What does JOs refer to?

[Anonymous]

Are people referring to the PV championships in March or something else? Are they actually considered Junior Olympics in some semi-official way? Please help me understand the local lingo 😊

[Anonymous]

Yes, when people say JOs they mean the PVS champs in March. It used to be called the Junior Olympics and even though it’s not anymore, the nickname JOs has stuck.

[Anonymous]

Yes, this is the March PVS champs meet. The LSC-level championship meets used to be called JOs (dating back 30+ years) in many regions. At some point in the last few years, USA Swimming told the LSCs to stop calling these meets “Junior Olympics”, as it’s not at all related to the actual Olympics or Olympic Time Trials. To answer your question, they are not considered Junior Olympics in any official way.
The 14&U champs meet is an age group meet, but you could argue it’s the very first stop on a very long ladder to OTT in that it’s not a private club meet.

[Anonymous]

It’s funny because even when it was called JOs no one thought it was a path to the actual Olympics. It was just a meet with cut times at the end of the winter season. Everyone knew the actual super fast kids were going to Zones and NAG camps when younger and Jr/Sr Nationals and Trials as they got older. Maybe parents could trick other non swim parents into thinking JOs was a big deal?

[Anonymous]

When it got the name JOs, it wasn’t held at the end of the season, it was in December. Locally, it served as the mid-season champ meet, which has been replaced by invitationals, such as NCI, Winter Classic. This makes the schedule flow more like a higher level/ college program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny because even when it was called JOs no one thought it was a path to the actual Olympics. It was just a meet with cut times at the end of the winter season. Everyone knew the actual super fast kids were going to Zones and NAG camps when younger and Jr/Sr Nationals and Trials as they got older. Maybe parents could trick other non swim parents into thinking JOs was a big deal?

You sound like a jerk. Ps - plenty of kids who don’t make zones and NAG camps make national cuts when they’re older. Puberty happens and some kids really begin to excel after they grow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny because even when it was called JOs no one thought it was a path to the actual Olympics. It was just a meet with cut times at the end of the winter season. Everyone knew the actual super fast kids were going to Zones and NAG camps when younger and Jr/Sr Nationals and Trials as they got older. Maybe parents could trick other non swim parents into thinking JOs was a big deal?

You sound like a jerk. Ps - plenty of kids who don’t make zones and NAG camps make national cuts when they’re older. Puberty happens and some kids really begin to excel after they grow.

I second this - the flip side can also be true the actual super fast kids never made JOs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny because even when it was called JOs no one thought it was a path to the actual Olympics. It was just a meet with cut times at the end of the winter season. Everyone knew the actual super fast kids were going to Zones and NAG camps when younger and Jr/Sr Nationals and Trials as they got older. Maybe parents could trick other non swim parents into thinking JOs was a big deal?

You sound like a jerk. Ps - plenty of kids who don’t make zones and NAG camps make national cuts when they’re older. Puberty happens and some kids really begin to excel after they grow.

I have those late blooming swimmers. They struggled (my girl until she was 14 and my boy till 16). Not only did they start making the national cuts but they started surpassing the kids that they could barely keep up with - they were slower to puberty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny because even when it was called JOs no one thought it was a path to the actual Olympics. It was just a meet with cut times at the end of the winter season. Everyone knew the actual super fast kids were going to Zones and NAG camps when younger and Jr/Sr Nationals and Trials as they got older. Maybe parents could trick other non swim parents into thinking JOs was a big deal?

Other sports also have meets called JOs that also are not about the official Olympics. It's fine, no need to be salty.

[Anonymous]

They got rid of it because they felt it was inaccurate portraying the meet as a stepping stone to the actual Olympics, when they know IMX is the meet that truly is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny because even when it was called JOs no one thought it was a path to the actual Olympics. It was just a meet with cut times at the end of the winter season. Everyone knew the actual super fast kids were going to Zones and NAG camps when younger and Jr/Sr Nationals and Trials as they got older. Maybe parents could trick other non swim parents into thinking JOs was a big deal?

You sound like a jerk. Ps - plenty of kids who don’t make zones and NAG camps make national cuts when they’re older. Puberty happens and some kids really begin to excel after they grow.

Omg ya’ll are reading way too much into it. I never said kids who aren’t super fast as age groupers can’t be fast later, or that super fast age groupers never slow down or flame out. I was one of the late bloomers myself. I just remember silly parents being like “my kid made the JUNiOR OLYMPICS” when all of us swimmers understood where that meet falls in the grand scheme of things. It’s a great goal to set and achieve cuts but so many steps away from actual Olympics. That’s all I meant.

Why so defensive though? Your kids will learn a ton of great life lessons from swimming regardless if they make the Olympics or if (formerly known as) JOs is the highest meet they ever make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They got rid of it because they felt it was inaccurate portraying the meet as a stepping stone to the actual Olympics, when they know IMX is the meet that truly is

❤️ missed you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny because even when it was called JOs no one thought it was a path to the actual Olympics. It was just a meet with cut times at the end of the winter season. Everyone knew the actual super fast kids were going to Zones and NAG camps when younger and Jr/Sr Nationals and Trials as they got older. Maybe parents could trick other non swim parents into thinking JOs was a big deal?

You sound like a jerk. Ps - plenty of kids who don’t make zones and NAG camps make national cuts when they’re older. Puberty happens and some kids really begin to excel after they grow.

Omg ya’ll are reading way too much into it. I never said kids who aren’t super fast as age groupers can’t be fast later, or that super fast age groupers never slow down or flame out. I was one of the late bloomers myself. I just remember silly parents being like “my kid made the JUNiOR OLYMPICS” when all of us swimmers understood where that meet falls in the grand scheme of things. It’s a great goal to set and achieve cuts but so many steps away from actual Olympics. That’s all I meant.

Why so defensive though? Your kids will learn a ton of great life lessons from swimming regardless if they make the Olympics or if (formerly known as) JOs is the highest meet they ever make.

lol just be happy for them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny because even when it was called JOs no one thought it was a path to the actual Olympics. It was just a meet with cut times at the end of the winter season. Everyone knew the actual super fast kids were going to Zones and NAG camps when younger and Jr/Sr Nationals and Trials as they got older. Maybe parents could trick other non swim parents into thinking JOs was a big deal?

You sound like a jerk. Ps - plenty of kids who don’t make zones and NAG camps make national cuts when they’re older. Puberty happens and some kids really begin to excel after they grow.

Omg ya’ll are reading way too much into it. I never said kids who aren’t super fast as age groupers can’t be fast later, or that super fast age groupers never slow down or flame out. I was one of the late bloomers myself. I just remember silly parents being like “my kid made the JUNiOR OLYMPICS” when all of us swimmers understood where that meet falls in the grand scheme of things. It’s a great goal to set and achieve cuts but so many steps away from actual Olympics. That’s all I meant.

Why so defensive though? Your kids will learn a ton of great life lessons from swimming regardless if they make the Olympics or if (formerly known as) JOs is the highest meet they ever make.

Just accept the feedback and be better.