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.
Parents
Former Member
This is an issue that is important to many who do compete. Regardless of the numbers, that should be enough to create some discussion, period, end of story. The vast overwhelming majority of us don't swim with Walnut Creek but we are all upset, intrigued and interested in the status of that program. Not all issues have to impact the entire community for them to be of concern to the general membership population. And, no one has ever suggested this issue become all-consuming.
This issue is not, nor should be all consuming. But it has and will again get its fair discussion time. The whole spectrum of issues raised by the highly visible and vocal minority does have that potential to overshadow other issues that might better serve USMS as a whole and that was my point.
Walnut creek and this issue is not a good comparison to this one. Unless you do believe the impact is limited only to members and coaches at Walnut creek. And I don't believe you do.
This is an issue that is important to many who do compete. Regardless of the numbers, that should be enough to create some discussion, period, end of story. The vast overwhelming majority of us don't swim with Walnut Creek but we are all upset, intrigued and interested in the status of that program. Not all issues have to impact the entire community for them to be of concern to the general membership population. And, no one has ever suggested this issue become all-consuming.
This issue is not, nor should be all consuming. But it has and will again get its fair discussion time. The whole spectrum of issues raised by the highly visible and vocal minority does have that potential to overshadow other issues that might better serve USMS as a whole and that was my point.
Walnut creek and this issue is not a good comparison to this one. Unless you do believe the impact is limited only to members and coaches at Walnut creek. And I don't believe you do.
