Howdy,
Just for kicks and grins, should USMS be United States Masters Swimming. After all, very few of us are "Masters." Synchro has "grand masters" for those adult members who were nationally ranked when they were younger. I like the idea of having a category that separates the elite from the rest of us lap swimmers.
But, aside from that, what else could we call ourselves?
a) United States Senior Swimming
b) United States Adult Senior Swimming
c) Adult Senior Swimming
Any other ideas??
PW
I think I understand where you're going, Windrath, but don't necessarily agree with the naming. When "senior" is heard, it generally sounds like something in the 50+ age groups. We're already hurting for younger members so adding "senior" would probably turn more off. "Masters" sort of implies an older group. I would love to come up with something that helps entice adults of all ages without scaring them off.
I feel like "Masters" is just the general moniker for post-open/senior level competition for most sports. There's Masters Weightlifting, Masters Track and Field, heck, there's even Masters Basketball. Though most of the those sports start the Masters class at a different age - 30 for track, 35 for weightlifting, etc.
Well then, maybe something like "Post-Teen Swimming Association.
Masters - if you think about it, should not apply to any age groups because it implies a higher level of proficiency. Maybe it came from education and a Masters Degree? I do not know.
Perhaps we should expand the correlation to education degrees:
USBS...USMS...USPHD...USPDS
Just having some fun here.
PW
How about U.S. Adult Swimming Association (USASA) or something similar? I agree that "Masters" implies that its for old people or for people who have achieved mastery (defined as "great skill or technique").
How about U.S. Adult Swimming Association (USASA) or something similar? I agree that "Masters" implies that its for old people or for people who have achieved mastery (defined as "great skill or technique").
Ok, now that wouldn't be too bad. After all, once a person turns 18 years old, we are considered adults by law. (Of course, reality is an entirely different story!)
This is probably unrealistic, but perhaps USMS should officially fuse with USA Swimming so that swimming in our country just has one umbrella organization with age groups starting at 6 and under and going to the current 100-104 (and perhaps someday soon, 105-109)?
There would be no distinctions made between youth swimmers, college swimmers, elite post college swimmers, early adult swimmers, middle adult swimmers, geriatric swimmers, etc. -- just one continuous sport that accepts swimmers in their childhoods and continues to provide a place to compete until the End?
I think this would encourage a lot of swimmers post high school (who either can't swim in college or don't want to) to stick with the sport.
The only folks that would be "hurt" by this, I suspect, would be masters world record holders in some of the young adult age groups. Many of the world records here would be supplanted by Phelps, Ledecky, Dressel, etc. But when you think about it, how much pleasure can one take in holding a Masters World Record while knowing someone the same age has killed your time but that it doesn't count because it wasn't swum at an official masters meet?
Example: the masters WR in the 18 - 24 age group for the 50 free is
50 Free
Josh Schneider
04-28-12
19.36
Josh would clearly lose this to Dressel (not to mention innumerable other 20-something sprinters).
Not till around age 40 or 45, I suspect, would the current masters world records stand up against that actual world records, but after that, I don't think it would be much of a problem. Dara Torres set the Masters WR for that 50 LCM free
Dara G Torres
07-06-08
24.25
That same year, in the Olympics, she set the American record at 24.07. This probably represents the smallest gap between a Masters WR and a non-Masters American record. Dara was 42 during that Olympics.
This is probably unrealistic, but perhaps USMS should officially fuse with USA Swimming so that swimming in our country just has one umbrella organization with age groups starting at 6 and under and going to the current 100-104 (and perhaps someday soon, 105-109)?Conceptually, a sound idea. Practically, I'd not want to give up the great leadership and focus on adults swimming that we have with USMS leadership at all levels - from paid/national office staff to national/regional/local volunteers. We have a very special organization in USMS and I'd hate to see that subsumed by USA Swimming (which is not bad, but not as good as USMS).
