Canadian trials on CBC

Originally posted by emmett I'd wager that the US hosts a greater variety of sports (some of which are given FAR more media attention and glitter than swimming) that attract kids than do these other countries. I wouldn't wager. Swimming gets high ratings, provided our swimmers are doing well but there are many other sports that compete against each other. Cricket, soccer, rugby league, rugby union, AFL, tennis, basketball and netball, softball and probably more that I've forgotten. Cricket, rugby league and AFL in particular are huge here, not just in ratings but in participation. Soccer and netball are also very popular weekend sports for our kids to participate in. Swimming clubs don't garner anywhere as much attention as a soccer club (to use an example). Our local soccer clubs for instance, are advertised all over the community, everyone knows about it whether they join their kids up or not. There are some swimming clubs in my general area but they aren't well known at all and don't have anywhere near as many members as soccer or netball clubs have. Australians love to watch swimming but they are more likely to participate in other sports. And if you do make it as swimmer, unless you're something really special like Ian Thorpe, you won't necessarily make a lot of money out of it. There's far more money in football and cricket if you make it to the elite level.

Originally posted by emmett I'd wager that the US hosts a greater variety of sports (some of which are given FAR more media attention and glitter than swimming) that attract kids than do these other countries. I wouldn't wager. Swimming gets high ratings, provided our swimmers are doing well but there are many other sports that compete against each other. Cricket, soccer, rugby league, rugby union, AFL, tennis, basketball and netball, softball and probably more that I've forgotten. Cricket, rugby league and AFL in particular are huge here, not just in ratings but in participation. Soccer and netball are also very popular weekend sports for our kids to participate in. Swimming clubs don't garner anywhere as much attention as a soccer club (to use an example). Our local soccer clubs for instance, are advertised all over the community, everyone knows about it whether they join their kids up or not. There are some swimming clubs in my general area but they aren't well known at all and don't have anywhere near as many members as soccer or netball clubs have. Australians love to watch swimming but they are more likely to participate in other sports. And if you do make it as swimmer, unless you're something really special like Ian Thorpe, you won't necessarily make a lot of money out of it. There's far more money in football and cricket if you make it to the elite level.