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.
Former Member
You know what, this post annoys me. For the 1,977 of us there it was a big deal, for some a really big deal. While certainly a small percentage, those of us that compete are probably the biggest supporters of USMS with our money and time. My goal in Atlanta was not to further the mission of USMS explicitly but to swim fast. So, please don't discount the opinions of those who actually took the time, paid the money to promote the sport through competition at our biggest and most visible annual event.
I for one kind of agree with Doug...maybe if we treated people with a little bit more respect on these forums (makes me wonder how some of you treat people around your pools) we might actually get more people out to some of the meets. Isn't the idea to promote swimming? Not run people off? Just wondering...
Go ahead and blast away...
I for one kind of agree with Doug...maybe if we treated people with a little bit more respect on these forums (makes me wonder how some of you treat people around your pools) we might actually get more people out to some of the meets. Isn't the idea to promote swimming? Not run people off? Just wondering...
Go ahead and blast away...
How many people on the forums do compete? How many don't compete?
I would say the majority of people on the forums are very nice to people at the pools we swim. I know Geek and Fort. On the forum, they can come across as brash, arrogant, snotty. But in person, they are 2 of the nicest people I have ever met(just using you two as an example) So, I don't think it's safe to say our forum behavior is how we behave away from the computer.
Bill and Leslie: first official nominees for The 2010 Mr. and Ms. USMS Snotty Forum Poster Awards (informally referred to as The Snooties).
You go, guys!
The Snooty Trophy will be based on this:
www.pinoytutorial.com/.../cold3.jpg
...and Jim's trophy will be identical but mounted on his belt buckle...
:bolt:
I can see no valid reason why we can't have a Snotty Forum Poster relay. Well, apart from the fact that Geek lives in the Dixie Zone ...
There is no way you would be able to agree on the order. Oh and a medley relay....Dear God!!! :afraid:
There is no way you would be able to agree on the order. Oh and a medley relay....Dear God!!! :afraid:
The problem is where to put Fort on the relay. Geek's position, no problem. He will act in the same capacity as the kid do at USA nationals, he will collect the gear and take it back to the team area for the swimmers afterwards.
Unless the relay is a 4x1000 free. Then swap Fort and Geek's role, with Fort doing nothing that geek was supposed to do.
You know what, this post annoys me. For the 1,977 of us there it was a big deal, for some a really big deal. While certainly a small percentage, those of us that compete are probably the biggest supporters of USMS with our money and time.
Well, if you calculate that there are 19x more people who *don't* swim at Nationals than who do...that assertion does not add up. The Usual Suspects (myself included) who go to a National meet each year are a fraction of the total membership. Many of the things we discuss in the forums and amongst ourselves doesn't register with our teammates who just want to stay fit.
Hey, swimming at Nationals is a lot of fun and a great event to focus one's training on. Just keep in mind that for most of our members it is not something that enters their consciousness.
My goal in Atlanta was not to further the mission of USMS explicitly but to swim fast. So, please don't discount the opinions of those who actually took the time, paid the money to promote the sport through competition at our biggest and most visible annual event.
Nobody is discounting, merely putting things into perspective. Sometimes we need to step back for a moment from the debate surrounding Regional vs. Local Club and other issues. It is not a big deal for most members who couldn't recite (or care) who the top ten clubs were in either category. I'm jus' sayin'...
Also, if memory serves the One Hour Postal is the largest National Championship that US Masters Swimming runs. I think there were over 2,600 swimmers who did that event this year.
OK, back to the :argue:
Doug - I hope others in your LMSC, and Mesa in particular, have a more enthusiastic attitude about Nationals. If I'm paying to go all the way to AZ in 2011 I hope to make it a special trip, not one where I'm told the opinions of those who compete is relatively unimportant.
Doug - I hope others in your LMSC, and Mesa in particular, have a more enthusiastic attitude about Nationals. If I'm paying to go all the way to AZ in 2011 I hope to make it a special trip, not one where I'm told the opinions of those who compete is relatively unimportant.
About 300 (out of 1,100) of the projected 2,200 attendees of next year's Spring Nationals will be from Arizona. If you figure USMS will have around 46,000 members at the end of April 2011 that means less than 5% of registered members will be competing at the Kino Aquatics Center. I will be one of them and I will be stoked...but I (we?) will also be a tiny percentage of USMS. Those of us at the meet will have a great time, swim fast, and enjoy some wonderful weather.
Over 40,000 of our fellow swimmers won't know or care however. Its OK though, as long as they are staying fit and realizing their goals then that is fine. These are the majority of our members, so all our talk about relays, scoring, and the like simply does not register. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
Those of us who compete (including myself) are a vocal yet active minority in masters swimming. We are the ones who basically run the organization, go to the meets, and set the direction for others to follow. There is nothing wrong with this so long as we are aware of the needs of the majority of our members and seek to address them.
Just my :2cents:, see you all in Mesa next Spring.
...oh and Puerto Rico this Summer.
FOR NATIONALS!!!!!!!!!:bliss:
less than 5%
Yes, but 100% of the people attending nationals do care about scoring and placing and times. So, serve your audience in attendance, not the ones on the sidelines.
Nationals is 1.1% of the year yet 5% or so attend, so we are getting shortchanged.
There you go Q, more stats.
Doug - I hope others in your LMSC, and Mesa in particular, have a more enthusiastic attitude about Nationals. If I'm paying to go all the way to AZ in 2011 I hope to make it a special trip, not one where I'm told the opinions of those who compete is relatively unimportant.
Save yourself a bunch of money. Skip mesa and come to LC at Auburn.
