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.
Former Member
Is it just me, or does the title of this thread seem, well, oddly perverted?
Well, take soccer. Back in high school in 1975, most of the players on the high school soccer team were hispanic and the school at that time only had about 20 to 25 percent Mexcian. About 10 years later, many schools that didn't play the sport because it didn't appeal to the generation population were into it. This can't be attribute to the growth of the hispanic population in the US since most places have 10 percent or less of them and the kids play soccer in areas where there are few latins. Even the fox show OC,which I don't watch had an ad showing the teenagers playing soccer. And the show is about Newport Beach, both high schools won more CIF titles in water polo than soccer.
Well, back in the olden days, club teams did get more notice than the high school team did because the high schools for one had poor girl programs. Shirley Babashoff was rarely thought in conncetion with Fountain Valley high school but with Phillips 66 in her earlier career and Mission Viejo in her later career. Same for Gary Hall Sr, father of current Hall. He was thought of in connection with Phillips-66 in his early career not Rancho Alamos high and Cinncinnati Marlins in later career. Also, he was connection with his college team Indiana. Indiana University in the mid-1960s' and early 1970's was a great powerhouse in college swimming. prior to 1980, the club teams had big news if they were Santa Clara in the 1960's or Long Beach or Mission Viejo in the 1970's. Maybe, going back to the club teams and emphazing pre-high school swimming again would help boys and girls in their interest.
Originally posted by Matt S
Why isn't water polo more popular, as a spectator sport as well? The similarities to basketball/soccer/hockey are striking.
During college, our tournament programs included definitions and general game information. I think the big point of confusion are the minor fouls. You get a whistle blown every few seconds; I'm sure a newbie would be confused about what the foul was, and whether the player can shoot or not. (The same is true for me watching soccer, but the fouls / free kicks are much more infrequent than in w polo.)
I had a friend who was playing in the Eastern water polo league (a Masters-type program). He was talking about dropping out, because the game (much like hockey) was shifting towards physical brutes, rather than skill/speed players.
Well, maybe we should change to boys and girls. As for fashions, my parents generation was shocked by the long hair guys of the 1960's and 1970's. In the 1950's a guy with a real crew cut was suppose to be clean cut. Today, a guy with a shave head is assoicated with a gang. I think the swim wear of Johnny Weismuller's era is strange to most of us under 70 years old. And the old Esther Williams movie million dollar mermaid about the story of an aussie open water swimmer who performed in the hippdrome in New York city in water shows, was arrested in Boston Ma for indecent exposure. Women were required in the very early 20th century to be covered from head to toe and course those type of suits were very hard to swim in.
