good option for me, at least not yet.

RE: Swimming at USS meets

Donna — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:33:12 GMT

Amy, I too do USS meets and get alot of support from both the kids and the adults. You'll do fine.