I think it was Ande that said "it's not how fast you swim, it's how fast you slow down." I read that a few years ago and keep on coming back to it as I have watched my kids grow in their USA Swimming careers. When kids are around 8-10, many of the races are 50s. Lots of kids can swim relatively fast 50s compared to other kids even when their stroke technique is truly awful. But then once the clock strikes 11 (years old), all of the 50s go away (less one) - and magically many of the kids with bad technique who seemed fast start losing to kids in the 100s and 200s with superior strokes. My question is at what age are we masters swimmers when we start thinking 50 backstroke, 50 butterfly and 50 breaststroke are OK to race again? It is not OK. It brings our sport down to a level where people who train only 100s or less and focus on 25s are taking over our pools. No more I say!!! I think USMS rules should only allow these races for people in their 70s and older. Who is with me?!!!
:worms: :bolt:
... Too bad they don't have a 150 or a 300 like they do (sometimes) in college swimming. That'd be a neat distance.
IMO this is a really good idea. There is another thread about how to increase participation in Masters swimming. Offering new and interesting distances/events at meets might increase participation in meets anyway. I know of a couple of meets that have SCY 25s. Not being a sprinter, it is unlikely that I would enter one, but lots of people seem to like them and they are very fun to watch. How about the 75 SCY butterfly, or a 150 IM where you do any three strokes, or the 300 back, or 25 SDK, or 800 IM...? There are lots of non-standard events that I think would draw interest.
... Too bad they don't have a 150 or a 300 like they do (sometimes) in college swimming. That'd be a neat distance.
IMO this is a really good idea. There is another thread about how to increase participation in Masters swimming. Offering new and interesting distances/events at meets might increase participation in meets anyway. I know of a couple of meets that have SCY 25s. Not being a sprinter, it is unlikely that I would enter one, but lots of people seem to like them and they are very fun to watch. How about the 75 SCY butterfly, or a 150 IM where you do any three strokes, or the 300 back, or 25 SDK, or 800 IM...? There are lots of non-standard events that I think would draw interest.
