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!
Head Coach Mark Moore at Mission Viejo Nadadores is hosting a long course relay meet on Saturday July 3rd.
www.clubassistant.com/.../meet_information.cfm
I've pitched the relay idea we've discussed here to him:
Unattached-Unofficial "FUN" Teams.
No records, no points - just FUN.
Might create a little more revenue for the meet too.
And did I mention FUN? :)
Lets' see what he says...
One thing I know is that Mark loves to have FUN!
And the meet is in honor of his late son and masters swimmer, Patrick... who also loved to have FUN!