Americans and Australians

[Pete]

:D In recent weeks a number of Americans and Australians have joined this site. What do you like about this site? What similar sites do you have? I think Chris has done a great job with this site; updating and improving features. I enjoy your intelligent input. Are we leading the world with this aspect of swimming?:confused:

[nsswimmer]

i love this site becuz of its simplicity, little red markers showing new updates and when and by whom, the cute lil smilies, and the frequency at which ppl post new threads and replies. usa swimming forums is very good too but the site isn't as professional and organized and all. but it's still quite good ;)

[swimusa]

I like this site because it brings a different perspective on swimming. It is known that European ideology is a little different than American ideology, so you have a different analysis of the swimming issues, and thus adds more to conversation, as I hope NSSwimmer's, SCswimmergal's, Aussiebabe's, and my own perspective adds to the dynamic of this website. (Plus I have a fascination with British society in general).

[mammamedley]

I think the posts from overseas are great.
I would love to know what they think of the British BAGCAT system and how does it compare to the Age Group system in the US and Australia.
I'm just a nosey person! :D

[nsswimmer]

what is the british BAGCAT system??? (sorry for my ignorance) :p

[swimusa]

Yeah, I saw you all posting about it, but was too bored to read it. Sorry. What is BAGCAT?

[Steve]

Originally posted by nsswimmer
what is the british BAGCAT system??? (sorry for my ignorance) :p

A lot of people in the don't understand it either so no need to apologise :cool:

BAGCATS is a tool which aims to prevent overspecialisation in younger swimmers by rewarding them for all round performances at meets, rather than for individual events. Events are split into categories (e.g. form stokes, medley distance free, sprint free) and the best BAGCAT points (like IPS or Len points only with different tables/ factors etc) from each category are summed. Highest score wins overall. (be glad to be corrected if I've go this wrong :p)

In principle this seems good, unfortunately it has been implemented with something of a scatter gun approach, with different counties and districts applying it differently which IMHO has only led to confusion and resentment.

[swimusa]

So they award BAGCAT points to youth based on time on a system like LEN uses. Do they do this at every meet or nation wide? Does the winner get a trophy at each meet this happens, or at the end of the season or annually?

[swimusa]

I am still waiting to hear the Aussie response. :o

[Katie]

I think BAGCATs are used at our county championships, our districts (e.g. Southern Counties, North Eastern Counties etc.) and our National Championships. I think at the nationals the swimmers were given a Tshirt with their name on if they were in the top 3, and a bag as well if they won? Oh, and a certificate. I some ways I think it's really good but on the other hand it only really gives you a good chance if you're good at everything! :o

[Aussiebabe]

I'm not too sure about the aussie age system or the BAGCATS so I'm no use!! I'm not actually aussie just an islander escaping the rock fao 18months so far!!

BAGCATS was introduced about the same time as I left & I've had no experience of aussie age-group system, especially not first hand so the aussie opinions will have to come from elsewhere!! I reckon they must be doing something right in their age group system though!!!

[Phil Tanner]

It's a bit of a dog's breakfast (does that translate into American or Australian?) All five categories at county and district level (for my locality at least), but no 50s at Nationals means they will have to base it only four there.

:eek:

[nsswimmer]

am i the only one who is completely confused??

[Pete]

I think most British swimmers are confused. Most I have coached cannot see the point.:confused: Especially Breastrokers:(
Shall we get back to the original topic?

[Meiri]

Hey there,
I'm from Israel, and new here... i found out about this site at the USA Swimming forums.
We don't have any Israeli swimming forums (well, we have one, but it's really not good...) so i just hang out at all the other ones.

[stella]

So what are the US swimming forums? Links please?
Cheers

[swimusa]

Stella, go to www.usa-swimming.org , and on the right side you'll see a link for forums.

Pete, "a bit of a dog's breakfast" does not translate into the American dialect. What does that mean?

[nsswimmer]

stella, after you get to the forums by swimusa instructions, at the top left there is a little link that sez, "register" - click there and you can get a username and password! can't wait to see you there!

[violet]

i found out about these forums from the usswim.org message board.

i think i like these forums better, actually.

[Phil Tanner]

Dog's breakfast = unnecessarily complicated set of circumstances, e.g. rules which complicate a staightforward process and tend to contradict one another.

So: "50s rather than 100s were an essential part of BAGCATS last year for sound reasons of physiological development. This year 100s rather than 50s are essential because we don't want splash-and-dash. Next year it will probably be something different again. It's a right dog's breakfast." ;)

[Meiri]

I still don't get the Dog's breakfast thingy..

[swimmer]

cripes! sorry but y dont u understand, the post above makes it 100% clear! dogs breakfast=a mess basically, get it now? if u don't i feel there is no hope...........(i don't mean to b horrible here)

[nsswimmer]

okay, i get the "dog's breakfast" thing... i think. but why is a mess called a "dog's breakfast??" i don't think that a dog eating breakfast is that messy or anything... certainly not as messy as some _people_ i know!

[Phil Tanner]

I think the point is that what the dog gets for breakfast is all the bits left over from the night before, even if they make abit of mess when put tpgether. :)