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
I vehemently resent your accusation that my son has a free ride at the US Merchant Marine Academy. The truth to that is quite the opposite with his MULTI YEAR commitment to the US Navy after graduation.
And I might point out that the US Merchant Marine Academy is the ONLY Academy that 142 of its’ Midshipmen lost their lives while serving this great Nation in time of war, while STILL ENROLLED IN THE ACADEMY.
I vehemently resent your accusation that my son has a free ride at the US Merchant Marine Academy. The truth to that is quite the opposite with his MULTI YEAR commitment to the US Navy after graduation.
And I might point out that the US Merchant Marine Academy is the ONLY Academy that 142 of its’ Midshipmen lost their lives while serving this great Nation in time of war, while STILL ENROLLED IN THE ACADEMY.