I've been noticing that the amount of meets for Master's swimming has been on the decline, at least that is how it feels. I know here in the Florida area the meets are very few and far in between. Does anyone have any theories as to why this is so, other then the economy?
... It seems that a lot of Florida meets are missing from the USMS calendar...This seems to be a persistent problem both at the USMS and at the LMSC level (SPMA excepted as they do a GREAT job with their meet calendar). In general, my biggest constraint to attend a meet is time, primarily due to other family commitments. As I travel a lot for work, I have tried to combine business and pleasure travel with swim meets ... but it's very hard to do that if meets don't show up on calendars with sufficient notice.
To give you an example, I pretty much know today which weekends in 2011 from January through September that are even possibilities for me to consider going to a meet. It would be great if the USMS calendar of events were up-to-date with, at a minimum, meets coming up in the next 3 months, but ideally in the next 6 months. I'm convinced attendance would increase at events if they just showed up on the calendars sooner.
I agree national postings would make a huge difference. It is completely insaine to have that many sites and yet expect people to be able to find and better yet keep up with the meet listings and changes. I can completely understand how it got this way though. Hopefully the future will make everyones swimming lives a little easier.
Jim are you planning on going to New England Masters Championships in March I believe you went last year or was that the meters meet?
but it all depends on timing relative to closer meets
As in: who in their right mind would leave Sarasota FL to visit Boston MA in December? :)
Note added in proof: I guess I recall seeing Rob Butcher there last year. Whoops. :bolt:
My apologizes Jim I got you confused with someone else.
Chris with minimal meets here in the winter that are actually competitive I see no reason not to go to NE for meets, your not swimming outside and in December the meet is at Boston U which has an incredible pool.
