Should USA Swimming recruit?

Originally posted by gull80 I submit that foreign swimmers are recruited for one reason--they're fast and will win races, consequently the team will win championships. That's the bottom line. I don't believe they're brought in to create a more competitive training environment. The fact that we're training our competitors for the next Olympics doesn't seem to be much of a disincentive to the coaches. I am very doubtful that any coach would recruit or spend scholarship money on a foreign swimmer if that swimmer couldn't compete for the school. Presuming everyone accepts that, the question becomes whether the benefits to the school of having a more winning team justify the expenditure of the scholarship money? In the end this applies to domestic as well as foreign scholarships. How much does it matter to the school if their star swimmers are foreign or not? If they can get a world class foreign swimmer or a not world class domestic swimmer should they sacrifice the success of their program in hopes of creating a less competitive environment for the US team at the Olympics? It is easy to talk about selfish coaches but are the coaches acting out of pure self-interest or the interest of their programs? And, although slippery slope arguments are generally the last refuge of scoundrals, why stop at banning scholarships? If foreign governments start giving their swimmers support to train at US schools don't all the same arguments support banning them attending at all? After all, no matter who is paying they are receiving the benefit of the coaching and facilities and will go on to compete against US athletes in international competition. Your tax dollars will still be going to pay to build the facilities and pay the coaches and US citizens will still be displaced, and the N in NCAA will still stand for National so what are those foreigners doing competing in your meets?

Originally posted by gull80 I submit that foreign swimmers are recruited for one reason--they're fast and will win races, consequently the team will win championships. That's the bottom line. I don't believe they're brought in to create a more competitive training environment. The fact that we're training our competitors for the next Olympics doesn't seem to be much of a disincentive to the coaches. I am very doubtful that any coach would recruit or spend scholarship money on a foreign swimmer if that swimmer couldn't compete for the school. Presuming everyone accepts that, the question becomes whether the benefits to the school of having a more winning team justify the expenditure of the scholarship money? In the end this applies to domestic as well as foreign scholarships. How much does it matter to the school if their star swimmers are foreign or not? If they can get a world class foreign swimmer or a not world class domestic swimmer should they sacrifice the success of their program in hopes of creating a less competitive environment for the US team at the Olympics? It is easy to talk about selfish coaches but are the coaches acting out of pure self-interest or the interest of their programs? And, although slippery slope arguments are generally the last refuge of scoundrals, why stop at banning scholarships? If foreign governments start giving their swimmers support to train at US schools don't all the same arguments support banning them attending at all? After all, no matter who is paying they are receiving the benefit of the coaching and facilities and will go on to compete against US athletes in international competition. Your tax dollars will still be going to pay to build the facilities and pay the coaches and US citizens will still be displaced, and the N in NCAA will still stand for National so what are those foreigners doing competing in your meets?