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."
Parents
Former Member
Between 2000 and 2004, the Curl-Burke Masters Swimming team languished. It was home to between seven and 26 swimmers during that five-year span. At the time, Marcinkowski thought it was flatly ridiculous that his masters group in swimming, a true sport for life, could not attract more athletes in the swim-crazy Greater Washington region.
Yet he understood the club’s reputation for imperious and unwelcoming athletes.
I was in DC btw X-mas and New Years in 2004 or 2005 and wanted to work out. I stayed about 10 minutes from Curl Burke's pool, so I figured I could work out there no problem. I went to website to check up on drop-in swims, and was immediately turned off.
They essentially discouraged drop-ins b/c they were a serious club w/ serious swimmers and the coach needed to be appraised of the exact workout(s) you were going to attend at least one week in advance and your level and your times and...
Overall it just seemed like somebody needed to just chill the **** out over there.
They shouldn't have been surprised by their pathetic numbers.
Kinda bummed they've got their numbers up. I got beat in the 200 *** at Indi by a C-B swimmer. If he hadn't been there, I would have dropped the 400 IM and gone for the number 1, but nooooooo.
Between 2000 and 2004, the Curl-Burke Masters Swimming team languished. It was home to between seven and 26 swimmers during that five-year span. At the time, Marcinkowski thought it was flatly ridiculous that his masters group in swimming, a true sport for life, could not attract more athletes in the swim-crazy Greater Washington region.
Yet he understood the club’s reputation for imperious and unwelcoming athletes.
I was in DC btw X-mas and New Years in 2004 or 2005 and wanted to work out. I stayed about 10 minutes from Curl Burke's pool, so I figured I could work out there no problem. I went to website to check up on drop-in swims, and was immediately turned off.
They essentially discouraged drop-ins b/c they were a serious club w/ serious swimmers and the coach needed to be appraised of the exact workout(s) you were going to attend at least one week in advance and your level and your times and...
Overall it just seemed like somebody needed to just chill the **** out over there.
They shouldn't have been surprised by their pathetic numbers.
Kinda bummed they've got their numbers up. I got beat in the 200 *** at Indi by a C-B swimmer. If he hadn't been there, I would have dropped the 400 IM and gone for the number 1, but nooooooo.
