When I started swimming masters a few years ago, I soon found myself wanting some time standards to compare myself against. Sure, tracking my own PRs is motivating, but I also wanted some sort of objective mark to measure myself against.
There is the Top 10 list, of course, but I'm not close enough to those times for them to serve as realistic motivation. Nationals qualifying times provide a slightly lower bar, but these are still out of many masters' reach. It seems like there should be some sort of time standards that are more widely applicable -- like the A, AA, ... motivational times in kids' age group swimming.
I did use those USA Swimming motivational times for a while, but I got tired of comparing myself to 12-year-olds. Eventually I decided to create my own masters' motivational time standards, using the same method that is used for the kids.
I have really enjoyed using these motivational times over the past couple of years, and I'm guessing they might be useful to others as well. Especially for those, like me, who are competitive enough to be motivated by a quantitative benchmark, but not fast enough to aspire to the Top 10 list.
I have just updated the SCY list, and figured I would post it here for others to use.
Please enjoy. I'd also love to hear any feedback.
When I started swimming masters a few years ago, I soon found myself wanting some time standards to compare myself against. Sure, tracking my own PRs is motivating, but I also wanted some sort of objective mark to measure myself against.
There is the Top 10 list, of course, but I'm not close enough to those times for them to serve as realistic motivation. Nationals qualifying times provide a slightly lower bar, but these are still out of many masters' reach. It seems like there should be some sort of time standards that are more widely applicable -- like the A, AA, ... motivational times in kids' age group swimming.
I did use those USA Swimming motivational times for a while, but I got tired of comparing myself to 12-year-olds. Eventually I decided to create my own masters' motivational time standards, using the same method that is used for the kids.
I have really enjoyed using these motivational times over the past couple of years, and I'm guessing they might be useful to others as well. Especially for those, like me, who are competitive enough to be motivated by a quantitative benchmark, but not fast enough to aspire to the Top 10 list.
I have just updated the SCY list, and figured I would post it here for others to use.
Please enjoy. I'd also love to hear any feedback.
As a psychologist, I'd always recommend that the only comparison worth using for motivation is yourself. I'd also focus less on times per se, but on how you are training, preparing and executing your swims. I've never come across "motivational times" but it scares me that there might be an officially sanctioned version of this for younger swimmers, as it flies in the face of evidence about motivation and related emotional and behavioural impacts on the athlete.
As a psychologist, I'd always recommend that the only comparison worth using for motivation is yourself. I'd also focus less on times per se, but on how you are training, preparing and executing your swims. I've never come across "motivational times" but it scares me that there might be an officially sanctioned version of this for younger swimmers, as it flies in the face of evidence about motivation and related emotional and behavioural impacts on the athlete.
I think the purpose of the age group swimmers "motivational times" list is for qualifying for meets.
I think the purpose of the age group swimmers "motivational times" list is for qualifying for meets.
Ah, fair enough. Just a strange name to use then...?
I've never come across "motivational times" but it scares me that there might be an officially sanctioned version of this for younger swimmers, as it flies in the face of evidence about motivation and related emotional and behavioural impacts on the athlete.
Since I remember these standards from my age-group days, they have been around in the US for at least 40 years though they haven't always been called "motivational" standards, I'm not exactly sure when that name started. I would say that they have always been used for both organization (so that meets wouldn't get too big, for example) and motivation. I still remember the patches and stars that kids in my area wore on their sweats to indicate A/AA times that they've achieved (five stars total, one for each stroke + IM, different color stars for A and AA times).
Despite your statement, I would say that my experience as a swimmer and swimmer parent has been positive about their value as motivation. My father probably still remembers fondly when I got my first A-time as a 7 year old, he would probably still say that it ranks as his fondest memory of my childhood swimming days simply because of my stunned (and joyful) reaction.
Despite your statement, I would say that my experience as a swimmer and swimmer parent has been positive about their value as motivation. My father probably still remembers fondly when I got my first A-time as a 7 year old, he would probably still say that it ranks as his fondest memory of my childhood swimming days simply because of my stunned (and joyful) reaction.
I agree. As an age group swimmer these ARE your goal times. OK, a select few are aiming for NAG Top Ten (or top 16 when we were kids), an LSC record, etc. but the vast majority are looking to get that A time, or that AAA time or whatever. Swimming is a timed sport. To say you shouldn't be focusing on "times per se" seems completely counter to what competitive swimming is all about, in my opinion.
Anyone know if this has been done? If so, please forward the link -
I brought it up last year in a Records and Tabulation meeting, raising the question of whether or not USMS should take this over. Response was decidedly mixed, some in favor and some definitely opposed (feeling that it would demean the efforts of beginning swimmers, if I recall correctly).
www.usms.org/.../records-2013-3-10-1.pdf
I wouldn't count on it happening any time soon, if ever it does. It was never an official USMS project or anything so if the OP let it drop that's his choice to make. Someone else could take it up if s/he chooses. Or you can just use the standards as last updated.
