Foreign swimmers training in the U.S.

Former Member
Former Member
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
  • Originally posted by TheGoodSmith Again, invite all the foreigners over to train you want. Just don't have US colleges pay their way. John Smith There has yet to be a single compelling argument for why we should not give foreign students a scholarship or two. First, it's part of the process of higher education to be exposed to different people. Secondly, and most importantly, it gives us a competitive advantage, not just in sports but also academics and business, to train and study with the best. I guess if your intent is to have US kids not compete against the best, you are definitely on the right track. Personally, if I hire a college grad, I'm assuming they had a broad exposure and are ready to compete for my company against everyone.
Reply
  • Originally posted by TheGoodSmith Again, invite all the foreigners over to train you want. Just don't have US colleges pay their way. John Smith There has yet to be a single compelling argument for why we should not give foreign students a scholarship or two. First, it's part of the process of higher education to be exposed to different people. Secondly, and most importantly, it gives us a competitive advantage, not just in sports but also academics and business, to train and study with the best. I guess if your intent is to have US kids not compete against the best, you are definitely on the right track. Personally, if I hire a college grad, I'm assuming they had a broad exposure and are ready to compete for my company against everyone.
Children
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