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.
I've probably quoted this exact rule in this thread before, but maybe it's worth repeating. From the NCAA Div I rule book:
14.2.3.2 Tennis and Swimming and Diving. Subsequent to the high-school graduation date of the student-athlete’s class (as determined by the first year of high-school enrollment or the international equivalent as specified in the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility), a student-athlete shall have one year in order to be immediately eligible and retain the opportunity for four seasons of competition upon initial, full-time collegiate enrollment. Graduation from high school or secondary school shall be based on the student-athlete’s prescribed educational path in his or her country. The student also must meet all applicable NCAA, institutional and conference eligibility requirements. A student who does not enroll in a collegiate institution as a full-time student during that one-year time period shall be subject to the following:
(Adopted: 1/9/96 effective 8/1/97 for those student-athletes first entering a collegiate institution on or after 8/1/97; Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)
(a) The student-athlete shall be charged with a season of intercollegiate tennis or swimming and diving eligibility for each calendar year subsequent to the one-year time period (i.e., the next opportunity to enroll after one calendar year has elapsed) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during which the student-athlete has participated in organized tennis or swimming and diving events per Bylaw 14.2.3.5.3. (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)
(b) Subsequent to the one-year time period, if the student-athlete has engaged in organized tennis or swimming and diving events per Bylaw 14.2.3.5.3, upon matriculation at the certifying institution, the student-athlete must fulfill an academic year in residence before being eligible to represent the institution in intercollegiate tennis or swimming and diving competition. (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)
These restrictions make it pretty difficult for these foreign athletes to be "two or three years older," or, at least if they are, they aren't getting four years of eligibility.
The thing that always got me is it seems like there's a perception that schools are going out and recruiting these Ivan Dragos from other countries when in fact they're just going out and recruiting kids who are just like the kids they recruit from the U.S. Last I checked the U.S. was still the dominant country in swimming, but coaches know there are plenty of talented kids in other countries who can help their team win and probably contribute just as postively to the team atmosphere as all the domestic swimmers do.
I've probably quoted this exact rule in this thread before, but maybe it's worth repeating. From the NCAA Div I rule book:
14.2.3.2 Tennis and Swimming and Diving. Subsequent to the high-school graduation date of the student-athlete’s class (as determined by the first year of high-school enrollment or the international equivalent as specified in the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility), a student-athlete shall have one year in order to be immediately eligible and retain the opportunity for four seasons of competition upon initial, full-time collegiate enrollment. Graduation from high school or secondary school shall be based on the student-athlete’s prescribed educational path in his or her country. The student also must meet all applicable NCAA, institutional and conference eligibility requirements. A student who does not enroll in a collegiate institution as a full-time student during that one-year time period shall be subject to the following:
(Adopted: 1/9/96 effective 8/1/97 for those student-athletes first entering a collegiate institution on or after 8/1/97; Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)
(a) The student-athlete shall be charged with a season of intercollegiate tennis or swimming and diving eligibility for each calendar year subsequent to the one-year time period (i.e., the next opportunity to enroll after one calendar year has elapsed) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during which the student-athlete has participated in organized tennis or swimming and diving events per Bylaw 14.2.3.5.3. (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)
(b) Subsequent to the one-year time period, if the student-athlete has engaged in organized tennis or swimming and diving events per Bylaw 14.2.3.5.3, upon matriculation at the certifying institution, the student-athlete must fulfill an academic year in residence before being eligible to represent the institution in intercollegiate tennis or swimming and diving competition. (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)
These restrictions make it pretty difficult for these foreign athletes to be "two or three years older," or, at least if they are, they aren't getting four years of eligibility.
The thing that always got me is it seems like there's a perception that schools are going out and recruiting these Ivan Dragos from other countries when in fact they're just going out and recruiting kids who are just like the kids they recruit from the U.S. Last I checked the U.S. was still the dominant country in swimming, but coaches know there are plenty of talented kids in other countries who can help their team win and probably contribute just as postively to the team atmosphere as all the domestic swimmers do.
