I am posting this as an informational item only. If you guys want to start another tech suit flame war over this, have at it, but I won't be participating.
Yesterday, I received an email which stated:
United States Masters Swimming is considering whether to allow Tech Suits (ie Blue 70, Speedo Fastskins, etc ) at short course yards meets.
Pacific Masters is polling swimmers who registered for the 2010 Pacific Masters Short Course Championships to find out what our swimmer's opinion is of this proposed rule change. The polling will close at noon, Tuesday September 7th.
This poll should take less than five minutes to complete. We do value your opinion, we hope to find out more about what our members think.
Unfortunately, having responded to the poll questions I can no longer access the poll, or I would post the questions too.
They value what their members think but apparently only those who registered for the PMS Championships. That's not a "membership", that's a small sampling of a select group.
I'm sure they're just trying to understand the views of their most competitive swimmers, and that's a worthwile subset of the overall demographic to understand since that is the market for these suits. I suspect the results will be consistent with all other formal and informal polls I've seen on the topic (which favor keeping the suits banned) but maybe not by as significant a margin as a poll of the general USMS population. If you polled just those swimmers who won an event at PMS championships, I think the results would possibly favor the suits. But what people in the last few heats fail to realize is that there are LOTS of people at the big regional meets that still don't wear the suits and don't want too. Their voices will likely carry the day.
George, I am always happy to cast my "keep the suits banned" vote. I don't envision changing that viewpoint until FINA changes theirs for elite/age group competition, and right now I'd advocate against that as well.
I'm sure they're just trying to understand the views of their most competitive swimmers, and that's a worthwile subset of the overall demographic to understand since that is the market for these suits.
There is no need to do that. They can poll a larger group and then have a question like "have you competed in a national or regional championship in the last two years?" to see what this "most competitive" subset thinks. It is always better to have the data and not need it, rather than the other way around.
The only (intellectually honest) reasons to ignore the larger membership that I can think of are: (i) the cost of polling or (ii) fear of annoying people with another email or survey when they don't care about the issue.
I think it is arguable that the majority of the most competitive people will compete regardless of what suits are allowed. Perhaps the people most worth listening to are the ones on the margins.
For me it boils down to "should USMS follow FINA rules regarding suits for all courses, or should we make our own rules for SCY competition?" I'm not opposed to FINA reevaluating the suit rules, but I'm 100% opposed to USMS going rogue.
I'm with him on this point.... should we take a poll? :D
It's not "Virginia." It's southern Virginia. If you live here, northern and southern Virginia are two different worlds. :bolt:
We here in the north are part of Potomac Valley.
Not all of us in Northern VA are part of Potomac Valley. I'm with Virginia and live a few miles from Fort.
For me it boils down to "should USMS follow FINA rules regarding suits for all courses, or should we make our own rules for SCY competition?" I'm not opposed to FINA reevaluating the suit rules, but I'm 100% opposed to USMS going rogue.
110% agree!!
It's not "Virginia." It's southern Virginia. If you live here, northern and southern Virginia are two different worlds.
We here in the north are part of Potomac Valley.
That's a bit of a stretch, calling the vast majority of the state "southern." The Virginia LMSC includes all but a tiny part of the state: the counties of Arlington and Fairfax, or the blue part of this map.
Geographically speaking, you PV people are just a pimple on the great state of VA... :bolt:
That's a bit of a stretch, calling the vast majority of the state "southern." The Virginia LMSC includes all but a tiny part of the state: the counties of Arlington and Fairfax, or the blue part of this map.
Geographically speaking, you PV people are just a pimple on the great state of VA... :bolt:
Happy to be a pimple!
"If you take Northern Virginia out of Virginia, you get Arkansas." www.washingtonian.com/.../9947.html.
I, for one, think it would be interesting if USMS went rogue. :angel:
