"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.
Why is longer necessarily better?
It's not, but for someone just getting started in swimming, completing a 1 mile open water might be easier than swimming a sub 1:00 100 yard freestyle. Same deal as running. Thousands of people complete marathons, but I really don't hear much about track events for "old farts."
I think it's also helpful for people who try out meets for the first time to report back here how it went. I know that listening to SwimStud's early meet experiences got me thinking as did Gerdick's pre-meet anxiety and post-meet happiness. I've talked with a couple of newbie's privately about giving it a whirl, under the rubric: if I can, anyone can.
I've always been a "Runner", don't know why; everyone just told me so since age 7. I became a "Triathlete" after many years and races when I did a Olympic Distance Tri and felt I'd earned it. I've done one marathon and do not consider myself a "Marathoner" I swim. I do not know when I will become a "Swimmer" or what that tripwire is.
The question is, how do you bring lap swimming to the common people. How do you make them want to be a "Swimmer"? I think Tri made it with Kona. The stories of the a dad pushing he's disabled son, the Sarah Reinhartson's story, Rudy Garcia, etc. The "Kona Show" is a tear jerker.
A thread here talked to a Downs Syndrome girl doing heroic things. Where is the media? Why isn't USMS showing the human aspect of what all you guyz do? You demi-gods that do to the National Championship (not just "Nats") all have real lives, families, and stories!
You want sexy? USMS needs to tell the stories that are buried in these threads! Teen girls with self-esteem. 80+ years beating National records. 15 mile swims. Its all where, but USMS isn't capitalizing on what swimming as a Master is all about.
Yes, half naked people sells photos, but human drama get's new members.
I'm a newby so I see it from outside. Am I that far off? Who is trying to promote swimming as a commercial enterprise? It should be USMS. Ironman took charge of Triathlon and that is its growth, the outcome was hugely positive for the sport(s)--for Geek.
I see a money maker for an insider that has vision. I'd do it but I have no credentials and the Army frowns on that so I have to wait 4 years. I'll be your CFO and build the business plan for free! To make millions of $, find something that pisses you off and fit it!
Sorry for my bloviating.
I think Paul is trying to foster debate on what USMS wants to be and where it should go. That said, I don't like the upping the fees idea. I think that will cause more folks to stay away. Why add $200 to your swiming costs.
There has to be something more beneficial to individuals than a "save $10 for every 100 you spend" kind of coupon idea if you wish to make that kind of fee jump.
Travel and hotel breaks for swimmers attending meets will not work for those who aren't really into the competition side, or who just do 2 local meets a year. Sure you can have these price breaks apply to more than swim related travels but I get this via Amex and Marriott rewards points already.
Now back to the 2 tier scheme: A higher fee for those who will be on the verge of winning the cash prize etc seems fair enough. There should be an opt out for those who really just do it to compete against themselves and have fun. It doesn't make them any less worthy of swimming at nats. Making nats more price inhibitive may turn folks away. I also thnk that putting cash into winners hands may crank the "anything it takes to win" handle a little further as the post about sponsors and drug testing alluded to.
I've often heard here that "master's swimming is for everyone" or "master's swimming is about fitness" or "you don't have to compete to be in master's swimming". If you require meet participation or any "time trials", you'll chase away more people than you'll recruit. But maybe that's all part of your diabolical plan....
Hi Barb,
Forcing members to compete is a bit too much. As a matter of fact...out of the 40 members in our club...I'd say that only 6 of us attend any of the meets.
The majority are there for fitness, and to improve the swimming leg of their triathlon. I was only making reference to the discounted insurance where there could be an incentive to stay physically fit. (As others have said...that'll never happen.)
Back to the thread...
The primary reason people in our YMCA's "swim classes" join USMS ...is to be able to participate in meets. I've trained on my own for the past two years, but that doesn't prevent me from being a USMS member. It's required for meet sign-ups. Other than that, there's no huge incentive to join. The SWIM magazine does a great job, but that alone isn't a big enough hook.
And I agree with Dorothy about the inconvenience of traveling over 2 hours sometimes just to attend a meet.
Pool facilities are very limited in some places...and work and family commitments are unavoidable for the majority of us.
Definitely true.
However, triathletes and marathoners spend loads of time training. I know lots of spouses who must accomodate the "long run" or "long bike" on weekends, etc. So these sports merit a time commitment, but swimming doesn't?
Good point. Other sports require the same give and take.
I think it's also helpful for people who try out meets for the first time to report back here how it went.
One of the teams in my LMSC recently hosted a meet designed for "newbies". They did a couple of interesting things.
First of all, the first event of the meet was the 50 Free, and EVERYONE was required to swim it.
While the next few events went off the blocks, all of the 50 Free times were used to assemble relay teams. The goal was to create teams that would have as close to the same seed times as possible. (I performed this task using an Excel spreadsheet.) Some of the teams weren't "legal" - one woman and three men, for example - but we didn't care.
I think we had enough swimmers for six relay teams. They didn't finish exactly as predicted (some swimmers swam faster or slower than their original 50 Free times) but it still worked pretty well.
The point of all of this was just to let the newbies have the experience of "racing" in relays. It turned out to be a lot of fun, too.
Anna Lea
