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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Former Member
Well, I agree that swimming being more popular in Irvine than East Los Angeles is ok. But the biggest concern is that the white kid population in a state like California is going to go down to 25 percent of the average in 20 years if current trends don't change. Maybe, swimming youth programs will survive by fielding uppper-middle class or middle class whites, some asians and hispanics. Who knows with demographic changes of that sort. Now as far as club involvement developing swimmers, in my youth the clubs develop the female swimmers, the college programs were just starting to get near the male level. Female swimmers have to be developed by a club program because they mature 2 to 3 years earlier than male swimmers. The college system is more responisble for the development of men since they are about 2 to 3 years behind the females.
Well, I agree that swimming being more popular in Irvine than East Los Angeles is ok. But the biggest concern is that the white kid population in a state like California is going to go down to 25 percent of the average in 20 years if current trends don't change. Maybe, swimming youth programs will survive by fielding uppper-middle class or middle class whites, some asians and hispanics. Who knows with demographic changes of that sort. Now as far as club involvement developing swimmers, in my youth the clubs develop the female swimmers, the college programs were just starting to get near the male level. Female swimmers have to be developed by a club program because they mature 2 to 3 years earlier than male swimmers. The college system is more responisble for the development of men since they are about 2 to 3 years behind the females.
