Poolside-Chat-parents-of-competitive-swimmers

[Glittertwins]

Hopefully this will work as we’re at 999 on the other!

I don’t understand the trousers thing though. Round here everyone wears shorts and they are massively more sensible. I was told once that women are meant to wear trousers but men can wear shorts. I’ve always been waiting to tell them I identify as a bloke..

Much better re the colour though, it is rubbish. Although I just make sure I frequently visit the toilet and require cover.

Our district was notorious for being sticklers for wearing white (have seen people sent away for wearing off-white or having a coloured trim on a white t-shirt), shorts were a no-no unless below the knee, yet there are no FINA rules on clothing other than it has to adhere to advertising rules.

Checking the district handbook, you can change the colour / style of officials dress in higher level meets as long as it’s supplied by the gala organisers or event sponsors.

Oh yes, I've seen someone turned away for wearing shorts at counties (has to be below knee) and others for not wearing white footwear. One place I've been at said no to flip flops, even if white! It's easier to dry them and feet than trainers...

I (any many others) used to wear white Crocs poolside, I don’t think many people wore trainers. One of the referees used to wear an above knee length white dress, but she wasn’t one of the uniform die hards.

Another problem with white trousers is how see through they can get if you’re a turn judge.

A move away from insisting on whites is sensible on so many fronts.

Surely the most important thing is that it is clear who the officials are. Most meets are way too desperate to be that fussy, I’m yet to see anyone turned away. Tbh they are the ones I tend to prioritise anyway as I feel more useful. They have loads of people at counties anyway (and wearing shorts here 🤷🏻‍♀️😂). I’m going to take a back seat in that this year anyway. If anyone doesn’t like the way I’m dressed ever I’ll sit in the gallery instead, no problem.

You get soaked as a turn judge. Shorts and flip flops are the way forward. One of our neighbouring counties are apparently very sniffy about flip flops. We haven’t ever done a gala in that county anyway but their officials are amazed at how much more laid back it is.

I’ve always been told long white trousers for men and trousers or skirt for women - a few wear tennis type skirts. I wear crocs, as do a lot of others. I agree though, as long as officials are clearly identified and look respectable I don’t see why it should matter. I almost always end up with marks on my white trousers somehow, so black would be smarter! The best was at counties when they gave use fabric covered chairs to sit on that had got wet in warm up, and the colour ran when we sat down!

Fabric covered chairs?? Whose idea was that! I steal one of our swimmers towels to wipe down my chair if I'm at the turn end on a boom. That's got to be the worst place as I got soaked from all directions at winter regionals (including by my own not so D S)

We have fabric covered chairs too that the swimmers sit on while queuing in marshalling 😂😂

Other districts used to joke that our district referees spent their evenings with a cup of cocoa and the rule book - they were so strict!

It was always a pleasant contrast to be an official on an out of district meet - so much more relaxed.

Mine end up with rust marks - must be from poolside but they don't come out!

Ours said shorts are ok for level 3/4 but not above. (iIRC).

We went to a L2 meet last weekend and they pulled a swimmer up for going too fast because they didn't have fina approved shorts on.

Mum said "no. They were £15 in decathlon and he hasn't swan that for over a year!" But they were actually going to DQ him.

Wouldn't be so bad if the pool itself was actually decent. They had no backstroke ledges and did over the head backstroke starts and the lane ropes were wobbly. Not great for a meet that could be for winter national qualifying times.

They were more interested in officials in trousers and swimmers in tech suits.

I dont suppose anyone has bought the new Arena Powerskin ST Next race suits or jammers? They say Fina Approved on the website but ours have turned up today with no Fina label on them

@itsgettingweird how do you do an over the top backstroke start?

We went to a L2 meet last weekend and they pulled a swimmer up for going too fast because they didn't have fina approved shorts on.

What?

I also thought backstroke ledges were compulsory at level 2.

In the case of Level 1 or 2 Meets, if there are backstroke starting ledges at the venue,
they must be made available

^^looked it up and I’m wrong. So if the pool is so rubbish it doesn’t have them that’s fine.

Wow so they thought he was wearing such amazing jammers they were giving him some super speed advantage?!

Is that a side by side start where the other swimmer is still in the water like they would be for an over the top dive? I can’t think of many times I have seen it done though

Well - side by side is a better description. It's just called OTT when the next swimmer starts before the previous swimmer gets out!

Not sure. They weren't clear.

But they said he was too fast. Think they thought it was his jammers.

Of course it had nothing to do with the fact a 13yo was swimming in a heat with 11/12yo because his time was so old!

He was twice the size of some of them!

Ah I see that makes sense, never seen it though it sounds like something you might do at a level 4 gala not level 2.

But they said he was too fast. Think they thought it was his jammers.

😂😂😂

Did they have an engine or something? How utterly ludicrous. Even if he’d been in a full illegal bodysuit I doubt it would make that much difference.

Sounds like they had short heat intervals / were running behind? I always added extra time for heat intervals on back to allow swimmers to exit the pool before the next heat.

Our counties didn't have backstroke ledges in 2022 and that's L2. Totally ludicrous covid excuse.
As for the cheap jammers, do cossies at that level really have to have a FINA label?

I thought you only needed FINA labels at national meets (I could be wrong)