The National Federation of High School sports instituted a new rule in 2001 for the minimum pool depth required to use starting blocks in competitive high school swimming. That minimum depth is 4 feet of water. If you have less than four feet of water, you are required to start from the side of the pool.
I came to a crossroad this year.
Our meet schedule brought us to a pool that I had suspected was not 4 feet deep. I asked the coach and official to verify the depth of the pool before we started the meet since I had a swimmer who was recovering from a near paralysis injury. I did not want to risk the safety of my swimmer. As it turned out, my swimmers chose the high road and started from the side of the pool while the host school started from the blocks.
Interesting enough, one of this school's swimmers won Swimmer of the year honors from the local newspaper. Look at the photo, and tell me how deep you think the water is?
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
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5 comments:
No wonder he won, that is the first time I have ever seen an eight foot swimmer!
I know that swimmer because I used to swim with him and he is very talented. I also swam in that pool as a young swimmer. I believe it is at least 4 feet deep at the starting end but gets shallower as the pool goes on.
I believe that the pool is 3 feet 6 inches deep, unless they have dug it out and deepened it.
Since when did Dunlap get blue flags? Look at the reflection of the flags in the background. That is clearly at the state swim meet not at Dunlap. Nonetheless, Dunlap's pool is not deep enough.
It is sad to see the coach teaching his young athletes that it is O.K. to bend the rules, A lesson they will carry with them for life.
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