{"id":311767,"date":"2018-06-03T11:00:07","date_gmt":"2018-06-03T18:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=311767"},"modified":"2018-06-04T11:34:16","modified_gmt":"2018-06-04T18:34:16","slug":"pros-and-cons-of-potential-usa-swimming-ban-on-age-group-tech-suits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/pros-and-cons-of-potential-usa-swimming-ban-on-age-group-tech-suits\/","title":{"rendered":"Pros and Cons of Potential USA Swimming Ban on Age Group Tech Suits"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Eamonn Keenan, Swimming World College Intern<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In August of 2017, USA Swimming announced<\/a> that they hired an outside consulting firm to evaluate technical racing suit regulations. This research initiative follows the banning of the use of tech suits in competitions among the 12 & Under age groups in LSCs such as Southern California, Arkansas and Maine. <\/span><\/p>\n

On May 13 of this year, USA Swimming\u2019s board of directors voted to send the proposal<\/a>\u00a0that would ban the use of technical racing suits for athletes under the age of 13 directly to the House of Delegates (HOD). The HOD will vote on whether to enact the tech suit ban in September. <\/span><\/p>\n

With similar bans being implemented in LSCs such as New England, Iowa and New Jersey, it seems that an age group tech suit ban is a plausible reality. <\/span><\/p>\n

First of all, what exactly<\/i> is a \u201ctech suit\u201d?<\/h3>\n
\"nathan-adrian-duel-2015\"

Photo Courtesy: Annie Grevers<\/p><\/div>\n

A technical racing swimsuit<\/a>, or tech suit, is a specialized swimsuit designed with bonded\/meshed seams or kinetic tape. In simpler terms, tech suits don\u2019t even appear to have seams – coaches often tell swimmers that if they can pinch the side of their tech suit, it isn’t tight enough. <\/span><\/p>\n

On top of that, tech suits have water-repellent properties that add little textile weight and help the swimmer cut right through the water. The conforming carbon fiber cage (and other approved textiles) gives the biggest performance benefit: compression. Extreme muscle compression<\/a> streamlines the body in order to reduce drag, thus leading to greater improvements in performance. <\/span><\/p>\n

The cost of tech suits can range anywhere from $90-500. <\/span>In contrast to most standard nylon or polyester swimsuits that remain functional each and every practice throughout multiple seasons, a tech suit’s compression and water-repellent properties begin to noticeably deteriorate after one or two big meets, depending on how many times it’s worn. The more times the suit is worn, the more it stretches out and the repellent properties degrade. Rather than being worn for every meet of the season, tech suits are often saved for big championship meets or when trying to qualify for one. <\/span><\/p>\n

Potential Rationales Behind the Ban<\/h3>\n
\"nbac-age-group-swimmer-heat-sheet-2016-cerave-invite\"

Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien<\/p><\/div>\n

Purchasing a tech suit is undoubtedly a serious financial investment, especially for age group swimmers who attend a championship meet in both the winter and the summer. Not only will kids want a fresh suit for each meet, but also a swimmer at that age could easily grow out of a tech suit bought in the winter by the time it’s summer. It\u2019s very possible that many swim parents are spending $1,000 per year on tech suits. <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s easy to say that swimmers could just not wear one, a young swimmer stepping up for his or her first state meet at 10 years old would likely feel at an inherent disadvantage if everyone else was wearing the same suit that the Olympians wear on TV. <\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, however, it\u2019s not even clear how much of a difference wearing a tech suit makes at that young of an age. The majority of studies on the drag reduction of tech suits<\/a> were done using post-adolescents whose physically mature bodies likely found greater benefits from the compression the suits provide. This ambiguity makes the $300-500 entry-level fee for championship meet competition seem even more ludicrous at those ages. <\/span><\/p>\n

Purchasing a tech suit also sets a significant precedent. If swim parents buy a tech suit for their 10-year-old who just made state for the first time, then they\u2019ll be obligated to buy one when the swimmer makes state at age 11. Doesn\u2019t the state meet become more important the older the swimmer gets? Buying your first tech suit can become a long-term investment – a precarious one, given the fact that little correlation exists between success at the age group level and success at the senior level<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The universality of tech suits at championship meets stems in part from the connotations surrounding the suits. Much of racing success lies in mental attitude, and most swimmers pridefully accept and internalize this. The structure of the typical swim season – getting beaten up for the whole season in preparation for one final meet – renders the end of the season a period of extreme emotional intensity. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"jersey-wahoos-coach-and-kids-2016-cerave-invite\"

Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien<\/p><\/div>\n

In response to this stress, swimmers cling on to three things for solace: taper, shaving and tech suits. These factors are ultimately out of the swimmer\u2019s control and don\u2019t have nearly as large of an impact on their end-of-season performance as the training leading up to taper. Despite this, swimmers still tend to put tech suits on a pedestal as if they are integral to their success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Swimmers place such an emphasis on the benefits of tech suits to the point that wearing them has become a necessity for their own individual performance rather than a way to level with the playing field.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coach Charlie McCanless, head coach of Asheville Swim Club, said: “The feeling that young swimmers get when they dive in the pool with a tech suit for the first time makes them feel unstoppable; they think that there’s no way they aren’t dropping time.” What swimmer wouldn\u2019t want to do everything in their power to swim as fast as they can?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The value attributed to these suits can oftentimes result in the belief that the tech suit can become a substitute to hard work in training, as putting one on will instantly make you faster. This is not the way the paradigm should be shifted at the age group level, as swimming has always been one of the most premier platforms for self-improvement: you get out what you put in. Improvements in swimming should stem from a child\u2019s physical developments and his or her habits in training, not from how much money their parents are willing to spend on a swimsuit. <\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview with USA Today, the former executive director of USA Swimming Chuck Wielgus said, “We want the performance on the athletes to be gauged on their hard work, on what they’re able to accomplish without technological aids, specifically swimsuits.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Possible Cons of the Ban<\/h3>\n
\"mens-50-back-2016-cerave-invite\"

Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien<\/p><\/div>\n

An ostensible reason behind USA Swimming\u2019s decision to hire consultation on this issue is to determine whether tech suit sales outweigh the potential long-term loss of investment in the sport from athletes deterred by the entry-level costs that tech suit culture necessitates. <\/span><\/p>\n

Partnerships with swimsuit manufacturers likely contribute to a significant portion of USA Swimming\u2019s revenue. If USA Swimming determined that banning tech suits for the 12 & Under age groups would end up saving them more money, then they will draw that line in the sand. <\/span><\/p>\n

That line, however, is by nature completely arbitrary. Why do swimmers need to suddenly spend $300-500 to compete at the state meet when they turn 13? If USA Swimming were to sanction 12 & Under state meets without tech suits, then that would beg to question why tech suits should be used at all at the state meets for the older age groups. Moreover, why would we even need tech suits in the first place?<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, the next generation of swimmers who pass through the 9-10 age group all the way to the 13-14 age group may not have the same fantastical attitude towards tech suits that affects swimmers today. This could end up transforming tech suit culture entirely, which would presumably make USA Swimming less money in the long run. <\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, the problems with these arbitrary divisions are exponential. For instance, what if a company decides to make the fastest nylon suit and marks it up for $50 more than a standard nylon suit? Will that suit end up being prohibited at 12 & Under meets as well? Will we get to the point where only a few select suits that are comparable in speed and fair in price are approved at the state level? <\/span><\/p>\n

Prospects for the Future<\/h3>\n
\"age-groupers-playing-uno-2016-cerave-invite\"

Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien<\/p><\/div>\n

When considering this controversial issue, it\u2019s important to focus on why the discussion is happening in the first place. We need to remember that the heart behind this controversy is to make sure that athletes are continually encouraged to pursue their swimming goals and to assure that the resources put into swimming are allocated to services that directly aid in the development of the swimmers as both athletes and human beings.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important to remember that elitism exists in every sport, i.e. soccer players wearing the nicest cleats, baseball players with the nicest bats, and so on. Whereas lavishness can sometimes be a good thing – the money spent on tech suits will inevitably be put back into the money that funds the sport in of itself – it shouldn\u2019t cause widespread controversy or become the standard for competition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although it seems inevitable that an age group tech suit ban is the future of swimming, the logistics still remain undetermined. Where would you<\/em> draw the line?<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Commentary: <\/strong>All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Eamonn Keenan, Swimming World College Intern. In August of 2017, USA Swimming announced that they hired an outside consulting firm to evaluate technical racing suit regulations. 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