As a swimmer from a backwater LMSC that virtually never has enough people at USMS meets to field even the slowest of relay teams, I would like to see team orphans like myself be allowed to aggregate with others of my ilk to form a rag-tag band of misfit style "Pick Up" relay teams at masters meets.
I personally believe this would foster camaraderie and new friendships as people like me, who practice in Amish mudholes, would be able to swim on a relay team with, say, Cayjuns from Baton Rouge, who swim in oil-slickened bayous littered with oxygen-starved crawdads.
I would furthermore and personally like such relays to "count" for Top 10 consideration, provided they were made up exclusively of unattached swimmers--or people who are the sole representatives of their "teams"--i.e., bona fide hardship cases, like me, who truly have no other options for swimming relays at most meets.
What say ye? Please take my simple poll; USMS bigwigs, please take note of my simple poll, especially if it comes back (as I hope) with a resounding and enthusiastic endorsement of the hopes and aspirations of mud-and-oil-coated misfits throughout the nation!
Polls, declaration of strong opinions: those things are nice. But if you want to actually DO something, you've got the following problem in the Rule Book:
102.9.1 Relay teams shall not compete unattached. In all cases, relay teams must be composed of USMS members of the same club, which is a member of USMS.
Proposed rule additions/amendments are also due July 10, barely a month from now:
www.usms.org/.../gto_conv_rulesamend.pdf
According to 601.2.1, proposal for rule changes come from the LMSC, a standing committee, the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee.
So it seems to me that there are two logical options here (others with more knowledge can correct or add to this):
-- get your LMSC board/chair to propose some change to 102.9.1
-- ask the chair of the championship committee to add a rules in 104.5 (Conduct of National Championship Meets) allowing "pickup" relays such as you describe, perhaps as exhibition. I seriously doubt you would ever get these approved for records or top ten consideration, but maybe there is a chance they could be approved for placing in the championship meet.
If the Championship Committee won't recommend your desired proposal (or feels the committee is too busy to consider it...the chair is, after all, a notorious slacker :)) then get your LMSC board to consider proposing an addition to 104.5 directly to the Rules Committee.
Contact Kathy Casey if you have questions about rules. She isn't all that busy. :)
Polls, declaration of strong opinions: those things are nice. But if you want to actually DO something, you've got the following problem in the Rule Book:
102.9.1 Relay teams shall not compete unattached. In all cases, relay teams must be composed of USMS members of the same club, which is a member of USMS.
Proposed rule additions/amendments are also due July 10, barely a month from now:
www.usms.org/.../gto_conv_rulesamend.pdf
According to 601.2.1, proposal for rule changes come from the LMSC, a standing committee, the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee.
So it seems to me that there are two logical options here (others with more knowledge can correct or add to this):
-- get your LMSC board/chair to propose some change to 102.9.1
-- ask the chair of the championship committee to add a rules in 104.5 (Conduct of National Championship Meets) allowing "pickup" relays such as you describe, perhaps as exhibition. I seriously doubt you would ever get these approved for records or top ten consideration, but maybe there is a chance they could be approved for placing in the championship meet.
If the Championship Committee won't recommend your desired proposal (or feels the committee is too busy to consider it...the chair is, after all, a notorious slacker :)) then get your LMSC board to consider proposing an addition to 104.5 directly to the Rules Committee.
Contact Kathy Casey if you have questions about rules. She isn't all that busy. :)
