Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool

Originally posted by Blue Horn We just need to repackage our sport to teenage boys. What other boy's sport do you go to practice and get a chance to look at girls in bathing suits or even get to see girls for that matter. This is no small matter for teenage boys. I still remember signing up for home-economics to meet girls in high school. All of my moron friends thought I was a fruit cake until they saw that I was one of two guys in a class full of girls (many of them cheerleaders - as a senior you could pick the time slot that you wanted). I can still remember their laughs turn into silence as I told them who else had signed up for the class. Hook'em Blue In Illinois, the girls season is almost over before the boys even getintothe pool. As I've said most of the boys who swim here in Galesburg come from very elite families. Many also onthe tennis or golf team. All do really well. Our guys went undefeated last year & won conference. 7 guys went to state, that hasn't been done since I was in high school inthe '70s. But overall, swimming has a reputation here of being the hardest sport and one you've got tostart doing very young. Many peole don't see the guys as having talent, just a lot of years at the same sport. Out football teams generally don't win a all season. We used to be a great basketball powerhouse. Now we can't get a if we bought one. The coaches of the popular sports are very underpaid and, I think, low quality. Yet the diving coach figured out that she got paid 75 cents a practice. the swim coach makes about $2.65 per practice. Our swim team is generally one of the largest teams with as many as 17-20 guys. Even though it isn't popular. Nationally, I'm not sure what the numbers are. I would almost bet that they numbers aren't really lower it is just that swimming is so under the radar that we don't hear about it inthe general sports press. also, are there really any good commentators. Gaines might know a lot about swimming, but he is a terrible color analysis. And the woman who does diving has a terrible voice. We need better advocates for the sport who are intersting & knowledge!

Originally posted by Blue Horn We just need to repackage our sport to teenage boys. What other boy's sport do you go to practice and get a chance to look at girls in bathing suits or even get to see girls for that matter. This is no small matter for teenage boys. I still remember signing up for home-economics to meet girls in high school. All of my moron friends thought I was a fruit cake until they saw that I was one of two guys in a class full of girls (many of them cheerleaders - as a senior you could pick the time slot that you wanted). I can still remember their laughs turn into silence as I told them who else had signed up for the class. Hook'em Blue In Illinois, the girls season is almost over before the boys even getintothe pool. As I've said most of the boys who swim here in Galesburg come from very elite families. Many also onthe tennis or golf team. All do really well. Our guys went undefeated last year & won conference. 7 guys went to state, that hasn't been done since I was in high school inthe '70s. But overall, swimming has a reputation here of being the hardest sport and one you've got tostart doing very young. Many peole don't see the guys as having talent, just a lot of years at the same sport. Out football teams generally don't win a all season. We used to be a great basketball powerhouse. Now we can't get a if we bought one. The coaches of the popular sports are very underpaid and, I think, low quality. Yet the diving coach figured out that she got paid 75 cents a practice. the swim coach makes about $2.65 per practice. Our swim team is generally one of the largest teams with as many as 17-20 guys. Even though it isn't popular. Nationally, I'm not sure what the numbers are. I would almost bet that they numbers aren't really lower it is just that swimming is so under the radar that we don't hear about it inthe general sports press. also, are there really any good commentators. Gaines might know a lot about swimming, but he is a terrible color analysis. And the woman who does diving has a terrible voice. We need better advocates for the sport who are intersting & knowledge!