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.
I've read a lot of silly posts but Phil's takes the cake. If we don't make swimming for the masses we will become second rate? This is absurd. The USA is the #1 power worldwide in swimming and has cemented that position in the past 30 years. As a matter of fact, the US is the #1 power or competes for #1 in just about every major sport right now, and if we aren't, we are knocking on the door, save curling, the oddest sport of all.
Swimming doesn't have to be for the masses. Sure, it's a nice little populist thought but no sport has to be for the masses for it to succeed. I continue to be baffled by this notion that we have to take every sport to every corner of America to legitimize it. Then, the do-gooders go a step further by injecting some race element, subtly insinuating that those of us who do swim are de-facto racists. Give me a BREAK. Swimming is wildly successful in America and our programs nationwide bear that out. Have you been to a local pool in the summer on an afternoon?
Take this race baiting to another forum. Leave this forum for legitimate discussions on swimming - it's intended purpose.
I've read a lot of silly posts but Phil's takes the cake. If we don't make swimming for the masses we will become second rate? This is absurd. The USA is the #1 power worldwide in swimming and has cemented that position in the past 30 years. As a matter of fact, the US is the #1 power or competes for #1 in just about every major sport right now, and if we aren't, we are knocking on the door, save curling, the oddest sport of all.
Swimming doesn't have to be for the masses. Sure, it's a nice little populist thought but no sport has to be for the masses for it to succeed. I continue to be baffled by this notion that we have to take every sport to every corner of America to legitimize it. Then, the do-gooders go a step further by injecting some race element, subtly insinuating that those of us who do swim are de-facto racists. Give me a BREAK. Swimming is wildly successful in America and our programs nationwide bear that out. Have you been to a local pool in the summer on an afternoon?
Take this race baiting to another forum. Leave this forum for legitimate discussions on swimming - it's intended purpose.
