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
The race issue is one we can discuss for years if we want. When it comes down to getting the best athletes to swim race has nothing to do with it. It is about money. If I am an inner city kid (regardless of race) with no money what sport do you think I want to try to excel in? Swimming? It is obvious when I see so much money and glory being thrown to football/basketball/baseball that if I want to succeed financially, I play one of those.
Australia is the perfect example. One of the main reasons they have such a succesful program with such a small athlete base is that swimming is popular there and you can make a pretty good living there in endorsements, etc. Look at Phelps and his $1,000,000 offer. He has to equal Mark Spitz's incredible feat (and I hope he does) to get the bonus. Imagine what the same caliber athlete in almost any other sport (those mentioned above as well as golf, tennis, track, etc) would make with that accomplishment.
If we want to get the best athletes, we need to make swimming more popular to the general public. Until that occurs expect the best athletes for the most part to choose other sports as well as many more college programs will continue to bite the dust.
I do think the marketing of Phelps this Olympic year might make an impact. Watch and see how they sell him. My expectation is that he will be perceived as just your average kid who listens to his MP3 player likes Hip-Hop/Alternative music and they appeal to the mid teen audience with him. His success and age as well as his personality is just what this sport needs to reach the broader demographic of non-swimmers in their early to mid teens.
I also think the Race Club that Hall is working hard on is trying to bring swimming to the masses with high spped exciting racing atmosphere. Whether or not it works is a whole other issue.
The race issue is one we can discuss for years if we want. When it comes down to getting the best athletes to swim race has nothing to do with it. It is about money. If I am an inner city kid (regardless of race) with no money what sport do you think I want to try to excel in? Swimming? It is obvious when I see so much money and glory being thrown to football/basketball/baseball that if I want to succeed financially, I play one of those.
Australia is the perfect example. One of the main reasons they have such a succesful program with such a small athlete base is that swimming is popular there and you can make a pretty good living there in endorsements, etc. Look at Phelps and his $1,000,000 offer. He has to equal Mark Spitz's incredible feat (and I hope he does) to get the bonus. Imagine what the same caliber athlete in almost any other sport (those mentioned above as well as golf, tennis, track, etc) would make with that accomplishment.
If we want to get the best athletes, we need to make swimming more popular to the general public. Until that occurs expect the best athletes for the most part to choose other sports as well as many more college programs will continue to bite the dust.
I do think the marketing of Phelps this Olympic year might make an impact. Watch and see how they sell him. My expectation is that he will be perceived as just your average kid who listens to his MP3 player likes Hip-Hop/Alternative music and they appeal to the mid teen audience with him. His success and age as well as his personality is just what this sport needs to reach the broader demographic of non-swimmers in their early to mid teens.
I also think the Race Club that Hall is working hard on is trying to bring swimming to the masses with high spped exciting racing atmosphere. Whether or not it works is a whole other issue.
