"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.
About 8 years ago I came to the conclusion that if I'm gonna train in the pool 7 hours a week, it would be silly to waste that on solely a sprint at a meet. So, I expanded my swimming to do longer distances and OW. I had no idea OW could be so much fun and a completely different direction from pool swimming. It's a new challenge. Plus, you want to feel good about your swimming, go take out a few dozen tris in an OW swim.
Many won't admit it but they are afraid of creepy crawlies. I personally can't stand the bottom of lakes, makes me want to hurl.
However, for some people maybe the challenge of the sprint is all they need to keep motivated, so it's fine for them.
About 8 years ago I came to the conclusion that if I'm gonna train in the pool 7 hours a week, it would be silly to waste that on solely a sprint at a meet. So, I expanded my swimming to do longer distances and OW. I had no idea OW could be so much fun and a completely different direction from pool swimming. It's a new challenge. Plus, you want to feel good about your swimming, go take out a few dozen tris in an OW swim.
Many won't admit it but they are afraid of creepy crawlies. I personally can't stand the bottom of lakes, makes me want to hurl.
However, for some people maybe the challenge of the sprint is all they need to keep motivated, so it's fine for them.
Not everyone has the time or ability to put in the yardage. My shoulders can't take it. So, whilst I might possibly prefer to do more and expand my horizon to the rock 'n roll side, it's a no go at the moment.
Also, sprinting is no way a "waste" of time for many! Personally, I love speed. And after a great sprint workout or meet, I am trashed. I can't do something like 10 x 500 or 10 x 200 or a timed 1000 without absolutely falling asleep with the god awful dullness of it.
As for TV coverage, masters swimming, especially in a pool, for most non-swimmers is just too boring. I think other endurance athletes like Slowswim might appreciate us, but not the public at large.
Kristina:
You go girl on the fastskini! I think you look better than those volleyball players!
Don't knock my fastkini. It is opposite to the fastskin which flattens the goods. What man came up with the fastskin design? :doh:
And here I thought flattening made you speedier. I don't want anything pushed up when I'm doing my whimpy sprinty stuff. At least the fastskin sucks in and compresses fat along with flattening. But I am anti-knee skin. Ugh. Bodyskin is much better.
So have you debuted the fastkini in your OW races?
While I don't necessarily feel that we need scads of media coverage, as most vets of organising big meets will tell you, sending out info packages, timely results, interesting bios doesn't often get much, if any, coverage. No, if you want media coverage........
Bar them! Yes, announce beforehand that you are determined to protect your swimmers' privacy (specified media exclusion zones), protection of their personal body-image copyright (cameras forbidden), immediate lawsuits against media speculation on who might attend (we must insure personal security for any celebrities who might be competing and no we won't divulge any names). The coverage will be immense.
The Geek would be the ideal media relations officer in such a case.
Good idea. We'll have an all chicks meet. Fastkinis mandatory. Spectators banned. A secret video will be leaked on youtube. The new USMS fastskini calendar will be forwarded to Playboy. Kristina will be the media relations officer.
In this city, if your sport does not involve the letters C-H-I-E-F-S, it's not going to get onto local TV. Period. Off-season, you say? It's still all Chiefs. They just report on who got arrested that week instead of reporting on the games.
Anna Lea
What about channels like Versus? USMS should be providing footage to them. Even the Publics family weekend tris get a 30 minute spot. Beach Volleyball is on every weekend it seems.
I don't know if USMS is 100% volunteer or has full-time positions; but if it the latter, someone should be trying to get more air time.
Sorry, but that's the way it is. We can hold hands and dream about this nirvana land where USMS is on TV but it is really just a pipe dream, and a pipe loaded with some ganja at that.
Well...:cry:
at least quit bogarting the pipe and pass it here, will ya?:groovy:
Beach Volleyball is on every weekend it seems.
Beach volleyball is one of the most widely viewed segments during Olympic broadcasts. Womens mostly. Wonder why??
images.google.com/images
Beach volleyball is one of the most widely viewed segments during Olympic broadcasts. Womens mostly. Wonder why??
Yes I would hate to see USMS swimming instead of Beach Volleyball...:banana:
A swim suit is a swim suit. I was with ACOG for 1996 Olympics. Some of the athletes (female) wanted a more conservative "uniform". The IOC said "no." One american (I forget her name) wanted to play in a bikini top and long tights. Again, the IOC said "no."
Okay, so USMS need to be somewhere between the Kona show and women's beach volleyball.:joker:
