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.
Phil - again, I believe you are off base. American swimming isn't strong because of college. Most kids start swimming at age 4-6 and college is the culmination, not the beginning. Many of our best female swimmers are actually pre college years and Michael Phelps is a prime example of a male athlete excelling before college.
Swimming starts at the youth level and goes from there. Kids don't get good in college, they are already superior by the time they get the shcolarship.
How can you claim we underperform compared to your size and wealth? We compete and win in almost every major sport. If size was all that mattered, then China would win everything. If wealth was all that mattered, Saudi Arabia would win it all. Quoting a sinlge country in a single sport is a poor analogy. Sure, the Australians are good swimmers, but they stink at most other sports (save Volleyball). The Netherlands? What else do they even play?
No one really cares how we swam 40 years ago. America rules in the pool now. There is zippo evidence that forcing swimming on the less fortunate has made any difference. Maybe we should build pools in rural Iowa so our farming brethren can excel at that as opposed to football.
Phil - again, I believe you are off base. American swimming isn't strong because of college. Most kids start swimming at age 4-6 and college is the culmination, not the beginning. Many of our best female swimmers are actually pre college years and Michael Phelps is a prime example of a male athlete excelling before college.
Swimming starts at the youth level and goes from there. Kids don't get good in college, they are already superior by the time they get the shcolarship.
How can you claim we underperform compared to your size and wealth? We compete and win in almost every major sport. If size was all that mattered, then China would win everything. If wealth was all that mattered, Saudi Arabia would win it all. Quoting a sinlge country in a single sport is a poor analogy. Sure, the Australians are good swimmers, but they stink at most other sports (save Volleyball). The Netherlands? What else do they even play?
No one really cares how we swam 40 years ago. America rules in the pool now. There is zippo evidence that forcing swimming on the less fortunate has made any difference. Maybe we should build pools in rural Iowa so our farming brethren can excel at that as opposed to football.
