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
When I was a teenager back in the 1970's, on the age group teams the males and females were more even divided. In school swimming it was different. The guys also had water polo and to be fair because they were no female teams for water polo and beginning in 1974, the girls could be on the guys team. But the male to female ratio was in favor of the boys in high school swimming. I think that half of them would not have swam in the spring unless they had become involved in water polo and in those days many high schools required the guys to do both teams. This might not work today and encouraging the game in other states might not effect swimming or increase the level of the national team in water polo. Why wearing a speedo didn't bother a kid in the 1960's or 1970's, I don't know? The reason its title that way is their suppose to be a gap between the number of female to male swimmers under 18 years old. And I notice in my local city in Arizona, that the female swimmers in the regional meet were going out more for year round teams since some of their times were faster than the guys.
When I was a teenager back in the 1970's, on the age group teams the males and females were more even divided. In school swimming it was different. The guys also had water polo and to be fair because they were no female teams for water polo and beginning in 1974, the girls could be on the guys team. But the male to female ratio was in favor of the boys in high school swimming. I think that half of them would not have swam in the spring unless they had become involved in water polo and in those days many high schools required the guys to do both teams. This might not work today and encouraging the game in other states might not effect swimming or increase the level of the national team in water polo. Why wearing a speedo didn't bother a kid in the 1960's or 1970's, I don't know? The reason its title that way is their suppose to be a gap between the number of female to male swimmers under 18 years old. And I notice in my local city in Arizona, that the female swimmers in the regional meet were going out more for year round teams since some of their times were faster than the guys.
