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
Sorry Cynthia,
I don't think having the High School system of other states support water polo will really make it more popular. If you were to give a High School (or Jr High or even an elementary school age child) a choice - a pair of speedo's, work really hard you might get a college education and possibly a gold medal OR something like a basketball, work really hard you might get a college education, possibly a gold medal and maybe a multimillion dollar NBA / endorsement contract - which do you think someone is more apt to choose.
To get more intrest in water polo there needs to be a way to market this - the best market is professional league (why is water polo big in Europe, because they have professional leagues that a child can dream to be part of). The NHL is good example, for years in So Cal ice hockey existed yet the intrest wasn't that great (you could go to the Kings game real cheap). Roller blades are developed and marketed, Gretzky comes to play for LA now all of sudden what was once a one horse show in California is 3 (Kings, Ducks and Sharks) ice rinks are being built and kids are taking an intrest in ice hockey - because of the way things were marketed to increase the intrest of the sport. For water polo to grow I think something similiar needs to be done.
Sorry Cynthia,
I don't think having the High School system of other states support water polo will really make it more popular. If you were to give a High School (or Jr High or even an elementary school age child) a choice - a pair of speedo's, work really hard you might get a college education and possibly a gold medal OR something like a basketball, work really hard you might get a college education, possibly a gold medal and maybe a multimillion dollar NBA / endorsement contract - which do you think someone is more apt to choose.
To get more intrest in water polo there needs to be a way to market this - the best market is professional league (why is water polo big in Europe, because they have professional leagues that a child can dream to be part of). The NHL is good example, for years in So Cal ice hockey existed yet the intrest wasn't that great (you could go to the Kings game real cheap). Roller blades are developed and marketed, Gretzky comes to play for LA now all of sudden what was once a one horse show in California is 3 (Kings, Ducks and Sharks) ice rinks are being built and kids are taking an intrest in ice hockey - because of the way things were marketed to increase the intrest of the sport. For water polo to grow I think something similiar needs to be done.
