Pull The Plug

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should have had a pull the plug desk at these mid season meets last weekend. DPs if your DC is 16/17 and makes no C Finals, or is unable attain a Sectionals cut, please do us a favor. Leave. Lane space is precious in the DMV. In the absence of reclassing, those who want to swim competitively need as much space as they can get. Dead weight is what it is. Useless. Help us help you. Period.

My kid is one of the slowest swimmers. You know what, I don't care what you think. They earned that spot and will continue till they graduate.

I don't mind swimmers of all abilities in the sport as long as they want to be there. The only thing that gets me a bit are swimmers skipping steps and signing up for things they're not ready for, slowing things down. (One example, swimmer had never done the 500, had a time ~3 minutes in the 200 and signed up for the thousand.)

It's not for you to decide and why not? How is that a big deal? My slow swimmer can easily do a 500. We rarely do meets due to other activities but for HS swim they crush the 500. You don't know if they are skipping and and its a bit creepy you are monitoring other kids so carefully.

DP, I understand the point PP was making. Swim meets are an incredibly long slog as it is and it is crappy when a coach enters a kid in an event that they clearly are not ready for. If you take 3:00 to swim a 200, you should not be entered in the 1000 which will take you over 15 minutes to finish. That being said, it’s a great thing that swimmers of all abilities have the opportunity to compete in this area. I have to think the person who posted that non-sectional level teens should quit is trolling.

Here is an idea, be supportive vs. be that parent talking in the stands making fun of the kids. Good for them if they try a 1000. Not everyone is there for competition and for a swim scholarship. Some are just doing it for fun and the accomplishments to trying.

Don't like it, don't watch. Simple.

Some kids are better distance swimmers than shorter, mine is.

"Slow swimmers shouldn't swim the 1000" wasn't the point. The point was that swimmers, particularly developing swimmers, should swim the 500 at least once (or really 2 or 3 times) before tackling the thousand.

In a similar vein, swimmers with no 50 breast time because they keep dq-ing shouldn't sign up for the 200 breast or 400 im-- but they should keep signing up for that 50 until they get it.

NT in a 50 and swimming a 200 doesn't happen very often does it?

Never. Don’t know what the PP was talking about, but nothing worse than a 9 y/o doing the 200 BR in 4:55, holding up the meet with the rest of the heat done at 3:25, wondering if they’re allowed to get out of the water and what’s the holdup.

It has happened at least once, because I had to sit through it and it annoyed me to no end. I personally knew the swimmer and knew they had no legal 50. And the team isn't one that assigns events; parents pick. DQ hand up before they hit the flags after the dive.

This is all part of the experience as a swim parent! It's never gonna change. I've enjoyed my years watching kids in the pool but there are things I won't miss that's for sure- senior parent!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should have had a pull the plug desk at these mid season meets last weekend. DPs if your DC is 16/17 and makes no C Finals, or is unable attain a Sectionals cut, please do us a favor. Leave. Lane space is precious in the DMV. In the absence of reclassing, those who want to swim competitively need as much space as they can get. Dead weight is what it is. Useless. Help us help you. Period.

My kid is one of the slowest swimmers. You know what, I don't care what you think. They earned that spot and will continue till they graduate.

I don't mind swimmers of all abilities in the sport as long as they want to be there. The only thing that gets me a bit are swimmers skipping steps and signing up for things they're not ready for, slowing things down. (One example, swimmer had never done the 500, had a time ~3 minutes in the 200 and signed up for the thousand.)

It's not for you to decide and why not? How is that a big deal? My slow swimmer can easily do a 500. We rarely do meets due to other activities but for HS swim they crush the 500. You don't know if they are skipping and and its a bit creepy you are monitoring other kids so carefully.

DP, I understand the point PP was making. Swim meets are an incredibly long slog as it is and it is crappy when a coach enters a kid in an event that they clearly are not ready for. If you take 3:00 to swim a 200, you should not be entered in the 1000 which will take you over 15 minutes to finish. That being said, it’s a great thing that swimmers of all abilities have the opportunity to compete in this area. I have to think the person who posted that non-sectional level teens should quit is trolling.

Here is an idea, be supportive vs. be that parent talking in the stands making fun of the kids. Good for them if they try a 1000. Not everyone is there for competition and for a swim scholarship. Some are just doing it for fun and the accomplishments to trying.

Don't like it, don't watch. Simple.

Some kids are better distance swimmers than shorter, mine is.

"Slow swimmers shouldn't swim the 1000" wasn't the point. The point was that swimmers, particularly developing swimmers, should swim the 500 at least once (or really 2 or 3 times) before tackling the thousand.

In a similar vein, swimmers with no 50 breast time because they keep dq-ing shouldn't sign up for the 200 breast or 400 im-- but they should keep signing up for that 50 until they get it.

NT in a 50 and swimming a 200 doesn't happen very often does it?

Never. Don’t know what the PP was talking about, but nothing worse than a 9 y/o doing the 200 BR in 4:55, holding up the meet with the rest of the heat done at 3:25, wondering if they’re allowed to get out of the water and what’s the holdup.

It has happened at least once, because I had to sit through it and it annoyed me to no end. I personally knew the swimmer and knew they had no legal 50. And the team isn't one that assigns events; parents pick. DQ hand up before they hit the flags after the dive.

