I remember P Mulins the author maybe I missed spelled his name talking about swimming being a white upper-middle class sport and the country club set. I guess he had not met Shirley Bashashoff that came from a blue collar background. Anyway, swimmers in elite circles tend to be more from upper-middle families than the non-elite. In high school programs, their are plenty of them from the barrio and the ghetto. Also, he seems to think swimming is divided between whites and blacks. In his state, both Latinos and Asians outnumber blacks. And Latinos are the group lowest on the income level in that state and Arizona mainly done to immirgation. I think the swimming world is seeing that in the states, its not a black and white world anymore,even in the south asians and latins have increase.
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The age group meets I have attended are 99% white. Asians are probably the highest minority, with a few blacks thrown in. I think part of it IS economic, year round club swimming is very, very expensive, part of it is cultural. I think the black athletes are drawn to other sports before swimming.
My kids' team has two families with black swimmers. That is 3 swimmers out of 100 swimmers. And one of the black swimmers is adopted into a white family, whose white siblings are on the team. I will say this, she is a darn good swimmer at 6, and I hope she continues.
The kids' summer club teams have more minorities, but still the ratio is widely white dominated. Summer club teams are inexpensive, so not economic there.
I went to girls HS sectionals to watch, again, very few minorities. I guess it depends what state and where in the state. I do go to a lot of meets in Chicago and Indy though and see the same ratios.
The age group meets I have attended are 99% white. Asians are probably the highest minority, with a few blacks thrown in. I think part of it IS economic, year round club swimming is very, very expensive, part of it is cultural. I think the black athletes are drawn to other sports before swimming.
My kids' team has two families with black swimmers. That is 3 swimmers out of 100 swimmers. And one of the black swimmers is adopted into a white family, whose white siblings are on the team. I will say this, she is a darn good swimmer at 6, and I hope she continues.
The kids' summer club teams have more minorities, but still the ratio is widely white dominated. Summer club teams are inexpensive, so not economic there.
I went to girls HS sectionals to watch, again, very few minorities. I guess it depends what state and where in the state. I do go to a lot of meets in Chicago and Indy though and see the same ratios.
