Solo Swimmers

When you are handicapped and have people tell you they couldn't swim/do X, and they're not handicapped, what would you think? Unless it is their knees on breaststroke, the issue is not physical. There's a Mount Everest difference between can't and won't. I'm not the best at swimming, both for being handicapped and didn't learn until I was in my middle 40's. I'm overweight. Yet I'm told "I could never do that". Yeah you can. I was in a club where we had 2 lanes for masters. 1 for the 3 guys who were same level. I and everyone else got the next one. The problem is that the others who you never knew would show up, how many of them did, the level of their abilities to not interfere/know lane etiquette, made it so I couldn't get in consistent coaching & practicing. So not only did they end up showing up off/on more off than on which didn't help them (and several leaving), I ended up leaving because of the inability to meet my goals and have my teammates support that. The club is half of what it was. That's not good for any one because it was getting to where it was not worth it to have adults swim. I'm not referring to kids. I'm referring to adults. Totally separate - only talking about masters. I know of another club where the kids showed up more than the adults. So the adults time got moved and over half the group left because the times weren't good for them to practice any longer. Unlike the big California or DC or NC areas, my area basically supports the kids, and after that, that's it. We need active adults showing active lifestyles. The more people drop out, are inconsistent, the harder it is for the smaller and middle size areas to support adult swimming. Back when I was a runner (long before swimming), in one of the top 10 running clubs in the nation, I was first, then second, then third, on the yearly scoring event for awards at the end of the year. At the time, it was the largest AG. That was because I hit all the events and just kept on plugging away at it, although not a fast person. People congratulated me and I said no, that says a lot more about the people in this group that someone overweight and slower beats prime age runners. It should never be that way. When people were pushed out of the comfort zone, they did really well. Admitted it. Had a good time. Then leave so that you end up with a club or two only in the area and they are probably not at times you can do. How does this help swimming overall? If people don't want to swim, what about volunteering? Most groups I know put on one event a year. One Saturday, no one can help? Do you see where I'm getting at? They're not growing the sport. They are making it so that people like me trying to grow it and get others to do things end up failing, to where the adults are the ones who get put out first. Do I know all that goes on in people's lives? No. I do know what I see, I'm handicapped/not a good swimmer/not swam as a kid, and then get confronted with "I can't", makes a difference. Ask a handicapped person. 1111211113

When you are handicapped and have people tell you they couldn't swim/do X, and they're not handicapped, what would you think? Unless it is their knees on breaststroke, the issue is not physical. There's a Mount Everest difference between can't and won't. I'm not the best at swimming, both for being handicapped and didn't learn until I was in my middle 40's. I'm overweight. Yet I'm told "I could never do that". Yeah you can. I was in a club where we had 2 lanes for masters. 1 for the 3 guys who were same level. I and everyone else got the next one. The problem is that the others who you never knew would show up, how many of them did, the level of their abilities to not interfere/know lane etiquette, made it so I couldn't get in consistent coaching & practicing. So not only did they end up showing up off/on more off than on which didn't help them (and several leaving), I ended up leaving because of the inability to meet my goals and have my teammates support that. The club is half of what it was. That's not good for any one because it was getting to where it was not worth it to have adults swim. I'm not referring to kids. I'm referring to adults. Totally separate - only talking about masters. I know of another club where the kids showed up more than the adults. So the adults time got moved and over half the group left because the times weren't good for them to practice any longer. Unlike the big California or DC or NC areas, my area basically supports the kids, and after that, that's it. We need active adults showing active lifestyles. The more people drop out, are inconsistent, the harder it is for the smaller and middle size areas to support adult swimming. Back when I was a runner (long before swimming), in one of the top 10 running clubs in the nation, I was first, then second, then third, on the yearly scoring event for awards at the end of the year. At the time, it was the largest AG. That was because I hit all the events and just kept on plugging away at it, although not a fast person. People congratulated me and I said no, that says a lot more about the people in this group that someone overweight and slower beats prime age runners. It should never be that way. When people were pushed out of the comfort zone, they did really well. Admitted it. Had a good time. Then leave so that you end up with a club or two only in the area and they are probably not at times you can do. How does this help swimming overall? If people don't want to swim, what about volunteering? Most groups I know put on one event a year. One Saturday, no one can help? Do you see where I'm getting at? They're not growing the sport. They are making it so that people like me trying to grow it and get others to do things end up failing, to where the adults are the ones who get put out first. Do I know all that goes on in people's lives? No. I do know what I see, I'm handicapped/not a good swimmer/not swam as a kid, and then get confronted with "I can't", makes a difference. Ask a handicapped person. 1111211113