Phillip Whitten is trying to say that there were as much womens programs in swimming than men's programs in the 1970's and early 1980's. I disagree for one, many women that are just a few years older than me didn't swim in college. For starters top swimmers like Laurie Val in her early 50's didn't swim in colllege. There were a lot less programs for women than the male swimmers and only a few women got scholorships to swim in college. Also, I swam at the Community College level and a year before I started they just added 100 yard swims for women in back, fly and ***. They the California JR's still don't have the 200 yard distances but the women voted to keep the 50 distances instead. The male swimmers at the community college had two practices a day during their prime workout season while the women had one when I swam back in the 1970's. The male swimmers had state while the women's program added state after I left. I understand Mr Whitten being upset about elminating men's programs but that doesn't excuse him for changing history and stating that women had as many programs as the men did by 1981.
Parents
Former Member
Well, we talk about it before. For good swimmers that don't make senior nationals and even more average swimmers as teenagers such as I was depends upon different factors. First, there's the football and basketball programs preferred over swimming and track and field. How many of these programs should remain? The communter colleges where the student body works full time and is more likely to have students over 30 doesn't have the problem as much as the more traditonal colleges that swimmers attend which are more elite and are into the traditonal big three:Football, Basketball, and Baseball. Two, large states such as California have more opportunities for different level swimmers than small states such as Maine. There's no way to eqaulized this since large states are going to have a lot more colleges. Males attend college slightly less than do females and in some minority groups such as blacks, women hold a big majority going to college. Even with many good paying blue collar jobs going overseas, males can still earn more than a female without a college degree. So, Colleges think less men students;therefore, the sports programs should be geared toward the women.l
Well, we talk about it before. For good swimmers that don't make senior nationals and even more average swimmers as teenagers such as I was depends upon different factors. First, there's the football and basketball programs preferred over swimming and track and field. How many of these programs should remain? The communter colleges where the student body works full time and is more likely to have students over 30 doesn't have the problem as much as the more traditonal colleges that swimmers attend which are more elite and are into the traditonal big three:Football, Basketball, and Baseball. Two, large states such as California have more opportunities for different level swimmers than small states such as Maine. There's no way to eqaulized this since large states are going to have a lot more colleges. Males attend college slightly less than do females and in some minority groups such as blacks, women hold a big majority going to college. Even with many good paying blue collar jobs going overseas, males can still earn more than a female without a college degree. So, Colleges think less men students;therefore, the sports programs should be geared toward the women.l
