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.
OK, using the the word "idiot: was over the top and I aplogize. However some points of clarification:
- botterud: I did not use that as a reference to people who disagree with me, I'm used to that! f you take the time to read my post carefully before replying you would see that it was a reference to people who changed the thread from a discussion about scholorships for foreign swimmers to a one about anti immigration, racism, etc.
- aquageek; read my message and answer any of the questons that I raised. Happy to go into detail with you on my politics one to one anytime. When those same countries that pay US taxes start offering full ride swimming scholorships to US citizens then I'll be open to returning the favor here.
- hooked on swimming; again read my message carefully (did I call everyone an idiot?) and answer the questions I brought up. I never said anything about other countries not having illegal (research my message a little more carefully before you reply) immigration problems, however do any of them "subsidize" the problem in any way similar to the US? Does th University of Moscow provode swimming scholorships?
Point is this, there are "x" number of swimming programs at colleges in the US and fewer scholorships and I beleive that those should first and foremost go to US citizens. Other countries have scholorship prgrams to support their athletes swimming for US programs (we had mulitple French, Mexican & Swedish swimmers who swam for UCSB and all had their way paid by their governement).
OK, using the the word "idiot: was over the top and I aplogize. However some points of clarification:
- botterud: I did not use that as a reference to people who disagree with me, I'm used to that! f you take the time to read my post carefully before replying you would see that it was a reference to people who changed the thread from a discussion about scholorships for foreign swimmers to a one about anti immigration, racism, etc.
- aquageek; read my message and answer any of the questons that I raised. Happy to go into detail with you on my politics one to one anytime. When those same countries that pay US taxes start offering full ride swimming scholorships to US citizens then I'll be open to returning the favor here.
- hooked on swimming; again read my message carefully (did I call everyone an idiot?) and answer the questions I brought up. I never said anything about other countries not having illegal (research my message a little more carefully before you reply) immigration problems, however do any of them "subsidize" the problem in any way similar to the US? Does th University of Moscow provode swimming scholorships?
Point is this, there are "x" number of swimming programs at colleges in the US and fewer scholorships and I beleive that those should first and foremost go to US citizens. Other countries have scholorship prgrams to support their athletes swimming for US programs (we had mulitple French, Mexican & Swedish swimmers who swam for UCSB and all had their way paid by their governement).
