There has been a lot of discussion since Athens about foreign swimmers training in the United States. Most of them attend U.S. Universities, receive athletic scholarships, and compete at NCAA's. Some notable examples include Duje Draganja (Cal), Fred Bousquet and Kirsty Coventry (Auburn), Markus Rogan (Stanford), and the South African sprinters (Arizona). Some train in the U.S., but don't compete for a university (Inge de Bruijn). All of these athletes benefit from U.S. coaching, from training with U.S. swimmers, and in some cases, from financial support provided by U.S. entities (athletic scholarships). They all turn around and then win medals for other countries.
A couple questions: 1) What do you think about this arrangement generally? 2) Is it of benefit or detriment to U.S. swimming to have these foreign athletes training and competing here? 3) Should we be giving athletic scholarships, which are a scarce resource in swimming, to foreign athletes who will represent their own countries internationally instead of U.S.-born swimmers who will represent us internationally?
I'm sure there are other issues, but these come directly to mind.
Parents
Former Member
Geek:
The point you continue to make about educating people from other countries eventually benefitting us in the U.S. is well taken. I agree with almost everthing you say. But, you continue to give examples outside of the topic of giving swimming scholarships to foreign athletes. Perhaps a few of these individuals will receive an excellent education, go home and improve things in some way in their own countries, and eventually this will benefit the U.S. due to improved relations, trade, or some other fashion. Perhaps I'm too cynical in believing that all it really does is take scholarships away from U.S. swimmers and win medals for other countries.
What I wish you would respond to is the point that swimming scholarships are extremely scarce in the U.S. I might feel differently if each swimming program had 30 scholarships to give. I have no problem with foreign swimmers attending U.S. universities, getting an education, and competing at NCAA's. I just think that the vast majority (90% or more) of the available swimming scholarships should go to U.S. athletes. I don't think programs like Cal and Arizona should be able to give 1/2, more or less, away to non-U.S. citizens. What do you think?
Reply
Former Member
Geek:
The point you continue to make about educating people from other countries eventually benefitting us in the U.S. is well taken. I agree with almost everthing you say. But, you continue to give examples outside of the topic of giving swimming scholarships to foreign athletes. Perhaps a few of these individuals will receive an excellent education, go home and improve things in some way in their own countries, and eventually this will benefit the U.S. due to improved relations, trade, or some other fashion. Perhaps I'm too cynical in believing that all it really does is take scholarships away from U.S. swimmers and win medals for other countries.
What I wish you would respond to is the point that swimming scholarships are extremely scarce in the U.S. I might feel differently if each swimming program had 30 scholarships to give. I have no problem with foreign swimmers attending U.S. universities, getting an education, and competing at NCAA's. I just think that the vast majority (90% or more) of the available swimming scholarships should go to U.S. athletes. I don't think programs like Cal and Arizona should be able to give 1/2, more or less, away to non-U.S. citizens. What do you think?
