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."
Last night I spoke about masters swimming and my triathlon experience to the largest triathlon club here in Orange County, CA.
Afterwards one of the members came up to me and introduced himself. Told me he saw me at the Nadadores pool coaching often since he swims in the lap swim lanes utilized by our neighboring YMCA.
I asked him why he didn't swim with the masters group or at least give our free workouts a try.
He explained there was no way he could hang with the swimmers in the masters workout lanes. That he had watched all the world class athletes, the butterfly, flipturns and felt it would be impossible.
When I explained about the "Cruiser Lanes" at the other end of the pool full of novice athletes he was stunned. Said he never noticed those swimmers.
The fact is, 50-75% of the swimmers in masters clubs are novice and or fitness swimmers. Some teams may be a bit more or less.
Coaches need to be out there, aware, and very involved in the promotion of the sport and their own clubs.
No one else can explain it better than the masters swim coach who works with 5 different levels of ability at the same time, in every single workout. And makes it nicely flow...
Last night I spoke about masters swimming and my triathlon experience to the largest triathlon club here in Orange County, CA.
Afterwards one of the members came up to me and introduced himself. Told me he saw me at the Nadadores pool coaching often since he swims in the lap swim lanes utilized by our neighboring YMCA.
I asked him why he didn't swim with the masters group or at least give our free workouts a try.
He explained there was no way he could hang with the swimmers in the masters workout lanes. That he had watched all the world class athletes, the butterfly, flipturns and felt it would be impossible.
When I explained about the "Cruiser Lanes" at the other end of the pool full of novice athletes he was stunned. Said he never noticed those swimmers.
The fact is, 50-75% of the swimmers in masters clubs are novice and or fitness swimmers. Some teams may be a bit more or less.
Coaches need to be out there, aware, and very involved in the promotion of the sport and their own clubs.
No one else can explain it better than the masters swim coach who works with 5 different levels of ability at the same time, in every single workout. And makes it nicely flow...
