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A Dual Meet Format
By WILLIAM J PRICE
Executive Director
Saluki Swim Club
THE PROBLEM WITH DUAL MEETS
AND AGE GROUP SWIM TEAMS is that there is hardly ever a good fit between two
competing clubs where each race is both filled and competitive. Most duals
have heat after heat of 2 swimmers from one team racing each other followed
by another event of perhaps one swimmer from the other team swimming solo.
While it's possible to run a meet in this manner it's not very exciting to
the athletes and coaches and there is little reason to excel in such
situations.
By tinkering with the meet
format slightly the Saluki Think Tank has developed yet another brilliant
idea. A dual meet format that not only offers a better competitive situation
but also takes advantage of a modified
weighted
scoring scheme.
The 8 & under problem
Where to put 8 & under
swimmers in competition without removing them from the benefits of a true
team experience is a problem that we are getting closer and closer to
cracking everyday. It has been the belief of the Saluki Think Tank for a
long time that 8 & under swimmers need smaller and shorter competitions that
emphasize factors that the youngsters are practicing in training sessions.
As such we have said previously that dual meets are better venues for 8 &
under competition than large invitational competitions.
This raises the issue
though of dealing with 2 different levels of developing swimmer. There are
some 8 & unders who need to be swimming 25 yard races and others who have
advanced beyond that stage and are well into the athlete development
process. Devising a dual meet format that meets the needs of both types of
athletes is a challenge but one that we think we have solved.
By offering 25 yard races
for swimmers at the edge of the development process we allow them to compete
in the dual meet without undue stress and still reap the benefits of an
exciting team atmosphere.
For those beyond the very
beginning point who are ready to tackle 50s we also offer those races as
part of the multi-age group events that are swum together but scored
separately. The 25 yard races are swum separately but not scored.
Multi-Age Group Events
The other part of the dual
meet design challenge involves filling heats and creating worthwhile races
as noted in the first paragraph. We are able to do this by combining events
in a 12 & under age group and a 13 & over age group, seeding the athletes
together and then breaking them down into age groups only after the races
are finished.
For 12 & under swimmers the
event list would include: 50, 100 and 200 free, 50 Back, Breast and Fly and
the 100 IM. For 13 & over swimmers the list would include: 50, 100, 200 and
500 free, 100 Back, Breast and Fly and the 200 IM.
An objection to this event
line-up is that it is sprint oriented. Our position is, So what? The point
of a dual meet is not to swim every Olympic event in the book but rather to
have a fun, fast and worthwhile team experience. For younger swimmers a dual
meet can be one of the most important kinds of meet they participate in. For
older swimmers the team aspect is perhaps more important than their
performance in a few marginally competitive races.
The relay issue
Multi-age group seeding can
also be done with relays as long as coaches know that each relay has to
consist of swimmers within specific age groups.
Dual meets can be one of
the most rewarding activities and team building events a club organizes. In
many areas of the country though dual meets are not common between USA clubs
so the attitude that recognizes the value of dual competition must be
cultivated. Devising an effective dual format is an important part of this
cultivation.
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