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!
Most of my teammates also watched and cheered on each others swims, including figuring out when to get out of the cooldown pool to watch, then get back in and finish. I didn't get to see swims when the others were at the opposite end from me (in a heat or 3 earlier). Otherwise, I watched and cheered. And one of my fellow age group members made a point of letting me know she was going to enjoy watching me race, as we often swim the same events in the same heats - compare thoughts afterwards, but rarely get to spectate and cheer.
Most of my teammates also watched and cheered on each others swims, including figuring out when to get out of the cooldown pool to watch, then get back in and finish. I didn't get to see swims when the others were at the opposite end from me (in a heat or 3 earlier). Otherwise, I watched and cheered. And one of my fellow age group members made a point of letting me know she was going to enjoy watching me race, as we often swim the same events in the same heats - compare thoughts afterwards, but rarely get to spectate and cheer.