"Dara Torres should be the face of United States Masters Swimming"
Brent Rutemiller, October issue Swimming World Magazine
"Of Course, Torres isn't on this trip alone. Aside from the support of Hoffman, her daughter and her coaches, Torres relies on a team. She has a nanny who tends to Tessa, a strength coach, and physical and massage therapists who work her like a piece of dough."
John Lohn, October Swimming World Magazine
With all due respect to Mr. Rutemillier & Mr. Lohn I would suggest that they spend a little more time around the people who not only compete in the meets of our sport but with the people who are the backbone as volunteers in the day to day running of it....Dara's only contribution has been making a few workouts early in her comeback, attending a couple of meets and signing autographs and collecting checks for clinics.
If you want a "face" of Masters Swimming look to Susan Von der Lippe who beat Dara as the first person over 40 to qualify for Trials....and she did it training with a masters team 3x a week...working par time, no nanny, no trainers....no PR person....that to me this is the core of what we are in my opinion.
How about Rob Copeland who somehow manages to run this entire organization, swim extremely well, post on our forum....all without a massage therapist and pilates instructor....again this is what Masters represents...to me.
Dara has done something remarkable for anyone her age... give her credit..but lets see if at some point she wants to time at one of our meets...or be on one of our committee's to help promote masters...without an appearance fee.
Parents
Former Member
Here's a concept...lets have fewer members. Raise the annual membership to $200 a year and get us things like access to discounted health insurance, a membership to 24 Hour fitness and a free training suit from our swimwear sponsor.
Lets have smaller meets. Raise the entry for nationals to $150 and have cash prizes for records that are set...add in a raffle for $500 as well so the so called "elite" who would have a shot at the record had a shot at cash as well.
Fine but then make it two tiered, if you want to be USMS elite you can pay $200, I'll stick to something more reasonable as a "for the love of swimming" level amateur and forgo the prize money that I won't win.
If I have to pay $200 a year, Rob Copeland better be at the Y every time I go for a swim telling noodlers to stay out of my way.
:rofl:
Theory: Some probably try competing and don't like it. They prefer to just swim at their own pace and for fitness. Why would you join if you don't compete? Moving some material from this forum to a "members only" might help encourage those seeking workouts and info to stick with the org. Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?
Here's a concept...lets have fewer members. Raise the annual membership to $200 a year and get us things like access to discounted health insurance, a membership to 24 Hour fitness and a free training suit from our swimwear sponsor.
Lets have smaller meets. Raise the entry for nationals to $150 and have cash prizes for records that are set...add in a raffle for $500 as well so the so called "elite" who would have a shot at the record had a shot at cash as well.
Fine but then make it two tiered, if you want to be USMS elite you can pay $200, I'll stick to something more reasonable as a "for the love of swimming" level amateur and forgo the prize money that I won't win.
If I have to pay $200 a year, Rob Copeland better be at the Y every time I go for a swim telling noodlers to stay out of my way.
:rofl:
Theory: Some probably try competing and don't like it. They prefer to just swim at their own pace and for fitness. Why would you join if you don't compete? Moving some material from this forum to a "members only" might help encourage those seeking workouts and info to stick with the org. Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?
