I think I'm going to have to disagree a bit with my Longhorn teamates Mr. Commings and The Raz on this subject. It's not good to rely on someone coming out of the woodwork in years to come or simply counting on cycles of ebb and flow over years in the sport.
I have been to many age group meets with my kids the last 4 years. In Georgia, Colorado.... and my home the Great state of Ohio, and enrollment of young boys (ages 8-14) is down further than at any time I can remember in the sport. Gone are the days when I grew up and boys ALWAYS outnumber girls in the sport, and its not merely because more girls are swimming now. It's because boys are interested in other sports..... many of which are easier training sports in my opinion.
This is NOT good for the future of men's swimming. I have a bad feeling the next Michael Phelps will be lured into Soccer or some other sport over the coming years... if not already. Swimming.... particularly the governing body USS.... does NOT do an adequate job marketing the sport to the general public during non Olympic years. We ride too heavily on the success of our Olympic performances in hopes of expanding enrollment, and then every 4 years it dies out quickly. With the added cuts of men's swimming programs in the NCAA Div. I level the growth and continued success of US mens swimming in my opinion is in jeopardy over the next 8-12 years. Michael Phelps is a lucky find for the US. I strongly suggest you take a look at some heat sheets for age group meets in your area. You will likely find that there are about 1/2 to 2/3rds the number of boys heats compared to girls heats in the younger age groups. It's shocking. You're looking at the future of our Olympic team in these reduced heats. You can't rely on a Rowdy Gaines to come into the sport late (like age 13) and dominate especially when the numbers are down so much.
USS needs to find money for a larger national campaign with TV time. Why is it I have NEVER been contacted by USS swimming to donate money?! Why is there NO marketing campaign to solicit funds from ex US swimmers from the past 40 years ?!
In my opinion, this is an all out war against soccer and the evil Big 3 sports. For example...... Australia is hurtin' if you take away their 2 big guns Hacket and Thorpe, there is virtually no one in the pipeline that will take over. The US is in a similar but lessor position. It was truly embarassing that the US had absolutely NO ONE in the 100 free at the Olympics. Let me say it again....
IT WAS TRULY EMBARASSING THAT THE US HAD ABSOLUTELY NO ONE IN THE 100 FREE IN THE FINALS AT THE OLYMPICS !
We should OWN that event ! The 100 free IS United States Swimming. It is our history! Our 400m free relay should NEVER lose at the Olympics or World Games as it is a reflection of depth and speed in our programs.
Face it, our volume of great sprinters are pretty bad right now and thats a reflection of basic athleticism and talent by taking (stealing) "athletes" from other sports with raw speed. Gary Hall saved his butt and the US in the 50 free at Greece, but let's face it, he's an archeology find and not a reflection of up an coming talent. We're relying on someone that probably peaked 2 Olympics ago in the sprints.
The picture is not good for the growth of US men's swimming, and we definitely need to do something about it.
John Smith
Originally posted by knelson
Actually I've always thought swimming was one of the cheaper sports. It certainly isn't gear intensive like a lot of other sports.
I think one of swimming's problems is that it isn't a team sport. I think this is much more a factor than that there isn't money in it at the elite levels. I doubt most parents initially get there kids involved in a specific sport based on how much money the kid could end up making in it!
I think USA Swimming should concentrate on how much fun it is to be part of a team. The sport will always be highly individual, but kids can have a lot of fun with their teammates.
Cheap, right.
55.00 a year to be a member of USA swimming
126.00 to be a member of the Y(my kids team is a Y team).
125.00 per month training fees for the Senior swimmer
95.00 per month training fees for the 12 year old
Every swim meet has fees of 2.50-5.00 per event. 3-day meets, 4-5 events per day, gets costly.
Most meets are too far away to drive back and forth, so a meet weekend cost up to 300 in hotel and food costs(and I have packed a microwave before and done all meals in the room!).
And to address boys, there isn't a lot of places for them to go and swim because of the cut in boys teams. Having a 17 year old boy who quit last year.
1. he said he was burned out, tired of swimming every day, and the time the meets took from his weekends and friends.
2. What could he do with it after HS, hard to find scholarships.
3. Band and band related activities were taking his time.
4. He is old enough to know the cost of it was a source of stress.
5. His HS has no swim team, so it was not even a HS sport for him.
Now, he is thinking of coming back this fall, but it will be his decision if he does, and his decision if he wants to train in the National team, or stay at a lower level just for fitness.
Ironicly, the 12 year old is not near as good of a swimmer, but because she is a girl, the sholarship oppurtunities are much better.
Originally posted by knelson
Actually I've always thought swimming was one of the cheaper sports. It certainly isn't gear intensive like a lot of other sports.
I think one of swimming's problems is that it isn't a team sport. I think this is much more a factor than that there isn't money in it at the elite levels. I doubt most parents initially get there kids involved in a specific sport based on how much money the kid could end up making in it!
I think USA Swimming should concentrate on how much fun it is to be part of a team. The sport will always be highly individual, but kids can have a lot of fun with their teammates.
Cheap, right.
55.00 a year to be a member of USA swimming
126.00 to be a member of the Y(my kids team is a Y team).
125.00 per month training fees for the Senior swimmer
95.00 per month training fees for the 12 year old
Every swim meet has fees of 2.50-5.00 per event. 3-day meets, 4-5 events per day, gets costly.
Most meets are too far away to drive back and forth, so a meet weekend cost up to 300 in hotel and food costs(and I have packed a microwave before and done all meals in the room!).
And to address boys, there isn't a lot of places for them to go and swim because of the cut in boys teams. Having a 17 year old boy who quit last year.
1. he said he was burned out, tired of swimming every day, and the time the meets took from his weekends and friends.
2. What could he do with it after HS, hard to find scholarships.
3. Band and band related activities were taking his time.
4. He is old enough to know the cost of it was a source of stress.
5. His HS has no swim team, so it was not even a HS sport for him.
Now, he is thinking of coming back this fall, but it will be his decision if he does, and his decision if he wants to train in the National team, or stay at a lower level just for fitness.
Ironicly, the 12 year old is not near as good of a swimmer, but because she is a girl, the sholarship oppurtunities are much better.
