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
Every 6 months the YMCA offers "Splash Week". This is a week of swim lessons, for 5.00. It's objective is to get kids into the Y learning water safety that normally cannot afford lessons. It keeps its costs down by using volunteers. Having been one of those volunteers I observed several things.
The split of white/black is about 50/50 and the ability and eagerness is equal. All these kids want to learn to swim, and have a good time.
Last spring I had one 11 year old black girl who watched my 10 year old zip around, found out she was on swim team and really showed a strong desire to be on swim team. She worked really hard in those 5 days, and for the short amount of time, really showed improvement. She asked for the number of the swim team office, and I gave her the name and number to contact knowing sadly that I probably would not see her. Why, because she also told me she played basketball and at 11 was already about 5-5 and very athletic. I am fairly certain she is playing basketball and enjoying it. It is an activity her family will be able to get her to easily as it usually practice right after school. No driving clear across town to get to the pool in the evening.
Swimming takes a tremendous amount of parental support. I am not saying that these kids don't have support, but if the parents are struggling to make ends meet, it is even harder to get the time to get their kids where they need to be.
That said, isn't there an inner city team in NYC that is succeeding with this? I thought I read an article a few years ago in Swimming World about this team.
Every 6 months the YMCA offers "Splash Week". This is a week of swim lessons, for 5.00. It's objective is to get kids into the Y learning water safety that normally cannot afford lessons. It keeps its costs down by using volunteers. Having been one of those volunteers I observed several things.
The split of white/black is about 50/50 and the ability and eagerness is equal. All these kids want to learn to swim, and have a good time.
Last spring I had one 11 year old black girl who watched my 10 year old zip around, found out she was on swim team and really showed a strong desire to be on swim team. She worked really hard in those 5 days, and for the short amount of time, really showed improvement. She asked for the number of the swim team office, and I gave her the name and number to contact knowing sadly that I probably would not see her. Why, because she also told me she played basketball and at 11 was already about 5-5 and very athletic. I am fairly certain she is playing basketball and enjoying it. It is an activity her family will be able to get her to easily as it usually practice right after school. No driving clear across town to get to the pool in the evening.
Swimming takes a tremendous amount of parental support. I am not saying that these kids don't have support, but if the parents are struggling to make ends meet, it is even harder to get the time to get their kids where they need to be.
That said, isn't there an inner city team in NYC that is succeeding with this? I thought I read an article a few years ago in Swimming World about this team.