This is all part of the experience as a swim parent! It's never gonna change. I've enjoyed my years watching kids in the pool but there are things I won't miss that's for sure- senior parent!

This simply does not have to be the case. When coaches review meet entries, they should adjust or delete entries for kids that are not prepared to swim certain events. What’s unprepared? If you can’t complete a legal 50 of a stroke, the 100/200 of that stroke, and 200/400IM are events for which you’re unprepared.

[Anonymous]

My swimmer is 13, and one thing I have not missed this year are the heats that take forever because 9 year olds were entered in an event they were not ready for. This isn’t that hard, run a time trial at practice before putting a kid in the 100 fly or any events that are a 200 or over and have a benchmark (including being legal) that they need to meet before doing it in a meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should have had a pull the plug desk at these mid season meets last weekend. DPs if your DC is 16/17 and makes no C Finals, or is unable attain a Sectionals cut, please do us a favor. Leave. Lane space is precious in the DMV. In the absence of reclassing, those who want to swim competitively need as much space as they can get. Dead weight is what it is. Useless. Help us help you. Period.

My kid is one of the slowest swimmers. You know what, I don't care what you think. They earned that spot and will continue till they graduate.

I don't mind swimmers of all abilities in the sport as long as they want to be there. The only thing that gets me a bit are swimmers skipping steps and signing up for things they're not ready for, slowing things down. (One example, swimmer had never done the 500, had a time ~3 minutes in the 200 and signed up for the thousand.)

I think everyone has had an internal groan when they see a slow swimmer in a long race, especially when they DQ in the first 25. But as an official who has to get there 60-90 min before the meet and stays 30-60 min after the meet to run the computers, I think the current system - allowing NT for all events at some meets and cutoff times for more competitive meets- makes the most sense.

I think the best solution would be to limit entries to keep the meet to a reasonable timeline. We have gone to many meets that state that entries for 1000/1650 may be rejected depending on the timeline. But the real conclusion is that coaches should decide entries for all swimmers until a certain age or level. That eliminates the vast majority of kids being entered into non optimal events.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should have had a pull the plug desk at these mid season meets last weekend. DPs if your DC is 16/17 and makes no C Finals, or is unable attain a Sectionals cut, please do us a favor. Leave. Lane space is precious in the DMV. In the absence of reclassing, those who want to swim competitively need as much space as they can get. Dead weight is what it is. Useless. Help us help you. Period.

My kid is one of the slowest swimmers. You know what, I don't care what you think. They earned that spot and will continue till they graduate.

I don't mind swimmers of all abilities in the sport as long as they want to be there. The only thing that gets me a bit are swimmers skipping steps and signing up for things they're not ready for, slowing things down. (One example, swimmer had never done the 500, had a time ~3 minutes in the 200 and signed up for the thousand.)

I think everyone has had an internal groan when they see a slow swimmer in a long race, especially when they DQ in the first 25. But as an official who has to get there 60-90 min before the meet and stays 30-60 min after the meet to run the computers, I think the current system - allowing NT for all events at some meets and cutoff times for more competitive meets- makes the most sense.

I think the best solution would be to limit entries to keep the meet to a reasonable timeline. We have gone to many meets that state that entries for 1000/1650 may be rejected depending on the timeline. But the real conclusion is that coaches should decide entries for all swimmers until a certain age or level. That eliminates the vast majority of kids being entered into non optimal events.

Or kids who swim 200 fly prelim against 6 other kids total because it’s the only chance to make finals, even though Christmas the following year came and went while they were still in the water, and then repeated it but slower at finals. That should not be allowed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should have had a pull the plug desk at these mid season meets last weekend. DPs if your DC is 16/17 and makes no C Finals, or is unable attain a Sectionals cut, please do us a favor. Leave. Lane space is precious in the DMV. In the absence of reclassing, those who want to swim competitively need as much space as they can get. Dead weight is what it is. Useless. Help us help you. Period.

My kid is one of the slowest swimmers. You know what, I don't care what you think. They earned that spot and will continue till they graduate.

I don't mind swimmers of all abilities in the sport as long as they want to be there. The only thing that gets me a bit are swimmers skipping steps and signing up for things they're not ready for, slowing things down. (One example, swimmer had never done the 500, had a time ~3 minutes in the 200 and signed up for the thousand.)

I think everyone has had an internal groan when they see a slow swimmer in a long race, especially when they DQ in the first 25. But as an official who has to get there 60-90 min before the meet and stays 30-60 min after the meet to run the computers, I think the current system - allowing NT for all events at some meets and cutoff times for more competitive meets- makes the most sense.

I think the best solution would be to limit entries to keep the meet to a reasonable timeline. We have gone to many meets that state that entries for 1000/1650 may be rejected depending on the timeline. But the real conclusion is that coaches should decide entries for all swimmers until a certain age or level. That eliminates the vast majority of kids being entered into non optimal events.

Or kids who swim 200 fly prelim against 6 other kids total because it’s the only chance to make finals, even though Christmas the following year came and went while they were still in the water, and then repeated it but slower at finals. That should not be allowed.

It's one heat. Nice built in break for the other kids.

[Anonymous]

Well, if it involves any early morning hours, they aren't doing it. I'm not cooperating. No ride. No car available. Same for any sport/activity at an inconvenient time when it's hugely inconvenient.