Before I begin discussing the New Zealand Division Two competition, I must congratulate Swimming New Zealand (SNZ). As I understand it, SNZ took steps to purify the audience at the Commonwealth Games swimming team announcement. Well done, SNZ.

SNZ has a constitutional obligation to “set policies and standards for the Sport”. If SNZ detected actions likely to disrupt the standards expected in the sport and did something about it, SNZ has the 100% support of us all.

And now back to Division Two.   

For seventy years I have attended a huge variety of meets. From Saturday morning club meets at the Haitaitai Beach in Wellington Harbour to the Barcelona Olympic Games. From Friday club nights at the McCrae Baths in Gisborne to the glamour of US National Championships. Remember how water used to leak in through the floor of the McCrae Baths from the muddy Taruheru River? From a meet at the Pahiatua High School Pool to the World Championships in Majorca, Spain.

One of the meets I like best is the New Zealand Division Two competition. You will notice this post is titled the “DIVISION TWO NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS”. As I understand it a decision was made to no longer call the meet a championship. If that has happened, it is a step backwards for swimming. Consideration may have also been given to removing medal presentations. I understand that idea may have been reversed. Whether medals are back in or just ribbons is not clear.

However, the real point is that nothing should be done to reduce the importance of the Division Two competition. Even when critics line up to tell us, “it seems such a pointless meet now” Whether it is the name, the medals, or the existence of the competition, Division Two is a vital part of New Zealand swimming. It is something unique and good that the rest of the world does not have. In many respects, Division Two is our future. Hold onto it for dear life. Scorn not the base degrees from which our sport doth ascend.

But why is it so important to preserve the Division Two competition?

Understanding that depends on having an appreciation of human development. Young people do not physically develop at the same age or at the same rate. Before the Athens Olympic Games, the Americans conducted research on their swim team’s physiological development. By examining the hand knuckle joints they were able to determine that two swimmers had physically developed early and of the rest (approximately 40) half were on-time and half were late developers.

In New Zealand terms what that means is half the American Olympic team would not have qualified to swim in the Age Group Championships or the Open Championships. Twenty members of the world’s most successful swim team would have considered themselves failures and gone off to play another sport. Division Two fills that gap. It provides a path for late developers.

A hugely successful New Zealand swimmer, Toni Jeffs, is an example of what I mean. She was a late developer. She never qualified for the Age Group Championships. However, she did swim in the Division Two meet. In time, when she physically matured, she went on to win the Open Nationals and win bronze medals in the World SC Championships, the Pan Pacific Games and two Commonwealth Games. Without Division Two none of that would have happened.

Division Two could well be seen as a SNZ constitutional requirement. This is what the Constitution says.

“The primary Object of SNZ is to support the growth and performance of the sport of competitive swimming, from entry level club competitive swimmers to elite High-Performance athletes.

Encourage people to choose to participate in the sport of competitive swimming.

Identify and co-ordinate competitive talent at all levels.

Develop and provide pathways from regional, to national, through to international level”.

Division Two is a clear example of supporting “the growth and performance of the sport from entry level club competitive swimmers to elite High-Performance athletes.” It encourages people. It co-ordinates competitive talent and it provides a swimming pathway. Doing away with or diminishing the Division Two meet could well be seen as violating all these constitutional imperatives.

Besides not every member of SNZ is a potential Open Nationals’ swimmer. Many simply do not have the talent to compete at that level. There is no reason however for these swimmers not to have their personal Olympic Games. For many that is Division Two. I’ve coached a dozen swimmers whose trip to Division Two was the pinnacle of their swimming careers. One girl won Division Two in Rotorua. When she eventually retired, she left feeling as personally rewarded as Danyon Loader did winning the Olympic Games. She had fulfilled her talent. She had climbed her Everest. But, just as important, SNZ had done its job for its member.

And that is what it means to have the Division Two meet. Everything possible should be done to make the meet as “big” as possible. Call it a Championship. Name the winners Division Two Champions. Present the best designed medals. Play the National Anthem. Spare no effort.

Why?

Because Division Two represents the sport looking after everyone and somewhere in every Division Two meet there is an Olympian just waiting for his or her body to physically mature. SNZ needs to give them a chance. And that is what Division Two does.