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.
Actually it is changing...........this fall the NCAA has adopted new guidlines regarding the amount of foreign scholorships........I'll update the details later.
As for all the "yelling" and passion on this thread it seems to be completely out of contest as certain folks have tried to steer the issue away from "scholorships for foreign swimmers" to: diversity, immigration, racism, war...............!!
Give me a break...........tell me of one US Swimmer on a full ride scholoraship in ANY sport in France? OK, how about Japan? No, well how about Mexico? Egypt? What about Russia? Come on......any sport?
I'm for "diversity", I'm pro "legal" immigration, what I am not is happy about any US tax dollars supporting any college sports program that pays the way for a foeighn athelte when there may be even ONE US swimmer who could have it.
By the way, for all you idiots talking about politics on this thread and whining about "anti-immigration/anit-foreigner"......tell me of any other country in the world that you can cross into illegally and; work? get health care? education?
Fair is fair.........
Actually it is changing...........this fall the NCAA has adopted new guidlines regarding the amount of foreign scholorships........I'll update the details later.
As for all the "yelling" and passion on this thread it seems to be completely out of contest as certain folks have tried to steer the issue away from "scholorships for foreign swimmers" to: diversity, immigration, racism, war...............!!
Give me a break...........tell me of one US Swimmer on a full ride scholoraship in ANY sport in France? OK, how about Japan? No, well how about Mexico? Egypt? What about Russia? Come on......any sport?
I'm for "diversity", I'm pro "legal" immigration, what I am not is happy about any US tax dollars supporting any college sports program that pays the way for a foeighn athelte when there may be even ONE US swimmer who could have it.
By the way, for all you idiots talking about politics on this thread and whining about "anti-immigration/anit-foreigner"......tell me of any other country in the world that you can cross into illegally and; work? get health care? education?
Fair is fair.........