Yet...... another comment on "elitism" in masters swimming. This ongoing battle of two imaginary groups....... the selfish former elite swimmers and the non elite counter parts.
Yes..... The Evil Smith and I have taken great pleasure throughout the last decade trying to secretly split USMS into these two groups. Our efforts to perpetuate this divide and fuel our intolerance for "learners" is now being undermined..... :-)
One Big Happy Family: Marcinkowski’s Masters
reachforthewall.com/.../
"Butcher, Zerkle and others say numbers have soared because Marcinkowski has tried to strip the elitism from masters swimming, often thought to be populated with former competitive stars who have little tolerance for learners."
Our own member survey showed that 58% of new swimmers worried that they would be too slow for masters, that number is significantly higher for non-competitive swimmers and triathletes.
That's not surprising. But it doesn't say whether that fear is rightfully earned or not.
That's kind of like the surveys that report a ridiculously high percentage of people in the US who don't believe in the theory of evolution. Besides the fact that the conclusions being reported may not match what was actually being asked, the survey results don't mean that evolution is wrong. It shows that a lot of people are misinformed about the issue.
Our own member survey showed that 58% of new swimmers worried that they would be too slow for masters, that number is significantly higher for non-competitive swimmers and triathletes.
That's not surprising. But it doesn't say whether that fear is rightfully earned or not.
That's kind of like the surveys that report a ridiculously high percentage of people in the US who don't believe in the theory of evolution. Besides the fact that the conclusions being reported may not match what was actually being asked, the survey results don't mean that evolution is wrong. It shows that a lot of people are misinformed about the issue.
