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
Perhaps I am going way to far out on a limb here, but the very name by which we all go "Master's swimming" has a certain elitist ring to it. I know a lot of non-swimmers assume you need to be "masterful" in your swimming abilities, or otherwise an ex-elite swimmer to compete (kinda like The Masters in the PGA).
I don't think you're going out on a limb. I was once told by a triathlete, in all seriousness, that there had to be some kind of qualification standard to join USMS; he thought that you had to have been on a college team.. He insisted that I was wrong when I said there wasn't (which I thought was amusing since I'm a member and he's not).
Perhaps I am going way to far out on a limb here, but the very name by which we all go "Master's swimming" has a certain elitist ring to it. I know a lot of non-swimmers assume you need to be "masterful" in your swimming abilities, or otherwise an ex-elite swimmer to compete (kinda like The Masters in the PGA).
I don't think you're going out on a limb. I was once told by a triathlete, in all seriousness, that there had to be some kind of qualification standard to join USMS; he thought that you had to have been on a college team.. He insisted that I was wrong when I said there wasn't (which I thought was amusing since I'm a member and he's not).
