SWIMMING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23364, 2 December 1937, Page 15

SWIMMING NOTES

By Crawl

FIXTURES Monday, December 6, to Saturday, December. 11.—Learn-to-swim Week. Monday, December 6. —66 2-3 Yarda Breaststroke, Vice-presidents’ Cup. Saturday, December 11.—0.A.5.C. Carnival. January 22. —Country Clubs Championships, at Oamaru. CLUB HOUR Tuesday evenings, 6.30 to 7.30. VICE-PRESIDENTS’ CUP The third race for the Vice-presi-dents’ Cup, the 100 Yards Freestyle, proved a very good one, indeed. There were eight starters, and there were only five seconds between the limit and scratch men, which shows that the standard of . swimming is rising. . The race was swum in two heats, the results being:—First heat, R; Brown (4sec.) 1, Miller (scr) 2, Beattie (ssec) 3. Time, 76 l-ssec. Second heat: Davies (ssec) 1, McLaren (scr) 2, Watson (4sec) 3, Time, 76 l-ssec. From the swimming in the heats it was apparent that three of the finalists had something up their sleeve, and so it proved. After a neck-and-neck struggle all the way, Watson and Brown finished first and second respectively, with McLaren not very far behind being third. The winner’s time was 73sec, and the handicapper had no alternative but to disqualify Watson and Brown, so that the final result was McLaren first, Davies second and Miller third. It rather reflects on the competitors’ fitness that the final was not swum on the Monday night after the heats, but on Tuesday night. In this case, one swimmer was penalised by the postponement, and in any case, the fittest competitors are entitled to reap the reward of their training. Both Watson and Brown put up excellent performances, and if they cared to train properly, could get well below 70 seconds for the distance. However, anything in the way of serious training is still fought shy of by most Oamaru swimmers. This question of- ti aining depends largely on how the swimmer views his sport, but usually lack of training results not from any care-? fully-considered weighing up of the pros and cons of the vexed question of over-indulgence in the sport but merely from disinclination for hard, work and some amount of discomfort. The contest for the Vice-presidents Cup is still very open. The leader now is Owen Davies with ,5 points, followed by Gemmell (4£ points), and S. Cradock; and D. Reid, each wifh 1 two races are the Medley, to be swum at the carnival, and the--66 2-3 Yards Backstroke next Monday. There are a number of aspiring backstrokers in the club, but only about three who are reasonably proficient, so that the race is very open. LEARN-TO-SWIM WEEK Arrangements are now practically,, completed for the Learn-to-Swim Week' to be held next week. A meeting of instructors is being held at-the baths at 7 p.m. this evening to discuss teach-' ing methods and general routine. This is a wise idea, since it would prejudice the success of the movement if each coach was to leach differently from everyone else. Unfortunately, it has been very difficult to secure material, to work from from the Otago Centre, and it seems that the Auckland Swimming Centre has something to teach the other centres in the way of organisation and preparation for the week. Naturally, the club is confining its efforts to primary school pupils and others who enrol at the baths. Since i the two high schools have their*, own pools and the staffs to do the], necessary coaching, the club is not at?,-a tempting to include them in its scheme. • It is to be hoped that the secondary , schools are alive to the opportunities;!: afforded by this special week. The general scheihe is that teaching will be given in quarter-hour or half-hour periods in the morning between 6.30 and 8.30. and in the.even-3 ing between 5 and 7.30, while portions? of the pool will be set aside for eachP instructor. A limited number of pupils can also be taken through the day. The club would be wise not merely to limit its efforts to this one week in the year, but to adopt some plan/ of follow-up work. The number pt p children who can.be taught to swim? in a week is not very large. All that is now necessary for the' success of the week is fine weather, warm water and the keenness and enthusiasm of the instructors. ■ if CLUB HOUR ; l Due probably to the weather, the Club hour on Tuesday; night was the best attended so far, and** the large number of members present was rather too grpat for the officims present to cope with. Most of tna members present were younger members, and the club needs have no fear > for the future, with so many youngsters coming on. Applications for_ membership come in continually. , - The last club hour showed the need for a little more organisation of this weekly hour, so that every member may receive instruction and the different classes prevented from mterfei- ■ ing with the others. The presence of!) more of the non-competitive officers of the club is required, too. Lex Johnson has made great improvement on the breast-stroke recentlv and should go steadily ahead, now y He has improved his arm driven and so got rid of his “ switch-back m jlck e piiling is an excellent youngii breast-stroke swimmer. He needs to do a little more distance work. Bob Young was doing some good > nractice on the high board on Tubs-. day evening. Jack Easton has not So|, far done much diving practice. Adrienne Crisp is a promising y°uug,» swimmer, but requires to practise more a relaxation. ’, , 1 Sheldon Cradock trams hard and will £ ,o? 5 be bringlns hb Uffle. down. He also needs more relaxation. d

FIXTURES it If conditions continue favourable Ihev are at present, they will be i reflected in a general improvement m standard and in greater enthusiasm,, amongst members. The committee is certainly doing its part by plenty of fixtures to absorb swimmers b energies. . , , There is the opening carnival on A Saturday, December 11, and an .mvi- - tation has been received for an inter- y dub contest with the Kiwi Club (Dun edin). Naturally this would not bee, with Kiwi’s best swimmers It is not■yet decided when this will be held, x£ the invitation is accepted. The West End Olub (Timaru) has ap- s proached the local club concerning the , mter-club tournament, and proposesto extend an invitation to hold this at their baths. i If these two inter-club contests even- ,■ tuate, local swimmers will have two * trips away from home, apart from any carnivals they care to attend, while the local club will act as host for. the, country clubs’ championships. £ The Otago Centre is arranging a r . small carnival at Moeraki on Boxing,,r Day, and the club has been asked to give this its support. t It was found impossible to hold the * harbour race at the Oamaru Boating ... Club’s regatta next Saturday, and this 3. will possibly be held in January or,? early in February. SPLASHES ' . 1 It is interesting to note the reasons " given by the visiting American coach, Cady, why Australian swimmers do not , now rank prominently compared with overseas swimmers. They are: (I) «r Lack of indoor pools and consequent re- l. striction of the swimming season to i about seven months of the year; (2) lack of experienced, whole-time proles- ' sional coaches; and (3) the great dis- .- tances between centres of population preventing more first-class competi- r tion. J:

The local baths have never been , more popular than they are at present, < and large numbers are present morn- g ing and night. The water temperature a on Tuesday was over 68 degrees. f