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
Originally posted by geochuck
What is the concern, it's been going on since I was a kid. The colleges want their teams to be the best. All of my Canadian friends swam in the US. My brother for U of Maryland, Mike MacLaughlin U of Michigan. Gerry MacNamee USSC, and many others in every state. No scholaships were available in Canada.
No waiting list in the USA but no one can afford an operation. If everyone who needed an operation were counted the lineups would be very long. I can see my doctor any time I want and don't pay.
George, if I am not mistaken, Canadian taxes are higher than the US - at least at the federal level. You may not be paying for it directly to the doctor/hospital, but you are paying. And here in the US, if something is controlled by the government, it becomes less efficient and therefore more expensive. I don't know about the Canadian government.
I don't think the US system is perfect. HMO's drive me up a wall sometimes. But I don't think the Canadian system is perfect either.
I guess the best way it to not get sick!;)
Originally posted by geochuck
What is the concern, it's been going on since I was a kid. The colleges want their teams to be the best. All of my Canadian friends swam in the US. My brother for U of Maryland, Mike MacLaughlin U of Michigan. Gerry MacNamee USSC, and many others in every state. No scholaships were available in Canada.
No waiting list in the USA but no one can afford an operation. If everyone who needed an operation were counted the lineups would be very long. I can see my doctor any time I want and don't pay.
George, if I am not mistaken, Canadian taxes are higher than the US - at least at the federal level. You may not be paying for it directly to the doctor/hospital, but you are paying. And here in the US, if something is controlled by the government, it becomes less efficient and therefore more expensive. I don't know about the Canadian government.
I don't think the US system is perfect. HMO's drive me up a wall sometimes. But I don't think the Canadian system is perfect either.
I guess the best way it to not get sick!;)
