I have written this idea to Swimming World and USA Swimmer and now I want to share it with my Forum Friends to see if I can garner any support. I just read the report in the ASCA magazine on how the implementation of Title IX has hurt men's swimming. As a supporter of womens sports I think Title IX has done much more good than harm. As a fan of college swimming I think the NCAA has done more harm than good. I was searching for a solution that would get swimming out of being at the mercy of the NCAA.The solution seems to be to start a scholarship fund for swimmers to be administered by USA Swimming. Criteria would be set up,both athletic and academic,for deserving swimmers to earn college scholarships to the college of their choice. The swimmer would be free to swim for the college if they had a team if desired or for the appropriate club if they don't. If they earn a swimming scholarship from the college the extra funds could be recycled back into the program.In the interest of fairness the scholarships would go to an equal number of men and women. This program would not be a way to get around Title IX but to get around the NCAA. Yes,it would take a massive fund raising effort,but I think most swimmers,parents,Masters,and corporate sponsors would be interested in donating(I would.) It would give swimming great publicity and would be a great recruiting tool. What do Y'all think?
They are probably referring to the cost of maintaining a pool. I know a few years back our HS looked into putting a pool in, it was even in the plans of a new field house that did get put in. The money was there to build it, but when they traveled around the state and talked to schools that had pools, they found out every one of them operated in the red with the pool because pool operation is costly. A couple of years after the field house was built, the state drasticly cut funding, and many schools struggled with major deficits. Our school was one of them. Through careful budgeting, added fees to parents, no programs were cut, and the school is not in a deficit. It may not have been that way with a pool. I wish there was a pool, especially if they offered public lapswim(the field house is open for public hours), because it is 3 blocks away, but the cost would not have helped the financial crisis our district and many others have in this state.
They are probably referring to the cost of maintaining a pool. I know a few years back our HS looked into putting a pool in, it was even in the plans of a new field house that did get put in. The money was there to build it, but when they traveled around the state and talked to schools that had pools, they found out every one of them operated in the red with the pool because pool operation is costly. A couple of years after the field house was built, the state drasticly cut funding, and many schools struggled with major deficits. Our school was one of them. Through careful budgeting, added fees to parents, no programs were cut, and the school is not in a deficit. It may not have been that way with a pool. I wish there was a pool, especially if they offered public lapswim(the field house is open for public hours), because it is 3 blocks away, but the cost would not have helped the financial crisis our district and many others have in this state.
