For YMCA Records and yearly age group Top 16, the Dec 1 age-up date has been changed to the age of the swimmer on the first day of the meet.

Hi Sean,

Hi Glenda - we understand the rule.  However, that poses a new question.  Will the existing records be updated to reflect the swimmers true age at the time of the meet?  Eg. If a swimmer was 15 at Y States in previous years, and holds the 13-14 record because of the December 1st rule, will that record be eliminated and passed down to the best 14 year old swimmer at the time?  Otherwise, you can never really compare apples to apples.   And the upcoming swimmers are at an extreme disadvantage in that respect.  Or will you be starting a new set of records?  Thanks.

why not change the date to August 1 to go along with the school year. As it is you have for example 1/4 of 3rd graders born betweed Aug and Dec swimming against 4th and 5th graders. Then when these children finally reach high school they will be competing against different ages. Why not have an Aug 1st cut off. This would put most all 2nd and 3rd together 4th 5th, 6th and 7th and so on. The childrens grades for the most part would be competing with their respected grades instead of two grades up or two grades down. You have swimmers born in late Nov swimming at 9 and 10 for two months while they are still 8. This makes no sense. 1/4 the sesion a child spends swimming at an age they have not yet reached. It needs to be changed.

Edited by blmjj5 - Oct/15/2008 at 3:02pm

So, I guess as advanced as the East Coast is it's still hanging on to an outdated rule, which can be as bad as it's good.  Good in that it allows swimmers to have records when they are months older than many of their contemporary swimmers.  Bad in that records are broken and times are posted, especially in relays that will never count in their, club, state or the YMCA top sixteen, because of an antiquated rule.  So, may I ask what the reasoning is behind retaining this?   Whoops, I meant the top 10.......

Edited by swimfan247 - Mar/09/2009 at 8:44pm

Ed, it is an antiquated rule and harks back to the time before computers when coaches had issues with keeping track of all their swimmers ages.  It creates more confusion for everyone and worst of all swimmers.  It should be done away with.   USA swimming's rules states age of the begining of a meet and I thought we were driven by USA rules?? Oh, but I guess that is only when we want them to.  Rules should be the same across the board, especially when it comes to YMCA's across the country and really in the entire swim community period.   I have and will certainly continue to express my concerns over this to our coaches, but the National YMCA Committee should just globally change it.

Get me your contact number so we can talk.