Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There is a ton of support to ban tech suits at dual meets. Please please someone step up and make it happen.
No, there really isn't. There are a handful of very vocal parents who feel very strongly that recreational league somehow means there shouldnt be a focus on competition (a stated purpose of the NVSL) and that kneeskins equate to a sportsmanship issue.
Most people don't see this as a problem or care. This is about talking with your coaches and reps and a bit of education for the parents.
Eh, D1-3 team, it’s a pretty universal sentiment on our team, even though a ton of our team’s kids wear them. It would help the reps and coaches if they could point to clear policy for dual meets.
Let's break this down a bit. Nobody cares about the boys suits. So really we are talking about 13-14 and 15-18 girls. So roughly 12 kids max are wearing tech suits on your team and therefore it violates sportsmanship to the point that the NVSL should adopt a far more strict standard than is currently in place.
-Why is this unfair to other teams who have the same opportunity to wear the same suits?
-why are the 12 girls wearing them in the first place and have you considered their thoughts on the matter? (Body image, personal comfort, close meets, chasing records, old tech suits that lost compression, etc)
-if your coach and team rep are opposed, why aren't they simply prohibiting them as a team rule? If they don't have sufficient control over their swimmers, that's a much bigger problem that won't be solved by a rule change.
This is mostly a perception problem from parents of younger swimmers in the 12-14 range who are so worried about what other teams kids are wearing. Competition and sportsmanship are just excuses.
I've heard arguments that it is 1) economically unfair, 2) focuses on competition in a rec league, 3) the suits aren't durable, and 4) they don't really do anything at this level (especially with manual timers)
In favor, I've heard 1) kids should be able to use all legal equipment (goggles, caps, suits), 2) prepares for higher levels, 3) psychological motivator (if you think you will be faster, you will be faster), 4) Some meets come down to a point or two and a touch, 5) if chasing a record, often the best times are done at dual meets not all stars and divisionals, and 6) who cares who long it lasts if you aren't spending that money yourself.
Am I missing anything?