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.
...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.
Is it? More important, that is. The number of USMS members who compete are a minority (I usually hear estimates in the range of 20-30%) but not a small minority. And it is likely that these are USMS' best "customers" in the sense of renewals and supporting the organization through volunteering.
I don't really know how much "competitions" vs "participation" come into conflict; it is good to promote both and in most cases it is possible to do so simultaneously. But there may well be areas of conflict in terms of resource allocation or specific policies, and I don't really know where USMS' priorities lie. So I can't agree or disagree with what I think is the implication that participation is more important than competition.
I do agree with the whole "being inclusive" thing and I don't like to push competition on people who just aren't interested in it. But I also feel that going to a local or even regional masters meet (or OW race) is one of the best ways to "engage" our members.
How does this relate to regional teams? If you are a member of a small swimming training group or local club, few of whom are interested in competition, then regional teams give you a whole host of new people to connect with. And ask questions of, if you are a competition newbie.
Sure you form closest connections with people you see several times a week. But if you attend local meets regularly, the other regulars in your LMSC aren't strangers at all, and it is nice to swim on relays with them.
So far as I see, the only downside is relay awards, since large regional teams probably do have some advantage. I don't know if the disadvantage is enough to warrant a separate relay division.
...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.
Is it? More important, that is. The number of USMS members who compete are a minority (I usually hear estimates in the range of 20-30%) but not a small minority. And it is likely that these are USMS' best "customers" in the sense of renewals and supporting the organization through volunteering.
I don't really know how much "competitions" vs "participation" come into conflict; it is good to promote both and in most cases it is possible to do so simultaneously. But there may well be areas of conflict in terms of resource allocation or specific policies, and I don't really know where USMS' priorities lie. So I can't agree or disagree with what I think is the implication that participation is more important than competition.
I do agree with the whole "being inclusive" thing and I don't like to push competition on people who just aren't interested in it. But I also feel that going to a local or even regional masters meet (or OW race) is one of the best ways to "engage" our members.
How does this relate to regional teams? If you are a member of a small swimming training group or local club, few of whom are interested in competition, then regional teams give you a whole host of new people to connect with. And ask questions of, if you are a competition newbie.
Sure you form closest connections with people you see several times a week. But if you attend local meets regularly, the other regulars in your LMSC aren't strangers at all, and it is nice to swim on relays with them.
So far as I see, the only downside is relay awards, since large regional teams probably do have some advantage. I don't know if the disadvantage is enough to warrant a separate relay division.
