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.
Parents
Former Member
There is no doubt that competitive swimming is a middle/upper class sport, and probably a white sport as well. If you are satisfied with that, or think it doesn't matter, than go ahead and bury your head in the sand, but don't tell other people that are concerned about the sport to be quiet about it.
It is not racist to work at making this sport more inclusive, but it is racist to continue the demographic patterns that were established back in the days of segregated pools and the belief that blacks were too 'dense' to make good swimmers. I remember those days, and I am not that old.
This is a thread about swimming and it belongs here. If you don't like it, ask yourself why. If you are OK with your reasons, you don't have to read it.
Swimming should be a sport for the masses. If it isn't, it will continue to lose college programs and this country will eventually be a second rate swimming power. And Masters swimming will get less and less fun.
Swimming will only be popular if it becomes proactively inclusive and little black, latino, asian, and other minority children start to participate. USA Swimming is aware of this and making some appropriate steps. It is not an easy thing to do; I think it should be a higher priority.
There is no doubt that competitive swimming is a middle/upper class sport, and probably a white sport as well. If you are satisfied with that, or think it doesn't matter, than go ahead and bury your head in the sand, but don't tell other people that are concerned about the sport to be quiet about it.
It is not racist to work at making this sport more inclusive, but it is racist to continue the demographic patterns that were established back in the days of segregated pools and the belief that blacks were too 'dense' to make good swimmers. I remember those days, and I am not that old.
This is a thread about swimming and it belongs here. If you don't like it, ask yourself why. If you are OK with your reasons, you don't have to read it.
Swimming should be a sport for the masses. If it isn't, it will continue to lose college programs and this country will eventually be a second rate swimming power. And Masters swimming will get less and less fun.
Swimming will only be popular if it becomes proactively inclusive and little black, latino, asian, and other minority children start to participate. USA Swimming is aware of this and making some appropriate steps. It is not an easy thing to do; I think it should be a higher priority.
