With the continued growth in USMS membership, I would submit that it's time to eliminate the regional teams at Nationals. Case in point: NCMS sent a "team" of 123 swimmers to Atlanta, enough to enter A, B, C, and D relays in many events (e.g. the mens 35+ 200 free relay in which our club team placed 13th behind eight regional teams). It's been argued that the formation of regional teams allows more swimmers to participate in relays, yet local clubs from North Carolina sent as many as thirty or more athletes and could have entered relays on their own as our club (with eight swimmers) did. Swim with the guys you actually train with.
To put things in perspective, less than 5% of US Masters Swimmers participate at Nationals. In other words, all the consternation regarding Regional vs. Local clubs, relays, and the like is small potatoes for the vast majority of members. It's not really worth it to get worked-up about these things, the focus should be on how to strengthen masters swimming programs and get more people in the water. If some wish to compete that's great, but what is more important is that swimmers of all ages and abilities find a place where they can get fit, meet new friends, and become better athletes.
Just my opinion on this (over)heated topic :argue:
Swim well my friends...
To put things in perspective, less than 5% of US Masters Swimmers participate at Nationals. In other words, all the consternation regarding Regional vs. Local clubs, relays, and the like is small potatoes for the vast majority of members. It's not really worth it to get worked-up about these things, the focus should be on how to strengthen masters swimming programs and get more people in the water. If some wish to compete that's great, but what is more important is that swimmers of all ages and abilities find a place where they can get fit, meet new friends, and become better athletes.
Just my opinion on this (over)heated topic :argue:
Swim well my friends...
