Thumbed through the
2014 NISCA All-America edition.
Alarmed to see only
three (3) relays from Texas high schools made the top 40.
No, that's not three out of forty, fans.
That's three out of
240!
Texas h.s. relays in top forty:
Girls' 200 medley relay - 0
Girls' 200 free relay - 0
Girls' 400 free relay - 0
Boys' 200 medley relay - 0
Boys' 200 free relay - 0
Boys' 400 free relay - 3 -
Klein,
Brandeis, &
Carroll
Go through all the 2013-14 All-America lists
here.
Looking for a silver lining? Texas schools had the most
Academic All-Americans. Maybe call it a stainless steel lining...
ouch!! it was not as fast a state meet comparatively as recent years
ReplyDeleteHaving had a look at the rankings and state results for some years now, and learning firsthand of the "cooperation" between some clubs and some HS's (i.e., LACK of it), I am left wondering...
ReplyDelete[1] Is prohibiting concurrent club and HS training and competitions such a bad thing (see IL and other states banning it)?
[2] Is the lack of communication and mutual planning between club programs and HS programs a major impediment to swimming fast at state HS meets?
and
[3] How many of those top 40 non-TX times come from HS teams where the HS coach is essentially a sponsor and the swimmers rarely go to HS practice, relying on club training for the majority (if not ALL) of their preparation (in states with no ban on concurrent club/HS training)
Just wondering, you see...
Lion King's question 2 is right on. There is little or no communications between club and HS for most kids. Some club coaches are known to discourage high school swimming. Some high school coaches make it difficult for club swimmers to attend most club practices. Also, having sectional the week after state does not help. Which meet do you want to taper for?
ReplyDeleteHaving the sectionals meet a week after state works for those swimmers who only have to taper for the state meet..(perhaps sharpen or short rest for regionals). It is very difficult for those who have to taper for a very fast district meet (yes there are very uneven districts for swimming throughout TX) and still hard for those who many who taper for regionals. Not sure what would be better. A fast sectional meet is a good thing for everyone.
ReplyDelete'A fast sectional meet is a good thing for everyone.'
ReplyDeletewhy?
our state was setting national records in relays before sectionals was brought back.
of course correlation does not imply causation, but...
when all our big meets were in march, one thing that didn't change - whether club & h.s. coaches got along or not - was that everyone at least had a similar season plan from the start.
ReplyDeleteeveryone wanted to swim fast in march.
now that usas juniors & seniors are before christmas training, h.s. state meet is in february, and sectionals/ncsa juniors follers that, i'd guess club & h.s. coaches don't have similar season training plans anymore.
We do in Southlake.
ReplyDeleteCooperation between NTN and Southlake Carroll HS is excellent, with the best interest of the athletes in mind.
Swimmers first!!
Murphy
The 3 Texas relay teams in the top 40 have one distinctive thing in common: for each high school, all four boys on the relay swim for the same USA-S club team.
ReplyDeleteFor Klein HS, all four swim for PACK. For Brandeis, all four swim for AAAA. For Southlake Carroll, all four swim for NTN.
For the nation's top HS relay teams it is common to see that 3 or 4 of the HS relay swimmers swim for the same USA-S club team.
For really fast HS relay teams, it helps a lot if the HS team is closely identified with a USAS club team.