Competitions
In general, masters swimming competitions are all about fun, participation and helping to earn points for the club. Heats are typically seeded by entry times so that swimmers get to race against others who are similar in speed. This makes for closer and more enjoyable racing! Times are then ranked within gender and (5 year) age group brackets, and results are ranked from first to last. Points are normally awarded to the club as follows: 10 points for first place, 9 points for second, and so on through to 1 point for 10th place. All points count towards the club's overall point score at the meet.
Powerpoints has a long history of strong participation and great results at local, state, national and even world level. We encourage all members to come along to at least one or two pool competitions per year and support the club. The main competitions include the state long and short course meets, and the state relay meet. Racing is not compulsory, but some assistance with time keeping for those not swimming is always much appreciated.
In training, timed maximum-effort swims can help make sessions much more challenging and interesting. Ultimately, whether in training or at a meet, you are racing against your own benchmarks or goals (e.g., PBs, records, personal goal times for the season, etc.). Having measurable (though realistic!) goals that you can use to track your progress is important for overall motivation and enjoyment in the sport, even if you never hope to break any records.
