Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 12:22     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
It is the culminating meet for swimmers not fast enough to get SEC cuts or head down to Orlando. And it is a joke. Too many swimmers in finals. Way too many in prelims and some are painfully slow. Should add QTs for bonus events. Overall qualifying times are way too easy, it is an open meet. JO’s also are not a culminating meet for the fast kids but is a much better meet—very competitive with a smaller field and genuine excitement around finals and relays
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 11:41     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:With the spectator fees, why aren’t they hiring UMD’s club swim team to work the meet? They do this at my son’s college.


They don't have one


Yes they do.

https://umdclubswim.wixsite.com/clubsports
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 11:36     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
Yeah it’s one thing to have bonus cuts at travel meets but this is an LSC meet and doesn’t need to include boundaryless bonus cuts.
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 11:32     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
Anonymous wrote:This meet is a joke. Someone needs to adjust the time standards and make it an A-B-C final format. Otherwise the pain, watching paint dry will continue.


Not a joke. But there are kids swimming events like the 500 at a champs meet that should not be. It makes it feel like a monthly open when they don't have standards.

Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 11:30     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
Anonymous wrote:With the spectator fees, why aren’t they hiring UMD’s club swim team to work the meet? They do this at my son’s college.


They don't have one
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 11:30     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Went through the PVS Meeting Minutes…it was John Venit who proposed the spectator fees. This is what the stated purpose…

Below is my idea for adding a Spectator Fee to the Championship Meets.

Many times, during championship meets there is a problem getting volunteers to work as
timers at the meets...If a parent volunteers to work a session, then they would be given a
pass for FREE entry to the viewing stands for a future session/next session at that
Championship Meet.

So now there still isn’t enough timers, PVS and a club make a bunch of $$$ and spectators still can’t get into the venue. Great solution to the problem.

https://www.pvswim.org/bod/26-01-20-bod-minutes.pdf

Right, this only works if the parents that volunteer are let into the viewing area while the slackers have to wait in line and get shamed into volunteering. Otherwise, you volunteer and are told you can get in free at another session, only they aren’t letting you into the session because they don’t have enough volunteers. Everyone who is signed up to volunteer on deck during the weekend should receive a wrist band or something that allows them entry to the viewing area while the people that don’t ever volunteer have to sit outside and wait until the volunteer positions are filled.


This is a brilliant idea
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 10:59     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
With the spectator fees, why aren’t they hiring UMD’s club swim team to work the meet? They do this at my son’s college.
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 10:58     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
Anonymous wrote:This meet is a joke. Someone needs to adjust the time standards and make it an A-B-C final format. Otherwise the pain, watching paint dry will continue.

Yeah, there are swimmers competing in events here that they wouldn’t be able to compete in at next week’s AG champs (in the 13-14 group) because they are too slow. That should not happen. They need to get rid of the bonus structure for this meet and tighten up the QTs.
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 10:55     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I agree with this but I will say for many kids it is still a meaningful meet. Some kids are close to sectional cuts and going for those. I’m not sure how you change things.

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What a joke of a culminating meet. Has to be one of the worst among the big USA Swimming LSC’s year after year

Because this isn’t a culminating meet. The best Senior swimmers have NCSA in 2 weeks, so many are doing a reduced schedule at this meet and/or swimming off events. The cuts times are so easy and there are so many heats of finals that the best swimmers are qualified in all events and don’t have to push particularly hard to make finals. This is just a meet to get some racing in for those kids.

I agree it’s meaningful for a lot of kids, but just not for the best of the best in PVS, which is why it has something of a watered down feel. There is the same issue at summer LC champs with Futures and summer NCSA being a few weeks later. I know the generous cut times make the meet more accessible for different levels of swimmers but I think the cut times need to be tightened up if you want this meet to have more of a champs feel.
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 10:54     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
Anonymous wrote:Went through the PVS Meeting Minutes…it was John Venit who proposed the spectator fees. This is what the stated purpose…

Below is my idea for adding a Spectator Fee to the Championship Meets.

Many times, during championship meets there is a problem getting volunteers to work as
timers at the meets...If a parent volunteers to work a session, then they would be given a
pass for FREE entry to the viewing stands for a future session/next session at that
Championship Meet.

So now there still isn’t enough timers, PVS and a club make a bunch of $$$ and spectators still can’t get into the venue. Great solution to the problem.

https://www.pvswim.org/bod/26-01-20-bod-minutes.pdf

Right, this only works if the parents that volunteer are let into the viewing area while the slackers have to wait in line and get shamed into volunteering. Otherwise, you volunteer and are told you can get in free at another session, only they aren’t letting you into the session because they don’t have enough volunteers. Everyone who is signed up to volunteer on deck during the weekend should receive a wrist band or something that allows them entry to the viewing area while the people that don’t ever volunteer have to sit outside and wait until the volunteer positions are filled.
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 10:50     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
This meet is a joke. Someone needs to adjust the time standards and make it an A-B-C final format. Otherwise the pain, watching paint dry will continue.
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 10:46     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
Went through the PVS Meeting Minutes…it was John Venit who proposed the spectator fees. This is what the stated purpose…

Below is my idea for adding a Spectator Fee to the Championship Meets.

Many times, during championship meets there is a problem getting volunteers to work as
timers at the meets...If a parent volunteers to work a session, then they would be given a
pass for FREE entry to the viewing stands for a future session/next session at that
Championship Meet.

So now there still isn’t enough timers, PVS and a club make a bunch of $$$ and spectators still can’t get into the venue. Great solution to the problem.

https://www.pvswim.org/bod/26-01-20-bod-minutes.pdf
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 09:25     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I agree with this but I will say for many kids it is still a meaningful meet. Some kids are close to sectional cuts and going for those. I’m not sure how you change things.

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What a joke of a culminating meet. Has to be one of the worst among the big USA Swimming LSC’s year after year

Because this isn’t a culminating meet. The best Senior swimmers have NCSA in 2 weeks, so many are doing a reduced schedule at this meet and/or swimming off events. The cuts times are so easy and there are so many heats of finals that the best swimmers are qualified in all events and don’t have to push particularly hard to make finals. This is just a meet to get some racing in for those kids.

I agree it’s meaningful for a lot of kids, but just not for the best of the best in PVS, which is why it has something of a watered down feel. There is the same issue at summer LC champs with Futures and summer NCSA being a few weeks later. I know the generous cut times make the meet more accessible for different levels of swimmers but I think the cut times need to be tightened up if you want this meet to have more of a champs feel.


I would suggest not having bonus events as well. Or minimum times for bonus events. They really slow the meet down.

Case in point, this women’s 200 breast. This event is long enough as it is for people who aren’t breaststrokers to be swimming it as a bonus.
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 09:22     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
What is my incentive to volunteer at this meet when I have to pay for admission and then be locked out of viewing after I’ve paid and am signed up to volunteer tomorrow? I might as well just say eff it since I’m treated like all the other people who won’t lift a finger this entire weekend.
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 09:12     Subject: Psych Sheet out for PVS Open Champs
They are refunding people who have paid and then decide to volunteer.

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why haven’t they let people in yet? It’s 7:30. We are all stuck line sardines in the vestibule and hallway.


They don't let parents in until they get enough volunteers. This is standard practice.


But it hasn’t been standard practice to charge admission for this meet. Use the ticket takers they could find as backup timers since some clubs didn’t/can’t fill their slots. I’m pissed to be paying admission and not let in.


Exactly. You can lock people out of a free thing to coerce them into timing, but you can't take someone's money and then refuse them what you already charged them for.