Posted April 2000
WHAT ARE THEY?
The USA Swimming House of Delegates voted this past September (San Diego, 1999), at the USAS Convention, to eliminate Speedo Junior Championships from its national meet calendar. This summer's Junior Championships will be the last after twenty-seven years. Replacing Juniors will be 12-16 sectional meets held throughout the four zones. These sectional meets will be held in both the spring and summer, hosting a minimum of 400 swimmers per meet. This format shadows the successful regional competitions that were used in the 1960's and early 1970's. Many of our "senior" volunteers and coaches may remember these meets as exciting and inspiring. It is USA Swimming's hope that sectionals will provide the same excitement and team spirit as the former regional meets.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
The benefits are many, according to USA Swimming's National Team Director, Dennis Pursley. It is intended that sectionals will be a high-level season ending meet for the regional swimmer and a "tune-up" meet for the national swimmer preparing for national championships. Thus, the sectional meets will be open to more swimmers providing an opportunity for regional swimmers to qualify and swim alongside nationally or even world ranked swimmers. As well, this format should unify teams and provide better focus. Clubs will no longer feel fragmented sending a few athletes to Juniors and then a few to Nationals. Coaches can now focus on one competition that will meet the needs of a larger number of swimmers. It is USA Swimming's hope that team rivalries will develop as a result of teams competing in the same geographic area. These team rivalries often lead to the excitement that makes teams successful and in turn may attract more publicity and sponsorship.
HOW DO SECTIONALS IMPACT CONNECTICUT CLUBS?
Sectionals should allow our clubs to bring more swimmers to a top level meet. The athletes will have the opportunity of competing against nationally ranked swimmers. For many swimmers this can be truly motivating and could set a swimmer's focus on attaining higher goals. It should ease the strain on club coaching staffs because it provides a quality travel meet in which a coach can bring all of his/her top competitors. George Miles, Technical Planning, has determined that between 80-100 girls and 55-80 boys would qualify for Sectionals in two or more events. The impact on our championship schedule has not yet been fully determined. The sectional, zone and national schedules make it difficult for us to follow the championship schedule that we have adhered to in the past. Many CSI committees are working diligently and would like input. Please feel free to share your ideas! Key contacts are: Tim Quill, Senior Chair, quill@scsu.ctstateu.edu Ken Block, Age Group Chair, kblock13@aol.com and George Miles, Technical Planning Committee Chair, george.miles@yale.edu As more information from the national and zone levels is forthcoming, our championship schedule should fall into place.
WHICH SECTIONAL MEET WILL CONNECTICUT ATTEND?
The Eastern Zone will host two sectional meets. Connecticut will be participating the Sectional meet that will encompass the current Region I (AD, CT, ME, MR, NE, NJ, and NI). The meet will be held March 8-11, 2001. At this time a site and qualifying times have not been determined, but will be decided by June 11, 2000. The meet will follow the traditional 31/2 day format with the 1000 freestyle Thursday evening. Swimmers are eligible to swim up to seven events including time trials. Bonus events will not be offered. The entry deadline will probably be February 26 or 27, 2001. It is anticipated that approximately 800 swimmers will attend. This format will be in effect for short course 2001, but may change for future sectional meets.
Yes, the Sectional meet will impact our LSC in many ways, and change is always difficult, but will clear planning and foresight sectionals promise to be an exciting meet.
Posted April 2000