This is the Poll Of The Week for Wednesday, October 21, 2015 sponsored by Strechcordz Swim Training Products. In our last poll, we wanted to know if you think high priced technical racing suits should be banned from age group swimming?
The results are in and…
38% said no and 62% said yes.
Do they really make a difference, or is this a gimmick the suit manufacturers came up with when the old $500-$600 tech suits were banned?
if people want to buy them let them but they dont need to ban it
Exactly. Do kids 10- under really NRRD hi- Tek suits?
Even young teen- agers and maybe high schoolers too should race in conventional competitive swimwear and not whatnthevMichael Ohells/ Natalie Coughlins race in.
Just like gotta have the latest $200 Nikes to show up on the playground. Where will it end?
Our agreement with our swimmer states clearly that a suit like this will only be obtained when the swimmer is swimming level 3 qualifying times (South African level 3 standards). So must be top notch swimmer before any additional investments are made. We see at local galas that parents invest in the suits for their kids aged 8 which is totally ridiculous. Winning is not in the suit, it is in the mind and body !
Yes!! USAS national age group committee has taken on the task of considering this ban with the blessings of age group coaches at convention
Yes it’s kids sports, it will reduce the cost of sport for families. Big business is the only winner.
It s the same problem everywhere in the world….in Poland per example are banned under 14 year old child….here in Croatia are allowed…..
I don’t think at age group suits make a lot of difference as it is technique and the swimmers physical development is the key factor. I think the argument is about inclusion. If two kids are on the blocks in the same kit psychologically they will be equal. This means kids from poor backgrounds do not feel inferior to the rich kids. The outcome of i this that the best swimmers will stand out regardless of social position. This lead to a greater number of swimmers to build national teams from in the long term. I’ve seen several promising poor kids drop out as their parents cannot afford club fees. The young people are great though as they see each other as swimmers and not which school they go to.
Absolutely YES.
Yes, please!
Wait no that’s intervention! Free markets first
No.
Yes
Yes
Completely disagree. It’s our job as coaches to educate parents. This could and should be handled at the club and LSC level. This is a huge overreach and overreaction by USA Swimming.
Yes!
Yes.
Yes
YeS!!!!!
Yes
YES!
Does any coach or club actually promote these suits to the young ones?
Yes, the expense is a massive factor for some parents!!
Hell no
Yes!
Mark Van Deren, absolutely no. Then next they will ban goggles, swim caps, starting from the blocks, and more. When will it stop?
I hear ya. I think, at the very least, local meets and LSCs should have policy that the tech suits aren’t allowed at non-championship meets.
Yes
Yes & No I see both sides as a parent but the do these suits exist at all going forward if this market disappears for companies that produce them. It won’t bother me if I never have to buy one again but I would limit the ban to 12/U were I think they make zero difference.
Define”Tech Suit”. Too much of a moving target in my opinion. I agree with the sentiment but believe the implementation, definition, enforcement, etc (you know the real world stuff) would be very difficult. Would like to see how other countries, etc have banned them.
Yes; the most important is, that children enjoy swimming…
Technology bans are for countries like North Korea, not the USA!
Yes, overkill ! & gauging parents
Yes!!
What do you mean by high priced and what do you mean by age group swimming? I thought about spending $125-150 on a faster suit for the 12 year old last year to use at his district meet because he was really close to a state cut, had been working really hard to improve and tenths count in this sport. That doesn’t seem to me to be an unreasonable to do. On the other hand, putting a 10 year old in a $400 to $500 suit does.
I believe that there should be a ban on tech suits at the age group level. The only thing that I feel uncomfortable with is the fact that some swimmers lose the mental edge that comes from the tech suits that would allow them to achieve the times that colleges are looking for. Maybe the ban would not apply to the 17-18 age group? My other opinion is that there should be a ban on tech suits at the age group level because, come time for collegiate swimming or masters, the swimmer has had no experience with tech suits. As a recent graduate from age group swimming, the time I spent trying out different brands and styles, experimenting with when to put on the suit, and figuring out what a well fitting suit feels like helped me understand what I’m looking for/need in college when it came to tech suits. Without this experience I feel I would be quite unprepared and maybe even at a disadvantage.