www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../21345.asp
I can't believe that people would fathom wearing tech suits at Summer League Meets. As a product of the Delaware County Summer League system, I wouldn't put anything pass these parents. They get catty, jealous, and downright nasty. The kids would too. There are countless times that competitors called me an A***ole without even speaking one word to me. WTH!!!!
I commend my local paper for banning tech suits at their annual Elite Meet. Then again, I have worn paper suits at my Summer League Championships and I am now embarrassed to say that I did taper for a Summer League Championships one year when I was 15(and I didn't really care about JOs that year since I moved into the Senior age group). Of course, after I did, other people in my league starting shaving and tapering for my League Champs.
If a kid is wearing a tech suit for summer league, they are missing the point. These leagues are for fun and as an introduction to competitive swimming for novice swimmers.
Yes, BUT... winning is fun, even in summer league where it doesn't matter.
Summer teams are dominated by swimmers who swim year-round. Even if any particular age group has only one or two winter-swimmers, there are still limited spots at the "A" meets. The novice swimmers are relegated to the sidelines and swim mostly "B" meets where anyone can swim.
I believe that every summer league has the intention to introduce kids to competitive swimming in a fun and relaxed environment, but the reality is often that in order for the kid to have a good time, they often have to be swimming year-round.
As a non-winter swimmer, if I earned the 3rd of our team's 3 spots in an A meet, I was fighting not to come in last place. It was like that for most of my summer league career, and my experience was not always fun nor was it always a good introduction to competitive swimming. I'm not saying I hated it (I'm still swimming, aren't I?), but my fun level was a lot lower than it could have been if I'd been swimming more than 8 weeks a year.
Perhaps I have a bit of a warped view growing up in a densely populated area with two HUGE summer leagues and two of the US's biggest and best USA-S clubs, but I'm sure some of this translates to other areas of the country as well.
If a kid is wearing a tech suit for summer league, they are missing the point. These leagues are for fun and as an introduction to competitive swimming for novice swimmers.
Yes, BUT... winning is fun, even in summer league where it doesn't matter.
Summer teams are dominated by swimmers who swim year-round. Even if any particular age group has only one or two winter-swimmers, there are still limited spots at the "A" meets. The novice swimmers are relegated to the sidelines and swim mostly "B" meets where anyone can swim.
I believe that every summer league has the intention to introduce kids to competitive swimming in a fun and relaxed environment, but the reality is often that in order for the kid to have a good time, they often have to be swimming year-round.
As a non-winter swimmer, if I earned the 3rd of our team's 3 spots in an A meet, I was fighting not to come in last place. It was like that for most of my summer league career, and my experience was not always fun nor was it always a good introduction to competitive swimming. I'm not saying I hated it (I'm still swimming, aren't I?), but my fun level was a lot lower than it could have been if I'd been swimming more than 8 weeks a year.
Perhaps I have a bit of a warped view growing up in a densely populated area with two HUGE summer leagues and two of the US's biggest and best USA-S clubs, but I'm sure some of this translates to other areas of the country as well.
