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LAC Coach’s Corner
July 2009
By Casey Coble
Welcome
to the first Coach’s Corner! The subject I will address
this month will be the whole suit issue. Below I have included
some literature from USA swimming that explains the recent rulings
on all of the new “Tech Suits”. I figured this
would be a perfect timing to bring this up since it is a hot topic
in swimming and we are entering the part of the season when LAC
swimmers will be wearing the best suits they own to help them swim
as fast as possible.
The
first article from USA swimming to come out addressed the issues of
wearing multiple suits while racing. Basically what they are
saying here is that wearing more than one suit in a race is illegal
with only one exception. Whether the second suit is designed
for helping your performance or adding drag, only one suit is
legal. The only exception is if you are wearing a men’s
brief or a women’s bikini bottom for modesty and privacy
under a racing suit. The following is an excerpt from the
article from USA swimming.
The following points are all important in understanding the
applicability of the restriction to only allow one swimsuit at a
time during competition:
•
The restriction applies only to actual competition (i.e. a race).
Swimmers may wear more
than one suit during warm-up and warm-down as well as around the
pool deck between
their actual races.
•
Swimmers may use as many different suits as they desire during any
particular swim
meet or any particular day during a swim meet and may change those
suits as often as
they desire as long as they do not wear more than one swimsuit at a
time during their
actual competitive events (races).
•
The restriction applies to all types, models and makes of
swimsuits, not just so-called
“technical” suits. Wearing a second suit during a race
as a “drag” is therefore prohibited.
•
The restriction was not intended to apply to athletic supporters or
modesty type wear.
For purposes of the one swimsuit restriction, one (1) swimsuit may
include the wearing
of a single pair of “briefs” or “bikini
bottoms” to ensure the modesty and privacy
of
swimmer.
•
A swimmer who does wear more than one swimsuit during competition
(a race) will be
subject to disqualification. Officials, especially referees, need
to be very proactive in
educating swimmers and coaches about the restriction. This should,
at a very minimum,
include announcements at the coaches/general meeting. Especially
during the initial
implementation of this new restriction, swimmers should be given
every opportunity
and/or a reasonable amount of time to remove a second suit prior to
the start of a race. If
officials are doing their job correctly, a swimmer should never be
disqualified for
wearing two suits at one time during a competition. Except in very
unusual
circumstances, and especially during the initial implementation of
this, a referee should
never allow a race to start if they know a swimmer is wearing two
suits without warning
them of such and, within reason, giving them time to remove the
additional suit.
•
A great deal of common sense must to be exercised by swimmers,
coaches and officials
alike. Officials, particularly referees, are likely going to be put
in difficult and
uncomfortable situations in trying to apply this restriction.
Everyone’s recognition of
these difficulties will result in keeping the best interests of the
athletes uppermost in our
minds and, at the same time, recognizing the need for the
athletes’ adherence to our rules.
The second article addresses which suits are legal and the limits
to what the 12 and under athlete is allowed to use in
competition. A quick summary to this article is that any high
tech suit is illegal and they also limited to the amount a suit can
cover. When I say high tech suit, I mean the LZR, Blue
Seventy, and anything else post Fastskin Pro era.
The limits in what a suit can and cannot cover for the 12 and under
athlete are the following. A male swimmer can only wear a
Jammer or brief, nothing that extends above the waist or below the
knee. A female swimmer can only wear a record breaker
style suit, nothing that extends below the pelvis or past the
shoulders.
On May 19, 2009, FINA issued a list of swimsuits approved for
competition. The approved list,
which was effective immediately and is attached, includes 202
swimsuits. The Rules and
Regulations Committee, under the provisions of Article 511.1, has
the authority to alter or amend
any provision of Part One of our rules to conform to the rules of
FINA. Accordingly, effective
immediately, Article 102.9 is amended as follows:
Since the FINA approved list only addressed new model swimsuits
submitted by swimsuit
manufacturers, swimmers will, until otherwise directed by FINA,
also be able to wear traditional
swimsuits not on the FINA approved list as long as the swimsuit
meets the following criteria:
1. For female swimmers, the swimsuit shall not cover the neck,
extend past the
shoulders or past the pelvis, and
2. For male swimmers, the swimsuit shall not extend above the navel
or below the
knees.
One thing I do want to add to what has been said above is that I
want everybody, parents, swimmers, and coaches, to remember that
the swimmer makes the swim fast, not the suit. The suit can
help slightly but when everybody swims awesome times through our
upcoming championship season it will be more due to hard work than
what suit you are wearing.
I would like to end the July Coach’s Corner with a preview of
the meets we have coming up this month. As we know July is one
of the most exciting months of the entire year for LAC. All of
you have trained so hard, our parents have worked so hard, and our
board has worked so hard to help the swimmers get ready to swim as
fast as possible in the month of July (and some in
Aug). Whichever meet you may be attending, I would like to
wish everybody the best! Here are the meets we have coming up
this month
7/11-13: LAC Speedo Classic. This meet is always a great
time for all LAC families (as well as lot of hard work). It
will serve as the final USA Swimming meet of the season for all of
our athletes who have not qualified for JO’s or any other
Senior level meet.
7/16-19: Middle Atlantic Junior Olympics. This is a meet
that will serve as the championship meet for many of our age group
athletes and a few senior swimmers will also be
attending.
7/22-25: Middle Atlantic Senior Champs. This meet has no
age groups and is open to all swimmers whom qualify (maybe
I’ll swim, j/k). This will serve as the Championship for
all of our senior swimmers as well as a few swimmers from our
Tenacious A group.
See you all in August when I will preview Junior Nationals, Zones
and the things you can do to get the word out about how great it is
to be a part of LAC.
Coach Casey
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