All-Star Relays -- Why Was the NVSLs Premier Event Such a Disaster

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm laughing at "one of the largest and most prominent leagues in the country" -- it's summer swimming! Utterly meaningless in the big picture, and no one in "the country" cares a whit about how your kid does in summer swim team relays. Simmer down, OP, and just have fun with it.

1) Factually OP is right

https://www.swimtopia.com/nvsl-the-first-and-biggest-summer-swim-league/

"When it comes to Summer League swimming, the Northern Virginia Swimming League, or NVSL as it is commonly known, is the one of the “Grandfathers” of summer swimming – one of the oldest and biggest leagues."

https://swimswam.com/northern-virginia-swim-league-cancels-2020-season/

"The Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL) perhaps the single-most star-studded summer swim league in the country"

"A number of nationally-recognized names got their start — or at least some fun SCM racing — in the NVSL, and the star power continues to be strong enough that USA National Team member and 12 time individual NCAA All-American Andrew Seliskar no longer holds any league records. Future Texas Longhorn Anthony Grimm swept all of the boys 15-18 records last summer, erasing Seliskar’s butterfly and IM marks from that age group."

2) Everything is utterly meaningless in the big picture. Doesn't mean the NVSL shouldn't be held accountable for last night's debacle.

3) You obviously weren't there. Nothing about last night remotely resembled fun. I love summer swimming. I did it as a kid, and I've had some of the best times I can remember watching my kids swim in the summer (they compete all winter too). But all the kids and families that were there last night deserve better. If it means raising dues a bit so there is more operating budget or a part time administrator, so be it. But there was so serious swimming talent out there last night and they deserve a better experience than what they got.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, looking at the pictures, it looks like the pool is just not big enough. Some pools has built in bleachers or very wide decks so they an accommodate a lot of spectators.

[Anonymous]

But pools don't want to host these events. Members of these pools hate them. Division events are tough - league events are really tough.

There are pools out there with large grounds and nearby parking. These pools should be scouted and then NVSL throw $$$ at it to make it worth the pool/membership trouble.

Entry fees to the pool to rent the pool for the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm laughing at "one of the largest and most prominent leagues in the country" -- it's summer swimming! Utterly meaningless in the big picture, and no one in "the country" cares a whit about how your kid does in summer swim team relays. Simmer down, OP, and just have fun with it.

+1. OP is ridiculous. And one senses this is just one in a series of ridiculous threads OP has started.

Maybe OP meant county. Even that is debatable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm laughing at "one of the largest and most prominent leagues in the country" -- it's summer swimming! Utterly meaningless in the big picture, and no one in "the country" cares a whit about how your kid does in summer swim team relays. Simmer down, OP, and just have fun with it.

+1. OP is ridiculous. And one senses this is just one in a series of ridiculous threads OP has started.

Agree.

Why do I get the strong sense this same person also wrote the ridiculous hit-piece slandering Tuckahoe as somehow “racist” (which turned out to be completely false).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But pools don't want to host these events. Members of these pools hate them. Division events are tough - league events are really tough.

There are pools out there with large grounds and nearby parking. These pools should be scouted and then NVSL throw $$$ at it to make it worth the pool/membership trouble.

Entry fees to the pool to rent the pool for the day.

I'm on my pool's board and we have grounds that would probably work, but unless they threw serious money at us there is no way we'd ever volunteer. Divisional events are enough of a pain, a league event adds neighbor complaints and member complaints. For every kid on the swim team, there are a few who are not and whose families don't want to give up their pool for a day. Hamlet was willing to step up, anyone complaining needs to either find an alternative or accept that it's an event no pool wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But pools don't want to host these events. Members of these pools hate them. Division events are tough - league events are really tough.

There are pools out there with large grounds and nearby parking. These pools should be scouted and then NVSL throw $$$ at it to make it worth the pool/membership trouble.

Entry fees to the pool to rent the pool for the day.

This is the key point. I wasn't there last night, and have no connection to Hamlet, but it seems unfair to blame Hamlet. At least they were willing to host the event. If they hadn't hosted, what then?

If one feels the need to point the finger at someone, I guess you can be mad at NVSL. But at the end of the day it's a non-profit summer swim league. Expectations should not be high.

I'm sure the kids had fun. That should be all that really matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But pools don't want to host these events. Members of these pools hate them. Division events are tough - league events are really tough.

There are pools out there with large grounds and nearby parking. These pools should be scouted and then NVSL throw $$$ at it to make it worth the pool/membership trouble.

Entry fees to the pool to rent the pool for the day.

I'm on my pool's board and we have grounds that would probably work, but unless they threw serious money at us there is no way we'd ever volunteer. Divisional events are enough of a pain, a league event adds neighbor complaints and member complaints. For every kid on the swim team, there are a few who are not and whose families don't want to give up their pool for a day. Hamlet was willing to step up, anyone complaining needs to either find an alternative or accept that it's an event no pool wants.

Rent out Long Branch

[Anonymous]

Jesus, OP, thanks for the PTSD. It is parents like you that made the whole NVSL thing so awful. I am so glad all of that is behind us. I hated every second of NVSL, primarily because of the parents. Why does EVERYTHING around here have to be a competition?

[Anonymous]

My son had fun which is all I cared about...just grateful a team stepped up to host during COVID times.

The last in-person AllStars relays had a thunderstorm delay which seemed to be more of a horrible experience...so also thankful to mother nature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But pools don't want to host these events. Members of these pools hate them. Division events are tough - league events are really tough.

There are pools out there with large grounds and nearby parking. These pools should be scouted and then NVSL throw $$$ at it to make it worth the pool/membership trouble.

Entry fees to the pool to rent the pool for the day.

I'm on my pool's board and we have grounds that would probably work, but unless they threw serious money at us there is no way we'd ever volunteer. Divisional events are enough of a pain, a league event adds neighbor complaints and member complaints. For every kid on the swim team, there are a few who are not and whose families don't want to give up their pool for a day. Hamlet was willing to step up, anyone complaining needs to either find an alternative or accept that it's an event no pool wants.

Rent out Long Branch

Not a bad idea. Cooler, plenty of parking - but need to figure out team areas. And I guess you have to remove the blocks - ha-ha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus, OP, thanks for the PTSD. It is parents like you that made the whole NVSL thing so awful. I am so glad all of that is behind us. I hated every second of NVSL, primarily because of the parents. Why does EVERYTHING around here have to be a competition?

First prize for misanthropy…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus, OP, thanks for the PTSD. It is parents like you that made the whole NVSL thing so awful. I am so glad all of that is behind us. I hated every second of NVSL, primarily because of the parents. Why does EVERYTHING around here have to be a competition?

Swim leagues are inherently about competition. They are organizations set up to put on swim meets so that kids compete.

If you hate the NVSL so much, might I suggest you refrain from reading and commenting on posts about it. Everyone will probably be the happier for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But pools don't want to host these events. Members of these pools hate them. Division events are tough - league events are really tough.

There are pools out there with large grounds and nearby parking. These pools should be scouted and then NVSL throw $$$ at it to make it worth the pool/membership trouble.

Entry fees to the pool to rent the pool for the day.

I feel like pools do want to host them because they can rake in money with concession sales.

[Anonymous]

Why not split these all star meets...

8 and unders and 9-10 at one pool,

11-12, 13-14, and 15-18 at a second pool.

Then the next day have all the mixed age relays at a third pool.