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
My thoughts on scholarships. Paying for club fees are just part of the costs. The club fees are probably only 1/3 to 1/2 of what I pay for swimming. There are also meet fees, 2.50-3.50 per event, swim a 3 day meet with 2 kids, you do the math. Do one of those meets a month, you are talking 300.00 in a season meet fees. In Central Illinois, we have to travel for meets, USA, Masters, no meets close. That means hotels and having a reliable car to get you there. A 3 day meet weekend in Chicago or Indy costs me anywhere from 200-400. The 200 is if I cart my microwave along, pack a bunch of meals in coolers, and eat in my room. Something I have done for JOs. There are admission fees, heat sheet fees at the meets that cost upwards to 30-50 dollars a meet.
My kids have not even got to the elite level. Sectionals last summer probably would have cost around 1000.00 to travel, y-nats if my son ever makes it will cost around 3000.00.
Also, going to all these meets takes time away from work. If you are working a job that you get paid if your there, not paid if your not, then you are not going to meets.
Yes, you can keep the cost down by doing small local meets, but if you want to bring your kids up to a level that colleges would be looking at them, you have to fork over the bucks and go to the meets.
My thoughts on scholarships. Paying for club fees are just part of the costs. The club fees are probably only 1/3 to 1/2 of what I pay for swimming. There are also meet fees, 2.50-3.50 per event, swim a 3 day meet with 2 kids, you do the math. Do one of those meets a month, you are talking 300.00 in a season meet fees. In Central Illinois, we have to travel for meets, USA, Masters, no meets close. That means hotels and having a reliable car to get you there. A 3 day meet weekend in Chicago or Indy costs me anywhere from 200-400. The 200 is if I cart my microwave along, pack a bunch of meals in coolers, and eat in my room. Something I have done for JOs. There are admission fees, heat sheet fees at the meets that cost upwards to 30-50 dollars a meet.
My kids have not even got to the elite level. Sectionals last summer probably would have cost around 1000.00 to travel, y-nats if my son ever makes it will cost around 3000.00.
Also, going to all these meets takes time away from work. If you are working a job that you get paid if your there, not paid if your not, then you are not going to meets.
Yes, you can keep the cost down by doing small local meets, but if you want to bring your kids up to a level that colleges would be looking at them, you have to fork over the bucks and go to the meets.
