I think one way to get more boys or teenage boys involved with swimming is by getting states to expect the sport of water polo. My state doesn't do it and a lot of other states don't do polo. But if more states adoptive the sport more young men would be involved with swimming at least in the high school level. Most guys at my high school in California during the 1970's played Water Polo in the summer and fall and swam in the spring. They were in better shape in swimming and could work more yardage than if they swam for only 3 months which is common for states without water polo. Water polo is so popular with teenagers in California that they introduce even girls teams in the 1990's. Most boys like a sport which is similar to hockey except that its in a pool instead of an ice rink. Also, US water polo would gain by having a bigger pool to draw from on their national team instead of 80 percent or more just coming from California.
Parents
Former Member
Against my better judgement, I will respond. This thread doesn't work (in its present direction), so here goes. Getting boys interested in swimming is made more difficult by the enforcement of Title IX and what it has done to collegiate swimming (among other sports). (NOTE: Nothing wrong with offering opportunities for women, but at not at the expense of men's "minor sports" when football teams take 80-120 players to games and 85 of them-including the 3rd string center- get scholarships) 2. Club water polo and swim coaches continually dual for athletes and while doing both at the HS level works, those at the collegiate level isn't necessarily feasible due to overlapping seasons.
Now, we HAVE discussed Title IX ad nauseum previously, so let's not revisit and the water polo/swimming discussion is about as interesting as the steriod thread has become.
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Former Member
Against my better judgement, I will respond. This thread doesn't work (in its present direction), so here goes. Getting boys interested in swimming is made more difficult by the enforcement of Title IX and what it has done to collegiate swimming (among other sports). (NOTE: Nothing wrong with offering opportunities for women, but at not at the expense of men's "minor sports" when football teams take 80-120 players to games and 85 of them-including the 3rd string center- get scholarships) 2. Club water polo and swim coaches continually dual for athletes and while doing both at the HS level works, those at the collegiate level isn't necessarily feasible due to overlapping seasons.
Now, we HAVE discussed Title IX ad nauseum previously, so let's not revisit and the water polo/swimming discussion is about as interesting as the steriod thread has become.
