Like I said, this is a rant…I don’t see any other solution other than slashing the tires of the coach before swim practice.
Yeah, slashing tires is always a good idea… NOT!
I can’t say that I understand your complaint at all. Pool space is generally limited. Obviously, a competitive team takes priority over rec swimmers during that time. Circle swimming helps fit multiple kids per lane in order to better optimize that space and allow recreational swimmers and triathletes like you to have a little space if it’s possible. Most coaches will put kids of similar ability in the same lane as to minimize the number of times people get lapped.
Basically, you have two options: 1) Find a different time to swim, 2) Try to find a lane where you are a similar speed where you can fit in the circle. If you are slower (or faster) than all the circles, then see option 1.
If you continue to complain to the coach about his bogus “circle swimming,” then you are what I would call a “jerk.”
Your lucky. They closed the pool I go to for three hours in the morning this week and next week just so the high school kids can train alone. Last year they kept the pool open and they were given a few lanes.
Swim teams pay for their pool time and they pay on a scale that is hard to imagine if you are not part of running an age group swim team. Either they rent the lanes outright for a fee or, in the case of recreational team or Y team, they pay team fees to the organization that owns the pool. For example, the Y team my kids are on pays, as a group, about $170,000 in team fees to our Y. (that does not include the memberships we generate which is probably another $50K per year). Out of that money, they pay the coachs, let us use the Y pool and pay about $40K to rent other pools around town at various schools. (The schools love us too). Our summer rec team is smaller but we pay about $60K in team fees each summer to our rec center. The parents speerheaded pasage of a $2M bond issue a few years ago to build a new rec center that included a new pool. The rec center and city love us.
Given our financial impact on the Y, you can be damn sure that if it is a question of inconvinencing a lap swimmer or the swim team, the swim team will win. The Y loves us. The director attends every one of our board meetings and comes to our meets. If he drooled over us any more, we’d need to wear rain coats. Actually, they love us so much, they have made a new pool the center piece of an improvement plan. They want to keep us happy and keep some of the $40K in pool rental money in house.
So, if you are paying $3.50 for a lap swim, you really are not in the game.
I feel spoiled. I not only get my own lane but often have the entire pool to myself. Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone. The pool is still fairly new and they have lots of lap swimming time slots.
2 - what drives me crazy are the people who EXPECT a lane to themselves, but I LOVE jumping in the lane without asking to share (we shouldn’t have to)
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What drives me crazy are people who jump into the lane without letting you know they are there(you SHOULD have to announce your presence). I LOVE to swim right over the top of those people then act surprised to find them there.
What drives me crazy are people who jump into the lane without letting you know they are there(you SHOULD have to announce your presence). I LOVE to swim right over the top of those people then act surprised to find them there.
what a load of BS. This is why you circle swim. You won’t have head on collisions then. You should always be aware that someone could go into your lane. What is annoying tho are slow people who push off just as you get to the wall.
Give me a break. In a pool when people have lanes to themselves and someone just jumps in with no warning there is no reason to assume someone has joined the lane.
Like you said, swim etiquette.
And I suppose I should have put my response in pink.
I guess I should feel lucky. I use a university pool and often meet a team practice. The other day I was about half done with my set when the team got there. They were totally patient with me, didn’t kick me out of the lane when I told them I only had a 300 to go, and used the lanes around me. I got done as quickly as possible and they hopped in once I got out. Everybody seemed fine. The only thing I wish they would do is post the times they will be practicing, as it doesn’t seem to follow a routine.
I do enjoy watching some of their drills. I always thought I was a good swimmer until I watched some of these guys practice.
Guess I am lucky. Rams has so many lanes that very seldom do I ever need to have 3 in a lane. Never had 4. And a lot of times, especially now, I have it all to myself.
The number of folks sure drop off as the weather gets colder. I love the fewer number of folks. We get a lot more coaching from the coaches. He had us come over in groups today and we
pulled a long bungie cord down the pool. Boy was that a kick at the end trying to reach the other side while that cord pulled you back. Glad I did not have the man sized rubber hose. :o)
Sometimes you can’t ask because they just don’t stop. What I do is slip in the lane, move to the side so I don’t mess up their flip turn, and wait until they approach and turn before I push off. If they stop, I ask, if not, I just let them flip turn and swim off and I follow shortly after. THat way they know I am there. It’s not too hard.
